The signmaker's assistant

by Tedd Arnold

Norman, the signmaker's assistant, dreams of having his own shop. But one day while his boss is napping, Norman concocts a very mischievous sign. Soon lots of odd signs appear around town, and Norman is in stitches. But when the old signmaker is blamed for the mischief, Norman realizes the importance not only of good signs, but of honesty too. 29 full-color illustrations.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Tedd grew up with three brothers. His family lived on a farm in Pennsylvania for several years then returned to Elmira until Tedd was ten years old. His father's work then required that they move to Gainesville, Florida. There, Tedd's first art lessons in an abandoned dentist's office over the Happy Hour pool hall eventually led to a fine arts degree from the University of Florida.

He and his wife, Carol, started their family in Tallahassee where Tedd worked as a commercial illustrator. Carol, a kindergarten teacher, drew Tedd's attention to children's books. Their first son, Walter, inspired his breakthrough picture book, NO JUMPING ON THE BED!.

He and his family now live in Elmira. His second son, William, now stars in NO MORE WATER IN THE TUB!, a sequel to his first book. He has now published over 50 books as author and illustrator.

Reviews

[Ellen Tischendorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Signmaker's Assistant is about a boy named Norman who helps the town's signmaker. Everyone in the town respects the signmaker and follows what his signs say. When he goes out of town, Norman decides to take matters into his own hands and make signs so that people would do what he wants. Eventually, the town got mad and threw away all of the signs, which created chaos and led them to be angry at the signmaker. Norman realizes what he did was wrong and tells the town that it was all his fault. They forgive him and Norman goes back to being the assistant.
This story includes many themes that children can learn from. Norman learns the importance of responsibility and honesty when he has to own up to his mistakes in front of the entire town. The illustrations show the story from Norman's perspective as he is the main character. They are bright and colorful which catch the reader's attention and keep them engaged. In the middle of the book, there are several pages of just pictures that tell their own story.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Norman decides to play a little joke, but then it goes too far.

A story about pranks and thinking for yourself.

Ages: 4 - 8

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!

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[Sarah Cho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Teaches students that mistakes happen and things can be done to fix them or appoligize.
This book is an older one but isn't outdated which is something I always look for in books. Stories that will teach good lesson for a lifetime.

[Kary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story that shows a prank gone wrong, and the prankster's remorse.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read with an important lesson about honesty!

[Jeani · Rating 3 out of 5]

The end was hokey, but the story was funny! Has the same sort of vibe as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

[Shawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book seemed out of date. The story was as appealing as story written for a day of an IRS tax accountant. It was boring. The story about a signmaker's assistant is so funny. At least there was a lesson to be learned. The kid "Norman", owned up to his mistake of making silly signs, like bring Norman a present or dump your gabage infront of a grocery store.What was even more crazy was that people actually did all the stuff he put signs up for. If I was a kid reading this book or having it read to me I would have been really bored. I do not reccomend this book at all. How it won a prize is beyond me?

[Haley Heinkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Norman is a young boy who is the signmaker's assistant. He loves to paint and helps the signmaker make signs for the town. As the signmaker's leaves for a little while, Norman gets to work making his own signs. He stirs up problems in the town and create confused and angry citizen. Norman see's his mistakes and fixes them. I thought this story was a very creative book. The illustration in the book made me laugh. I enjoyed the book and would definitely suggest this book to children!!

[Michael Koreis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book! I think that it teaches a great lesson. The book starts with the sign makers assistant showing the signs he knows how to make. he realizes that everyone follows his boss's signs without question. when the sign maker goes to the next town for a job the assistant starts making signs that get him things, point people in the wrong direction, and creates other mischievous signs. When the sign maker returns the whole town is mad at him. The lesson here is that your actions can sometimes be reflected upon others, so you need to act appropriately at all times.

[Chelsea]

This book is adorable! The plot is completely different than most books and I actually never would have guessed what was going to happen. I love how several of the pages are just pictures and it let's the pictures tell the story. This book will teach children how to do the right thing and how to own up to their mistakes. Great book!

[Christian Singer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children will enjoy this tale of mischief. Norman's big dream of running the sign shop goes wrong, endangering people's lives. He does a brave thing by admitting his wrong, an honorable quality every child should learn.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Loved this book in Elementary School. I only just now rediscovered it. Tedd Arnold is one of my favorite illustrators. I love his work!

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book teachers several great lessons and could spark thoughtful conversation with students about the consequences of our actions. It also has a lot of humorous moments, making for a solid read aloud.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun. We love this author.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I loved this book so much. I would read it about once a week or so, and it would always leave me happy.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. A new take on the boy who cried wolf. I loved it and the illustrations were gorgeous!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a silly fun story with a nice message.

[David Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

An all-time favorite!