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Not Norman: A Goldfish Story
"A sweet story that could be used as a springboard to discussion of the pitfalls of making snap judgments about pets — or people." — School Library Journal
Norman the goldfish isn’t what this little boy had in mind. He wanted a different kind of pet — one that could run and catch, or chase string and climb trees, a soft furry pet to sleep on his bed at night. Definitely not Norman. But when he tries to trade Norman for a "good pet," things don’t go as he planned. Could it be that Norman is a better pet than he thought? With wry humor and lighthearted affection, author Kelly Bennett and illustrator Noah Z. Jones tell an unexpected — and positively fishy — tale about finding the good in something you didn’t know
you wanted.
Norman the goldfish isn’t what this little boy had in mind. He wanted a different kind of pet — one that could run and catch, or chase string and climb trees, a soft furry pet to sleep on his bed at night. Definitely not Norman. But when he tries to trade Norman for a "good pet," things don’t go as he planned. Could it be that Norman is a better pet than he thought? With wry humor and lighthearted affection, author Kelly Bennett and illustrator Noah Z. Jones tell an unexpected — and positively fishy — tale about finding the good in something you didn’t know
you wanted.
32 pages, Paperback
First published February 3, 2005
86 people are currently reading
905 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Bennett
25 books38 followersI write books for children celebrating imagination, families, friends, pets…all that goes into being a kid! What books? Baseball books for fans of all ages, including: OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABE & THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT, picture books including. NORMAN ONE AMAZING GOLDFISH & NOT NORMAN, featuring our finny fish friend, Norman T Goldfish, illustrated by Noah Z Jones (Candlewick Press); VAMPIRE BABY about a biting baby sister/vampire; DAD AND POP: Ode to Fathers & Stepfathers, illustrated by Paul Meisel; ONE DAY I WENT RAMBLING & DANCE, Y’ALL, DANCE illustrated by Terri Murphy; YOUR DADDY WAS JUST LIKE YOU & YOUR MOMMY WAS JUST LIKE YOU illustrated by David Walker; and POETRY LAB, 7-Minute Poetry Prompts you can find—and try!—on my blog, Kelly’s Fishbowl: https://www.kellybennett.com/fishbowl....
What’s more: I’m a graduate of VCFA’s Writing for Children and Young Adults program, and long-standing member of SCBWI (former ARA for SCBWI-Houston) & The Author’s Guild. I live, garden, bike, cook, create from my base in Westhampton Beach, NY & Mimiville (which is anywhere my grandboys may be).
For more about Kelly and her books, visit her website: www.kellybennett.com
And for a swimmingly good time, wade through her blog: http://kellybennett.com/blog/
In case you're wondering, I use the 'It's the City' Book Review "Rating System" here's the link: http://citybookreview.com/our-rating-...
1 Star – Probably only going to be read and enjoyed by the author’s mother.
2 Stars – This book was a waste of time for the general reader
3 Stars – While not a bad book, probably wouldn’t read it again/recommend it to a friend.
4 Stars – Enjoyed it, will recommend it to friends.
5 Stars – An excellent example of the genre. Will be giving it out as gifts.
...Bottom line: A three isn’t a recommendation. It’s a “You’ll like this sort of thing if you like this sort of thing” kind of review.
What’s more: I’m a graduate of VCFA’s Writing for Children and Young Adults program, and long-standing member of SCBWI (former ARA for SCBWI-Houston) & The Author’s Guild. I live, garden, bike, cook, create from my base in Westhampton Beach, NY & Mimiville (which is anywhere my grandboys may be).
For more about Kelly and her books, visit her website: www.kellybennett.com
And for a swimmingly good time, wade through her blog: http://kellybennett.com/blog/
In case you're wondering, I use the 'It's the City' Book Review "Rating System" here's the link: http://citybookreview.com/our-rating-...
