- Graphic Novels
- Ages 5–8
- Comedy
Pizza My Heart
Book 3 of 4 in Norma and BellyView the full series
Book three of the squirrel capers: sick of acorns, Norma and Belly set their sights on the town's new robot pizza automat — and, inevitably, one of them ends up trapped inside it. Quick, chaotic and warm-hearted.
- Best for5–8
- FormatGraphic
- Length96 pp
- Read aloud~45 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Conversational
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Warm
- Exciting
- Whimsical
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Tired of acorn-based dinners, Norma and Belly are thrilled when Pizza Bot, an on-the-street pizza automat, opens in town. When Norma tries pressing its buttons she tumbles through the dollar-bill slot and lands in the machine's kitchen, and Belly — unable to get in to free her — hitches a ride with the delivery driver, Pizza Kid, right to the doorstep of Tomato, the meanest cat in town. With help from friends old and new, the squirrels scheme their way toward the pizza they crave and the friend they need to rescue. Mika Song's expressive ink-and-watercolour panels keep the pace brisk and the physical comedy front and centre, while the reading load stays very light — perfect for a newly independent reader or a shared storytime giggle. The peril is purely cartoonish; the friendship, as ever, is the real point.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
Best-fit around 5 to 8. Very light text and strong picture support make it a confident early independent read; it reads aloud well to 4-year-olds. Minimal adult crossover beyond shared laughs.
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- Best fit · 5–8
- Read aloud · 4–7
- Independent · 5–8
Prose load
Minimal
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
5 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Reluctant readers
- Laugh out loud
- Feel good
- First graphic novel
Avoid if
No common reasons to avoid this one — a rare clean sweep on the sensitivity flags.
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Struggling with reading
- Making friends
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Norma falls inside a pizza vending machine and Belly has to spring her — with a delivery-scooter ride, a mean cat called Tomato, and a lot of scheming. It's fast, silly and completely relatable to anyone who has ever really, really wanted a slice.
- Trickery and cleverness
- Friendship and belonging
- The underdog winning
- Unlimited treats
- Surviving danger
Why parents love it
The shortest and snappiest Norma and Belly yet — a page-a-minute caper with just enough jeopardy to keep a new reader turning pages, and none of the real menace. Song's art carries the comedy, and it rewards being read together.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
- Indie gem discovery
In the series
Norma and Belly.
4 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Mika Song.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
