Perfectly Norman
Author: Tom Percival
Illustrator: Tom Percival
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
1 May 2018
32 pages
This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (Employee of the Month at Only Picture Books) and Florida-based author/illustrator Linda Shute.
–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–
Maybe it’s because I’ve been binge-watching Glee or because I have a teen and a tween living under my roof, but I’m smitten these days by books that encourage young people to be who they are versus who others want them to be. And that’s the story here with poor Norman who plays with his dog and seems just like every other little boy until one day, he sprouts a set of beautiful wings. He flies and zooms and soars, as happy as can be. But then he gets worried what everyone else will think. No one else has wings, do they? What will they all think?
So he hides those wings under a big coat and kind of huddles into himself.
As one would expect, wearing a big yellow jacket all the time is no fun and creates its own set of problems. Bath time? Bed time? Birthday parties? Yikes. “The coat was hot and uncomfortable, but Norman had decided that no one should see his wings–ever.” Norman remains in misery on the sidelines while the other kids go about their lives and do kid stuff.
Finally, thanks to the encouragement of his parents, Norman sheds his coat and reveals his glorious, colorful wings. And in doing so, a few of his peers are empowered to do the same and show their own wings. The sky is filled with flying kids who are having the time of their lives.
So while Norman might not be “perfectly normal,” he is “perfectly Norman,” and that’s far more important, he realizes at last.
Of course, the wings symbolize freedom and the story is fairly on-the-nose regarding its message that it’s better to accept your true identity than to live any type of lie. That’s a message every parent can support.
Many readers will feel uplifted by this tale of finding one’s place in the world. An enjoyable and satisfying read.
4 out of 5 pencils
–Linda’s Review of the Illustrations–
Right from the git-go, it is hard to miss Perfectly Norman. The book stands a foot tall and gleams life-jacket red. Even the brush script title glows in the semi-dark. Strongly designed by Bloomsbury’s Goldy Bond, it is the ideal format to be read and shown to a young group because the target audience is not just the “Normans” out there, but their friends and classmates. Percival’s characters are drawn simply and lightheartedly with emotional appeal, inviting reader identification.
Norman lives in a sepia suburb. The townhomes, his diverse friends, and even his parents (one noticeable darker than the other) occupy bland tonality, but NOT NORMAN! He is the colorful character in their midst starting on page one. The only creatures, besides Norman, who live in the domain of color are the birds, in their bit of blue sky—a spoiler clue revealed on page two that can be enjoyed upon rereading. The spotlight is on Norman in his yellow clothing, and on the birds and (Let’s not forget!), the multi-hued wings, focusing young listener/viewers on Norman’s journey right through to its chromatically joyous conclusion.
And once Norman’s story is revealed…well, there’s time to go back and wander the interesting, humorous, warm details of his sepia world. This is a picture book that works on many levels.
4 out of 5 crayons
Linda Shute is an author/illustrator who earned a degree in art and art history at Florida State University and taught children’s book illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design.