1 Star – Probably only going to be read and enjoyed by the author’s mother.
2 Stars – This book was a waste of time for the general reader
3 Stars – While not a bad book, probably wouldn’t read it again/recommend it to a friend.
4 Stars – Enjoyed it, will recommend it to friends.
5 Stars – An excellent example of the genre. Will be giving it out as gifts.
...Bottom line: A three isn’t a recommendation. It’s a “You’ll like this sort of thing if you like this sort of thing” kind of review.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews
March 5, 2018
I don't even know if I can handle how sweet-sad-satisfying this story is.
October 29, 2008
Great story about the simple pleasures of life. Text is short enough and pictures big enough to try out in storytime.
Read
November 24, 2015We don't have to like what others like or imitate others. Norman is his own person. Nice book for small kids.
Read
October 10, 2017Summary: A little boy gets a pet for his birthday, but it is not the pet he wanted. He did not see what was special about him and he wanted to trade him in for a cat or dog or anything but Norman.
Evaluation: I thought this was a sweet story with how the fish starts to relate to the little boy. He even tells the fish, not to think he won't take him back. It was a great story and had great pictures. It is also from a multicultural perspective.
Teaching point: I would use this to talk about children maybe not being interested in something at first and how our perspective can change. I would also relate to some experiences they didn't like at first and how their mind changed.
Evaluation: I thought this was a sweet story with how the fish starts to relate to the little boy. He even tells the fish, not to think he won't take him back. It was a great story and had great pictures. It is also from a multicultural perspective.
Teaching point: I would use this to talk about children maybe not being interested in something at first and how our perspective can change. I would also relate to some experiences they didn't like at first and how their mind changed.
August 18, 2017
Norman- one amazing fish!
May 15, 2019
Hilarious book about not wanting "that kind of pet" only to discover that his pet is perfect!
June 30, 2021
not sure if the title is meant to be a pun, regardless, i loved the title. it's an okay story but i wasn't wowed.
September 10, 2021
It's about a boy who doesn't want his goldfish and changes his mind about the goldfish. It's very colorful.
July 29, 2023
A boy and his goldfish story.
Read
November 13, 2018Text-to-Self Connection
This story makes me recall a time when I took things for granted as a child and was not very appreciative of what my parents offered at that time. I grew up as an only child and being selfish was not my personality but when things didn't go my way I would pitch a fit and become a brat and stubborn. I quickly grew out of that stage in my life once I entered school and experienced other hardships that my friends or classmates endured and I became a lot more humble and blessed for the things my parents were able to offer me. I also appreciated not having to fight over other things with siblings since I was the only child.
This story makes me recall a time when I took things for granted as a child and was not very appreciative of what my parents offered at that time. I grew up as an only child and being selfish was not my personality but when things didn't go my way I would pitch a fit and become a brat and stubborn. I quickly grew out of that stage in my life once I entered school and experienced other hardships that my friends or classmates endured and I became a lot more humble and blessed for the things my parents were able to offer me. I also appreciated not having to fight over other things with siblings since I was the only child.
January 18, 2023
Very cute pet goldfish book. Initially the main character did not want to keep Norman but in the end Norman makes a great pet.
August 6, 2016
Not Norman: A Goldfish Story is about a boy who really wanted a soft, furry pet that he could play with and sleep with. When the boy receives a pet goldfish, Norman, for his birthday, he is not very enthused. The boy tries to think of ways to trade his pet goldfish for a different pet, but in the process realizes that he has grown to love his pet very much. This sweet story depicts the unconditional love that a person has for their pet. It is a great book that can be used to teach children that if you give something a chance, you might actually end up liking it. I would like to purchase this book for my own classroom library because it is a great story and the main character is African American. I think it is important to have a wide collection of books that depict characters of diverse ethnic backgrounds.
May 2, 2008
Sunny stylized digital images and giggle-inducing grins, grimaces and gestures make a disgruntled pet-owner’s gradual shift in perspective an entertaining example of rejection, reflection and imagination.
