Ryan T. Higgins’ 2025 picture book Norman and the Smell of Adventure is an odd book. That’s not a criticism: I like odd, and it is an essential part of the new. But I wanted to put it out there at the start.
The oddness starts on the cover page. It shows a chubby, cartoonish figure walking outdoors with a stick and a backpack. I could tell it was not human, but thought it was an unkempt owl, due to the size of the eyes, and the shape of the mouth and limbs. (And maybe the body shape, which Norman himself mentions is a bit like a gumdrop.)
Once I opened the book, I found out that was Norman was actually a porcupine, who is best friends with a tree named Mildred. They do things together (at least in Norman’s mind), and enjoy them (at least Norman does), until the day Norman decides he wants to do something different. After a whiny rant, Norman storms off to explore the world.
He meets a cactus and they become friends (in Norman’s mind), though why they don’t bond over both of them having spines that poke people, I’ll never know. Norman then goes on an adventure, wading things, walking over things, going into caves, and climbing things. He takes pictures along the way, then want so share them with Mildred, and turns around and retraces his path, stopping to check in with the cactus on the way.
He shares his pictures with Mildred, and their friendship settles in to a new rhythm. They are usually together, but sometimes Norman goes on adventures, where he gets stinky with his efforts, until he is reeking with the “smell of adventure.”
That’s it.
The story is largely nonsensical, but in a good way: I can imagine reading the book to a child and asking, “Do you think Mildred is really Norman’s friend?” Or “What do you think Norman smelled like?”
The book’s appeal comes from two sources. One is the vivid images: a gumdrop shaped body and a cartoon face make for lots of emotion. The other is the voice. I can hear Norman’s little self-important rants (and confused, but confident explanations) easily.
