If you’ve ever wondered what might happen if a child had the power to control every sign in town, this book answers it with chaos, laughter, and just the right amount of heart. Tedd Arnold’s Signmaker's Assistant is one of those stories that sneaks up on you. At first, it feels like pure silliness — a boy swapping out “Keep Off the Grass” for “Keep on the Grass” — but by the end, it’s clear there’s something deeper at play. It’s a story about mischief, yes, but also about responsibility, trust, and the power words have to shape the world around us.
Norman, the young assistant to the town’s official signmaker, starts off as a helpful, well-meaning kid. But like so many good stories, temptation comes knocking. When the signmaker steps away, Norman decides to have a little fun. And honestly, who wouldn’t? For a while, it’s all giggles — the town erupts into silliness as people follow Norman’s new signs like “SCHOOL IS CLOSED FOREVER” and “FREE ICE CREAM.” Kids will be howling at these moments, especially since they can see it coming before the grown-ups do. It’s the kind of playful mischief kids dream about, and for a few glorious pages, Norman gets away with it.
But Tedd Arnold knows how to spin a good story. The playful tone shifts just a bit when things start to unravel. The townspeople aren’t laughing anymore. The faces that were wide-eyed with surprise now narrow into frustration. It’s subtle, but kids will feel it. That moment when Norman realizes he’s gone too far — that’s where the magic is. It’s so relatable. We’ve all been there, standing in the wreckage of something that felt like a good idea five minutes ago. Arnold captures that feeling perfectly in Norman’s expression, one of those “oh no, what have I done” faces that practically leaps off the page.
And those illustrations! Nobody draws “oops” faces quite like Tedd Arnold. His characters have those big, wide eyes and tiny, pinched mouths that tell the whole story before the words do. You could “read” this book with the sound off and still know exactly what’s happening. The way he captures movement and mayhem on each page makes it feel like the town is practically bouncing. When the crowd of townspeople storms toward Norman, it’s like you can hear the thudding footsteps. Kids will feel the shift, too. What starts as playful mischief becomes a gentle lesson about owning your mistakes.
This is one of those books that grows with its readers. Young kids will see it as pure silliness — and that’s perfectly fine. They’ll laugh at the “FREE ICE CREAM” sign and dream of making their own. But older readers will start to catch on to the bigger ideas. It’s not just about signs; it’s about how people trust what they see and how even a little power comes with a lot of responsibility. There’s so much to talk about here, and teachers and parents will love using it to start conversations about honesty, consequences, and how small actions can have big effects.
And I have to mention the ending. Without giving too much away, I’ll just say that Norman’s story doesn’t wrap up with a tidy “and he learned his lesson forever” moral. No, it’s more honest than that. He makes amends, he tries to fix what he broke, but it still leaves a little room for reflection. Kids will spot it, too. That final moment is like a knowing wink from Tedd Arnold — a reminder that growing up isn’t about never making mistakes. It’s about what you do after you’ve made them.
This is the kind of book that will have kids looking at street signs with fresh eyes. Don’t be surprised if you catch them making their own “signs” after storytime. (And if one of those signs says “NO BEDTIME EVER,” well, you’ll know exactly where it came from.) It’s a classic in the making — funny, clever, and sneakily wise in the way only the best picture books are.
Questions to ask while reading:
- What do you think will happen when Norman starts making his own signs?
- How do the townspeople react to the new signs?
- What lesson does Norman learn by the end of the story?