You can listen in on our chat about this book on our Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast.
You can listen in on our chat about this book on our Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast.
February 4, 2016
I loved this book! Non-furry pets have never been championed with picture book lit the same way that "Clifford" and "Pete the Cat" have, so they may seem boring to kids who wanted a puppy or a pony. What do fish DO, anyway? Luckily, Norman lets us know that fish can be pretty awesome. Super cute illustrations, humorous writing, and the protagonist has dark skin and an afro. Five stars in my book.
November 30, 2017
Not Norman is an adorable book that conveys an important message for children as they go through phases of jealousy and comparisons to others.
The story follows a young boy who gets his first pet! He had hoped for a dog or a cat or something "cooler" but he ended up with a small goldfish named Norman. He maintains a sour attitude about it, feeling insecure and angry that he ended up with a goldfish when everyone else has a cooler pet! He learns the valuable lesson of appreciating what he has and friendship beating bitterness.
My first impression was unsure of the concept because when it comes to children learning how to treat pets there is certainly a right way and wrong way to go about it. After reading more, the book had a message that is definitely the right thing to be teaching children with new pets.
The book has many effective design elements. It follows a color scheme of bright colors, Norman's bowl being bright blue and Norman being bright orange at the opposite end of the color wheel. It really pops and visually stuns. Your eye is drawn straight to Norman as your center of focus. The book has large pages with every inch of the page covered, with a few pages that have the drawings in the center of the page bordered in a way that makes it look almost like the boy is the one in the fish tank. This makes the reader feel more immersed in the setting of the story and subtly conveys the point that Norman and the boy are in the same boat (pun intended). The artistic style used by Kelly Bennett is a lot of lively colors and common shapes. This fiction picture book contains compositional elements such as the size of the book, vibrant colors and the changing size of the font. It adds to cohesiveness by making it all subtly tied together and themed almost through the perspective of a fish. These elements all intermingle to create a story worth sharing.
The story follows a young boy who gets his first pet! He had hoped for a dog or a cat or something "cooler" but he ended up with a small goldfish named Norman. He maintains a sour attitude about it, feeling insecure and angry that he ended up with a goldfish when everyone else has a cooler pet! He learns the valuable lesson of appreciating what he has and friendship beating bitterness.
My first impression was unsure of the concept because when it comes to children learning how to treat pets there is certainly a right way and wrong way to go about it. After reading more, the book had a message that is definitely the right thing to be teaching children with new pets.
The book has many effective design elements. It follows a color scheme of bright colors, Norman's bowl being bright blue and Norman being bright orange at the opposite end of the color wheel. It really pops and visually stuns. Your eye is drawn straight to Norman as your center of focus. The book has large pages with every inch of the page covered, with a few pages that have the drawings in the center of the page bordered in a way that makes it look almost like the boy is the one in the fish tank. This makes the reader feel more immersed in the setting of the story and subtly conveys the point that Norman and the boy are in the same boat (pun intended). The artistic style used by Kelly Bennett is a lot of lively colors and common shapes. This fiction picture book contains compositional elements such as the size of the book, vibrant colors and the changing size of the font. It adds to cohesiveness by making it all subtly tied together and themed almost through the perspective of a fish. These elements all intermingle to create a story worth sharing.
October 30, 2021
The book is Not Norman: A goldfish story by Kelly Bennett. In the story Norman is not the pet his owner the boy thought he would have. Norman doesn't do anything he just stares and watches and swims around. He wants a pet that is like his friends where they all play fetch, snuggle, hug, and kiss, etc. His class has a pet sharing and someones lose their snake right as he is presenting norman. No one Is listening and he feels alone and he looks to Norman and he is listening to him. When he gets scared at night norman is there he is not alone. He goes to trade him in like he wanted to do all along and he realizes there is no one like Norman. The characters are the boy and Norman the fish. The structure of the text is easy to follow and also leaves you wondering what is he going to do about Norman? The illustrations are bubbly and large. the text moves around the illustration and sometimes in fun and funky forms that help you read the tone of the text.
