Perfectly Norman

Norman has always been ‘perfectly normal’.  He loves playing with his friends, eating ice cream, and doing all the other things kids do.  And then one day, a surprised Norman discovers he has grown a pair of wings.  This seems great at first.  He can zoom through the air and have all the delicious feelings that birds share.  But soon, he is ‘down to earth’ – literally.  What will his parents think?  And his friends?  The only option seems to be to wear a big coat so no one can see the wings.  This proves very difficult, and his bemused parents look on as he bathes in the coat, goes to bed in the coat, and finds that it is terribly hot and uncomfortable.  He can’t go swimming or play with his friends properly, and he is miserable.  He realizes that it isn’t the wings that are the problem, but the coat.  When his loving parents finally say to him, why not take it off, he throws it off with joy, exposing his wonderful technicolour wings.  Soon he is flying again, and furthermore, he is joined by other children who have been wearing coats too.  As a book about diversity in all its many forms, this could not be better.  The illustrations picture a boy standing out from other children from the beginning; he is in colour and they and the background are in grey, black and white.  This is not a grim, dim background but a simple presentation of the fact that Norman has always been different, even if unknowingly.  When he sprouts wings and flies with the birds, we see more colour in his life, but on the ground whilst wearing his yellow coat, everything around him is again colourless.  It is only at the end when he comes to understand his potential and accept his difference that we see him becoming his colourful self.  The colours (when they come) are explosive and quite, quite beautiful.  With sophistication and a wistful truth, it explores every child’s need to be ‘normal’ and the fact that everyone has his or her own normality.  Outstanding.