Fiction Evaluation Form

(Picture Books, Folklore, Modern Fantasy, Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Multicultural Books)

Your Name: Heather Jun Book Title: Not Norman: A Goldfish Story
Author: Kelly Bennett Illustrator: Noah Zones

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction Publisher/Year: Candlewick/2008

EVALUATE THE BOOK USING THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS

STYLE and Language: Using examples from the book, explain the following: word choices, dialogue,
rhythm, rhyme and sentence length. Also, explain unexpected insights or interesting information the reader
learns from the story. Give examples.
Word Choices: The author uses the words, “Bom bom bom baaaa ba ba ba boooo bo bo bo beeee,”
to show the sound a tuba makes. The author says, “around and around and around and around and
around and around and around and around….,” to show in writing that Norman swims in circles in his
fish tank. “Screech scritch scratch scritch screeeech,” is used to describe the sound the branch was
making when hitting the window.
Dialogue: The dialogue within the book is mostly when the boy is speaking with Norman. There is
other dialogue when the boy is speaking with other people to try and give him to them.
Rhythm: The rhythm throughout the book remains the same.
Rhyme: There is no rhyming in this book.
Sentence Length: Sentence length throughout the book remains the mainly the same. An exception
is when the sentence, “Not Norman,” is written.
Unexpected insights or interesting information the reader learns from the story:
An unexpected insight is when Norman starts dipping, flipping, and flapping his fins around when he
got placed into his clean bowl. Even a fish shows how happy it can be with a clean-living space.
Another insight is when Norman is singing during the music lesson. Fish can respond to
music/exciting noise.

CHARACTER – With examples from the book give the following: Who is the main character? Explain the
character’s personality traits.
How can the reader relate to the character, become involved in the story?
Who are the supporting characters?
Main Character: The main character is a boy (his name is never mentioned).
Character’s Personality Traits: He is persistent and ingenious.
How can the reader relate to the character, become involved in the story: The reader can relate to
the boy because the boy comes up with different ways to try and “market” Norman so others would
want him. The boy doesn’t try just one time, he is persistent and tries multiple times.
Supporting Characters: The supporting character is Norman.
1. PLOT: summarize the major events in the story-

A boy received Norman, a goldfish, for his birthday. He didn’t want a fish; he wanted a different pet.
He takes Norman to show and tell at school in the hopes of making him seem so amazing that
someone else would want him. Norman goes to music class and sings along, Norman goes with the
boy to check out the screeching sounds coming from the window, and finally they go together to the
pet store. In the end, there was no other pet like Norman. Norman went back home with the boy
and he decided he wouldn’t trade Norman for any pet.

2. SETTING – Explain the place and time of the book.

THEME- What is the story’s theme/message?

Setting: The setting takes place in many places from the boys’ home, to the park, the pet store and
the school.
Theme: The theme of the story is that something is not always what it appears.

ILLUSTRATION –Analyze the illustrations for the book you selected (see Chapter 4) with the categories
below:
Choose a 2-page spread in the book to answer the following:
What Style (realism, surrealism, expressionism, impressionism, naïve, cartoon art)?
The style used is cartoon art.
Media choices (paints, oils watercolors, pencil, pen, charcoal, crayons, acrylic, chalk ):
Acrylic paints appear to be the media choice in Not Norman: A Goldfish Story
Give examples and describe how the following visual elements are used in the illustrations :
Line: On page 3, the boy’s eyebrow lines are making a “u” shape and the shape of his lips are a
straight horizontal line. These combined, show a look of worry and unhappiness.
Shapes: On page 3, there are rectangular shapes in the background that resemble the shape of
buildings. There is a dark half circle in the air/sky resembling a frisbee. On page 4, there are light
orange and dark orange squares that make up a checkered square pattern. This resembles a table.
Inside the fish takes there are dark circular blobs that are within the light blue color that appears to
be water. The blobs appear to be dirt within the fish tank.
Color: There is a lot of color throughout the entire book. There is a lot of two tones of the same
color used. Specifically, on page 3, the color of green is used in different shades to resemble the tree
and the grass. The people playing in the background on the grass are colored in two different shades
of blue. A bright red wagon pops out. The fishbowl is colored in two shades of blue. Norman is
colored in two shades of orange.
Texture: On page 3,the grass the person is throwing a frisbee from is a darker green than the rest of
the grass. It appears to be thicker/softer. On page 4, the checkered pattern of the table makes it
appear to be solid like wood.

Explain how illustration and text are combined to tell the story. What do illustrations show that
text does not explain?
On page 4 the book says, “I wanted a pet who could run and catch.” On page 3, the picture shows the
boy sitting on a park bench with Norman in the fishbowl sitting in a wagon. In the background, the
picture drawn is of a boy playing frisbee with a dog and a girl laying on the grass next to her cat.
Illustrations on page 3 show the boy sitting on the park bench. His eyebrows and eyes show pure
disappointment and sadness. Norman’s eye is looking up at the boy with the look of wonder.

Page design: Summarize the following: Placement of illustrations and text; the use of borders and
white/dark space; are both pages designed the same or differently?
Pages 13/14, 15/16. 17/18, and 21/22 are the only pages in the book where the end pages continue
for both pages to make a complete scene. All of the other pages do not continue from left to right.
There are two different scenes. There is not a border around the pages throughout the book. There
is a white border around all pages. The writing on each page is either above the picture, above and
below the picture, but never only below the picture.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT THEORIES – CHOOSE 2 of theories below and evaluate the book according to the
developmental theories. (How the book fits the developmental stage and age?)

PIAGET-COGNITIVE-INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT
Name the stage: Preoperational and the age: 7

Explain the cognitive development from the stage:

The cognitive development feature selected for this stage is egocentric thinking; does not see things
from other viewpoints
Give examples from the book show how the book fits the cognitive stage:
An example from the book that shows how it fits egocentric thinking is when the boy gets Norman, he
only thinks of how he wanted a different type of pet. He doesn’t see that it was a gift given to him.
He doesn’t see from the viewpoint of every pet is different and has positive reasons to have it. At the
end, he changes his viewpoint to appreciate Norman for the fish he is.

ERIKSON – PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Name the stage __________________________________ and the age_____________________

Explain the social development for this stage:

Give examples from the book that support the social development of this stage:

Emotional DEVELOPMENT
Identify the Age: 7
Explain the emotional development for the age:
As emotional understanding improves, responses of empathy increase.
Using examples from the book, explain how the book fits the emotional development of the age:
The boy by the end of the book has empathy for Norman. He appears to understand how he feels
and how he is happy to be with him.
2. Overall Rating of the book (3 highest - 1 lowest) 1 2 3
Comments: (Support your overall rating)
This book is a great read. Children and adults of all ages are able to relate to the book. People can
relate to not getting the pet they wanted; wanting a different, a livelier pet. Some people can relate
to wanting to return a pet. People can relate to the general thought of getting a present they didn’t
really want. Not Norman: A Goldfish Story is filled with animations/drawings that are vibrant and
appealing. The words and picture go great together and paint a clear picture of what is happening.
The boy is determined to “sell” Norman to others and have them want to take him. People can
identify with his determination.