I love how this book is a tale about finding the good in something you didn’t know. I think many children and even adults can relate to this factor and how you sometimes don't see the good because you searching too hard to find what you want. This book can be used in the classroom in writing prompts to talk about things that are good in your life, things you are thankful for, etc. Also retelling the story, begging middle and end along with retelling your own story of something similar.
I love how this book is a tale about finding the good in something you didn’t know. I think many children and even adults can relate to this factor and how you sometimes don't see the good because you searching too hard to find what you want. This book can be used in the classroom in writing prompts to talk about things that are good in your life, things you are thankful for, etc. Also retelling the story, begging middle and end along with retelling your own story of something similar.
October 6, 2020
Genre: Juvenile Realistic Fiction/Picture Book
Awards: N/A
Source: Townsend Memorial Library
Audience: Pre-K - 2nd
-How does the author help the reader connect with the character(s)? This book is a simple book that has few characters. The only character that the audience is given the opportunity to connect with is Norman’s owner, who is never given a name. However, the author writes this character in a simple way that allows the reader to connect with him. He is a simple kid with a pet. The author uses everyday emotions and situations to allow the reader to connect with the main character as he goes throughout his day wishing he had a different pet and not Norman.
-Discuss the topics present in this book. (See Chapter 7) Although this picture book presents a simple story it still sheds light on a few topics. The main one I would like to cover is the topic of everyone and everything bringing value to the table and being deserving of love. Within this book, there is a little boy who got a pet goldfish, Norman. This little boy, however, is not satisfied with his pet goldfish and wishes he had a cooler pet. By the end of the story, the little boy realizes that Norman is a great pet, and just because he isn’t as “cool” as the other pets doesn’t mean he isn’t worthy of love.
April 3, 2018
Not Norman is a book about a kid and his pet goldfish, Norman. At first the main character does not like his pet goldfish. He wants to give the pet goldfish away so he takes Norman to school for show-and-tell hoping someone would want Norman. The show-and-tell doesn't go very well and he can't give away Norman. Throughout the story Norman begins to grow on the boy. Finally he takes Norman to the pet story and finds no pets that would be as good as Norman and he decides to keep Norman.
3 book topic ideas
1.) This could be a good book to apply knowledge from the book to their own lives by writing a story about a time when the students didn't think they would like something but end up liking it.
2.) This could be a good book to start talking about fish and give the students information on them.
3.) This book also has a good moral lesson that you should never be too quick to judge or be mad about something because that thing can end up changing your mind if you give it time.
3 book topic ideas
1.) This could be a good book to apply knowledge from the book to their own lives by writing a story about a time when the students didn't think they would like something but end up liking it.
2.) This could be a good book to start talking about fish and give the students information on them.
3.) This book also has a good moral lesson that you should never be too quick to judge or be mad about something because that thing can end up changing your mind if you give it time.
July 12, 2022
A boy is given a goldfish for his birthday, which is not the type of pet he wanted.
After being given a goldfish, a boy is disappointed and decides to swap it for a different pet. Things do not go according to plan, and the boy comes to believe his own sales pitch that Norman is "one amazing fish" and decides to keep him.
Ironically, we had just read The Birthday Fish the day before we read this picture. It has a very similar storyline.
Note to caregivers: Animal welfare organizations advise against giving pets as gifts, especially surprise gifts. It’s unfair to both the recipient and the animal. Animals are a responsibility, a long-term commitment, a financial obligation, and a relationship in which compatibility is a significant factor. They also often require a lifestyle change on the part of the owners.
After being given a goldfish, a boy is disappointed and decides to swap it for a different pet. Things do not go according to plan, and the boy comes to believe his own sales pitch that Norman is "one amazing fish" and decides to keep him.
