Let’s get this out of the way right up front: Norbert was a dog — a mutt, even, thought to be a mix of chihuahua, cairn terrier, and lhasa apso. And yeah, part of his deal was that he was really cute. A video of him eating some cheese was so sweet, Time magazine posted it on its web site with the headline, “Watching This Tiny Dog Enjoy Some Cheese Will Basically Solve All Your Problems”. Well, maybe, and it’s also included at the bottom of this entry, because why not? It might solve some or all of your problems for a little while.
Plus, Norbert has a lot of social media followers, but being popular online does not an Honorary Unsubscribe honoree make. Nor even being cute, even if that’s aided by his blep (a habit of leaving the tip of his tongue sticking out just a bit), on the left side. Norbert was, then, the pretty face (if you will) to deliver a message from his owner, Julie Freyermuth Steines, who has a degree in Art History. “Since I was in about the fifth grade,” she said in a 2013 interview, “I wanted to publish children’s picture books and publish them with my mother.” Her mother, Virginia Freyermuth, is an art educator. Julie made up a story about a little dog — Norbert, naturally — who moved to the big city and figured out the meaning for his little life, so maybe he could inspire kids to think about theirs. Because, of course, the result was a children’s book (with painted illustrations by Virginia): Norbert: What Can Little Me Do? [*], published in 2013. In a follow-up, Norbert was joined by a cute cat friend for a second book, Norbert & Lil Bub: What Can Little We Do?, as well as (of course!) a photo book of Norbert, little stuffed Norbert plushies, and more.
“We want every child who reads this book to understand that they each have a very special gift that they can share with the world,” Virginia said, “and we hope that Norbert’s story will inspire that.” Norbert’s cuteness sold books (and other merch), so that Julie could do what she do: work as a volunteer with her little certified service dog (yep, Norbert, whose name has a U.S. trademark registration), including at Children’s Hospitals. Mom and daughter formed their own publishing company, Polly Parker Press, to keep all the business aspects together while Julie spreads her message to kids to think about what they can do in the world, and hopefully make it a better place. Norbert, who was just 7 inches tall and weighed 3 pounds, retired after 13 years as a therapy dog. He died on January 26, at 15 years and 10 months old. His legacy will live on with more stories, and endless reprints of his books, to bring joy and maybe even a better life to endless generations of children.