Ironically, we had just read The Birthday Fish the day before we read this picture. It has a very similar storyline.
Note to caregivers: Animal welfare organizations advise against giving pets as gifts, especially surprise gifts. It’s unfair to both the recipient and the animal. Animals are a responsibility, a long-term commitment, a financial obligation, and a relationship in which compatibility is a significant factor. They also often require a lifestyle change on the part of the owners.
January 13, 2023
When a young boy asked for a pet he was imagining a dog that he could play with or a cat that he could cuddle with. He was definitely not thinking of a goldfish named Norman. He thinks that a goldfish is boring, all he does is swim around and around and the boy tells Norman that he is going to trade him in for a better pet. To the boys surprise, once he cleans up the tank Norman begins “dipping and flipping, and flapping his fins around” making the boy laugh out loud. Still, the boy tells Norman, he’s trading him in. Yet. somehow, each time the boy is about to trade Norman, something happens to make the boy question his decision. Will he finally trade Norman? Or, will Norman be his best pet forever? Ages 3-7.
#NotNorman #AGoldfishStory #KellyBennett #NoahZJonesIllustrator #childrens #picturebook #animalsandpets
#NotNorman #AGoldfishStory #KellyBennett #NoahZJonesIllustrator #childrens #picturebook #animalsandpets
March 12, 2019
This book has received many awards including Children's Book Council Children's Choice award, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio 2006 Gold Medal, A FamilyFun Magazine Best Children’s Book for 2005, Booktrust Book of the Month for August 2005, and Texas Institute of Letters Best Children’s Book for 2005. The appropriate level for this book is kindergarten. The book was about a boy who didn't like his new pet goldfish and kept trying to trade him but also bonded with him so by the end, the boy couldn't trade Norman, he had learned to love him. I really enjoyed this story and was able to relate to it on different levels. I feel children could also learn from the good message in this book. This could be incorporated in the classroom with a simple read aloud and some follow up discussion.
March 17, 2021
"A sweet story that could be used as a springboard to discussion of the pitfalls of making snap judgments about pets — or people." — SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
Norman the goldfish isn’t what this little boy had in mind. He wanted a different kind of pet — one that could run and catch, or chase string and climb trees, a soft furry pet to sleep on his bed at night. Definitely not Norman. But when he tries to trade Norman for a "good pet," things don’t go as he planned. Could it be that Norman is a better pet than he thought? With wry humor and lighthearted affection, author Kelly Bennett and illustrator Noah Z. Jones tell an unexpected — and positively fishy — tale about finding the good in something you didn’t know
you wanted.
Norman the goldfish isn’t what this little boy had in mind. He wanted a different kind of pet — one that could run and catch, or chase string and climb trees, a soft furry pet to sleep on his bed at night. Definitely not Norman. But when he tries to trade Norman for a "good pet," things don’t go as he planned. Could it be that Norman is a better pet than he thought? With wry humor and lighthearted affection, author Kelly Bennett and illustrator Noah Z. Jones tell an unexpected — and positively fishy — tale about finding the good in something you didn’t know
you wanted.
November 12, 2022
Reading a few books to read out loud to children. I was a very popular Storytelling Lady at elementary schools because I really get into the dialogue and plot of the story! Pre-school children thrive on the accompanying artwork but elementary kids STILL enjoy good colorful pictures. I would have liked to see more detailed artwork in this book. The storyline was excellent and used repetition to attract the children's attention [children love to see what is coming next before it gets there!] Not Norman was excellent in the use of humorous and delightful repetition. On the whole, a good book to read aloud to the children.
February 18, 2024
In this story a boy gets an unwanted pet for his birthday. His plan is to trade his pet fish for a pet that can run or catch or snuggle with. When things don't go as planned he finds that he has had the perfect pet and friend all along in Norman.
Not Norman: A Goldfish Story by Kelly Bennett is a perfect story for young readers ages 5 to 7 years old. It is an uplifting story about unexpectedly finding the good in something. You can't help but fall in love with Norman.
In my classroom I would use this book to teach students themes like acceptance and diversity. We could discuss the moral of the story and their own experiences with pets or friends. We could compare and contrast the different pets in the story and students could write about what their favorite pet would be.
Not Norman: A Goldfish Story by Kelly Bennett is a perfect story for young readers ages 5 to 7 years old. It is an uplifting story about unexpectedly finding the good in something. You can't help but fall in love with Norman.
In my classroom I would use this book to teach students themes like acceptance and diversity. We could discuss the moral of the story and their own experiences with pets or friends. We could compare and contrast the different pets in the story and students could write about what their favorite pet would be.
May 30, 2018
A little boy desperately wants a pet, but is so sad when he receives a sorry looking goldfish who doesn't do anything like the other pets. The boy decides to get rid of Norman. Then Norman begins to show off as he tries to get the other kids to purchase/want Norman. Throughout the day the kiddo notices that the little fish Norman is actually quite fantastic! He's a good listener and makes him laugh. In the end, the boy decides to keep his very special pet, Norman because Norman is NOT like anyone or anything else in the world.
May 27, 2022
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Grade Level: Lower Elementary (K-1)
I read this book to my kindergarten class yesterday and thought this book was super sweet. It was very easy to read and the illustrations were very good and took up the entire page. It has a sense of humor to it so I often found my students giggling at some of pages. All of these elements kept my students engaged with the story the whole time. At the very end of the book, many of them were even able to relate to it in one way or another. Overall, I would give this book 5 stars.
Grade Level: Lower Elementary (K-1)
I read this book to my kindergarten class yesterday and thought this book was super sweet. It was very easy to read and the illustrations were very good and took up the entire page. It has a sense of humor to it so I often found my students giggling at some of pages. All of these elements kept my students engaged with the story the whole time. At the very end of the book, many of them were even able to relate to it in one way or another. Overall, I would give this book 5 stars.
September 15, 2017
This is a fun story with a great message: don't be so quick to judge people (or pets).
Norman the goldfish isn't quite what the boy wanted as a pet. He wanted a pet that could run and catch or chase strings and climb trees - but definitely not a goldfish!. The boy tries to convince his friends to take Norman, but learns along the way that maybe Norman is a better pet than he thought.
We loved this fun book!
Norman the goldfish isn't quite what the boy wanted as a pet. He wanted a pet that could run and catch or chase strings and climb trees - but definitely not a goldfish!. The boy tries to convince his friends to take Norman, but learns along the way that maybe Norman is a better pet than he thought.
We loved this fun book!
October 30, 2020
A boy is disappointed because his pet is a goldfish and goldfish just swim in circles.
After he decides that his goldfish must go, he realizes that the two interact more than he thinks and that the goldfish supports him in quiet ways.
Interesting story about not judging people by their looks or what you think about them.
For church, would pair well with the Anointing of David (The Lord looks on the heart).
After he decides that his goldfish must go, he realizes that the two interact more than he thinks and that the goldfish supports him in quiet ways.
Interesting story about not judging people by their looks or what you think about them.
For church, would pair well with the Anointing of David (The Lord looks on the heart).
March 10, 2021
This was a great average picture book. It's not earth shattering. It doesn't have a life-changing message. It doesn't have an instant commercial hook. But there was so much to like. Judging by the reception and the sequel book, kids like it plenty. Something about it endures for them. Maybe all of us in publishing need to step back, stop preaching, and start telling stories again. P.S. Great endpapers!
May 27, 2022
This book is an adorable story that goes through a little boy getting a goldfish named Norman for a pet instead of a “different kind of pet” like a “cool dog”. He tries to plan to get rid of him but through those actions, he starts to bond with Norman. It’s a cute story for younger ones about not judging a book by its cover, and get to know others before placing judgement. Very quick read if you need a filler book between transitions.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews