Tom Percival writes and illustrates picture books (you know, for kids) as well as illustrating books written by other people. The most well known of these is probably the excellent Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy.
He grew up in a remote and beautiful part of South Shropshire. On reflection this seemed rather more remote than beautiful, owing to the fact that he lived in a small caravan without electricity, mains water or any sensible form of heating. He thinks that he’s probably one of the few people in his peer group to have learnt to read by gas lamp. Surprisingly enough he has never been called ‘hippy’ (to the best of his knowledge)
Tom now lives in an actual house with his girlfriend and their two young sons. His favourite colour is turquoise and his favourite number is usually seven.
Tom has three picture books available, Tobias and the Super Spooky Ghost Book, A Home for Mr Tipps, Jack's AMAZING Shadow and a fourth, Herman's Letter will be publishing in October 2012 through Bloomsbury
I agree with the GR reviewers who are saying there are countless pictures books like Perfectly Norman that deal with accepting one's self, differences and all. But that says something. I mediate more drama and bullying at school than any other behavior issue. We, as a society, are not awesome to people who aren't exactly like us.
The truth is, we all have parts of ourselves that we keep hidden, for one reason for another. Here Norman has wings that he hides. Some folks cloak their sexual identity or their past traumas or unstable family members or poverty.
I appreciate when a book like this provides a metaphor to safely explore the things that bring us shame. Norman learns that his wings aren't as unusual as he thought; hopefully that will become the de facto experience of all children who are uniquely made.
The story of Norman - who has wings and who hides his wings until the predictable and patronising ending of the story.
It's a book all about growing up, fitting in, being different and coming to terms with being different and finally realising that we're all 'different' in our own little ways anyway.
Ultimately, whilst undoubtedly well-intentioned, this is a somewhat lazy and predictable book - with the undefinable and in some ways worrying concept of 'normal' not really supporting the author's cause or agenda.
Ok wow, this hit me harder than expected. What I thought would be a simple children's tale turned out to be such a meaningful and beautiful read. I love its timeless message about loving and embracing what makes you different instead of hiding what we think are flaws or insecurities. That being perfect and normal is overrated anyway.
This is definitely a book that that everyone, including myself, can do with. Thank you for the reminder ❤️
I read this as a metaphor for being LGBTQ, though of course it could be about any quality or identity that a person may try to hide for fear of being thought "different." I think this would be a great book for a Drag Queen Story Time.
A young boy tries to hide the fact that he has grown wings . . . with fairly predictable results. It's a nice story about being yourself, no matter what that may entail (possibly antlers, or even a tail) but I've read this type of story many times, and there's nothing really new this time around.
The author's illustrations are sweet, but I can't think of any other reason to recommend this particular book over others covering the same subject.
Преди броени дни се състоя премиерата на „Напълно НормаНлен” (изд. „Таралеж”). Не, не, няма правописна грешка, това е хитрият превод, чрез който Елена Можолич е запазила и на български играта на думи от „Perfectly Norman” – оригиналното заглавие на хитовата илюстрована книга на Том Пърсивал. Един малчуган ненадейно се сдобива с чифт цветни крила! Кой ли не би мечтал да се носи из небесата, свободен като птица, да се извиси над всичко? Но... къде се е чуло и видяло крилато момче? Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
Well, this was a bit of a disappointment. I get that he wants to hide his wings (we all know what happens to special kids in books), but he never ever uses them anywhere, not at home (secretly of course). Oh, I HAVE WINGS. Oh no, I have to hide them. Why did you get freaking wings if you don't want them apparently? Please donate them to someone who would love them (me!). The ending was pretty typical, but I guess I am happy our little dude finally had the balls to do that. The art was quite pretty, I loved the design on those wings.
Marvelous, charming book. With surprising, laugh-out-loud moments hidden in the artwork. Makes me want to have kids just so I can read them this book. Wonderful!
Não há como não ser fã do autor Tom Percival, os seus livros são super chamativos, com ilustrações vibrantes e expressivas.
Este livro em específico é uma leitura poderosa e sensível que aborda temas como identidade, aceitação e a importância de sermos nós mesmos, indicado a partir dos 3-4 anos, e faz parte de uma coleção muito bonita que visa trabalhar questões emocionais profundas com uma abordagem acessível para as crianças.
O protagonista desta história é Norman, um menino que vive uma vida perfeitamente normal — até que um dia, de repente, nascem-lhe asas. No início, ele sente-se maravilhado, voando livremente, mas rapidamente começa a preocupar-se com o que os outros vão pensar. Com medo de ser julgado ou rejeitado, esconde as asas debaixo de um pesado casaco. A partir daí, a vida já não é a mesma… 🫂
É uma leitura que toca tanto os pequenos quanto os adultos, com uma mensagem que encoraja a liberdade de ser quem somos. 💕
Se ainda não te cruzaste com os livros de Tom Percival, tens de mudar isso! Os seus livros são carregados de mensagens positivas, de aposta no desenvolvimento da inteligência emocional e da compreensão do próximo, com o destaque para maravilhosas ilustrações, num traço inconfundível e que passamos a conseguir reconhecer rapidamente.
Este "Perfeitamente normal" foi uma bela descoberta da Feira do Livro de Lisboa, depois de já existir cá em casa outro dos livros da colecção editada em Portugal pela Jacarandá Editora, o livro "Como se fazem amigos?" (onde ficamos a conhecer a história da Rosa, uma menina para quem tudo era possível excepto fazer amigos. Podes descobrir mais sobre o livro neste link: https://www.wook.pt/livro/como-se-faz...). E o que nos espera em "Perfeitamente normal"?! Esta é a sua sinopse: "O Norman sempre fora normal, perfeitamente normal, , , até ao dia em que lhe cresceu um par de asas! Um livro destemido e enriquecedor sobre atrevermo-nos a ser diferentes e termos a coragem de dançar ao nosso próprio ritmo, Perfeito para atenuar até as maiores preocupações".
Através do Norman, personagem principal desta história, Tom Percival mostra-nos a forma como sentirmos que somos diferente, seja em família ou na escola, pode fazer com que nos possamos esconder no meio da multidão, fechar sobre nós próprios e podermos mesmo isolar-nos de quem nos rodeia com todas as consequências que isso pode ter sobre n��s. Se existe algo que gosto especialmente nos livros para crianças são as mensagens que se escondem entre ilustrações mágicas e frases que podem parecer simples à primeira vista, mas que encerram muito mais do que se possa esperar. E temos isso tudo neste livro "Perfeitamente normal". Se olharmos com atenção para o que o Norman vai fazendo, percebemos que não existe qualquer problema em sermos diferentes e que nunca nos devemos esconder por detrás daquilo que achamos que os outros esperam de nós. Acreditar, desde cedo, que se pode ser diferente e que isso não tem qualquer problema, contribui para que a criança perceba que não tem de ser igual aos seus amigos, que não tem de esconder o que é e aquilo de que gosta. Bem sabemos que o grupo, os pares e a sociedade acabam sempre por ter um peso enorme sobre todos nós, sobre as nossas escolhas e as nossas decisões. Mas isso não significa que fiquemos perdidos e que deixemos de ser nós próprios, quando isso nos pode tornar nas pessoa mais infelizes do mundos. Todos nós, cada um com as duas diferenças, somos todos perfeitamente normais e devemos aceitar sempre essas diferenças, em nós e nos outros. Um livro que gostei mesmo muito de ler ao meu filho e que tem uma das mensagens mais especiais que li nos últimos tempos num livro infantil. Quem ler, vai perceber: não vistas um casaco que não te faz feliz ;)
Tunnetaidoista, itsensä hyväksymisestä ja uskallusta olla oma itsensä kaikissa tilanteissa - siitä tämä kirja on tehty! Loistava kirja luettavaksi 3-6-vuotiaiden kanssa, miksei tarinansa puolesta vähän vanhempienkin lasten kanssa.
For me, reading and reviewing children’s books on my blog are such a delightful change of scenery. Most books I read cover a wide variety of in-depth, emotional, and often quite serious topics. Reading children’s books however, seem to enlighten the brain in such an innocent and eye-opening manner. ‘Perfectly Norman’ is one of those books, and then some.
Norman has always thought of himself as ‘normal’. But what actually is NORMAL? In Norman’s eyes, normal means he is just like everyone else with nothing out of the ordinary separating him from his peers. Well, until he grew a pair of wings of course. Can you imagine suddenly having wings? Being able to soar above the sky. Being the owner of more freedom than you ever thought possible. Being able to take flight whenever the situation arose. Sounds bliss really, doesn’t it? At first, the novelty of having a beautiful pair of wings wasn’t lost on little Norman, he took the situation by the wings and flew with it…literally. But being that ‘different’ came with a price. A price which a child should never, ever have to decipher.
Little Norman’s knee-jerk reaction was to hide his wings. Why? Because he was afraid. Afraid of what people would say if they were to find out about his wings. Afraid of the repercussions. Did hiding his wings help him? Well, let me ask you this; if you were the owner of something out of the ordinary, brought into your life out with your control (& yes, including illness related differences), which made you stand out differently to another person (aside from the obvious hair colour etc), would you feel happy about hiding those differences because you were afraid of other people’s reactions?
Would you? Because I certainly wouldn’t, and as someone who has to live my life with those differences, I most certainly dislike doing it.
Tom Percival needs a humongous hug, in my opinion. There’s a difference between an adult leaning more towards hiding things, especially as they’re able to understand more of the situation than a young child, but when a child feels that pressure – this is when people need to open their eyes and realise how much society needs educating.
‘Perfectly Norman’ is a beautiful, beautiful story about learning how to be yourself without shying away from the things which make you different. The things which make you, YOU. The language used in this story is perfectly matched to the topic of the story, and the illustrations completely blew my mind. Not only did Tom Percival write this magnificent story, he also illustrated it. Personally, I think he has done a truly fantastic job.
I read ‘Perfectly Norman’ with my then three-year old daughter (who turned four a few weeks later). Throughout the story, my daughter asked me questions such as; ‘why is the boy sad?’ and ‘why does he have wings and others don’t? don’t they want wings like him?’. It wasn’t a case of asking me why Norman was different, or laughing because he didn’t look like the other children. No. My daughter wanted to find out whether the other children wanted wings like Norman, AS WELL. In my eyes, that right there is the fundamental difference between a child’s mentality, and an adult’s mentality. As adults we, in theory, are more educated about certain situations than a child, and therefore more capable to direct our feelings towards those situations in a more logical manner. However, child often don’t receive the credit which they deserve, especially at times like these. Children understand a lot more than we seem to believe. They are aware of a lot more. They see situations a heck of a lot clearer than some adults often will. So, when a child comes up against a topic such as the one in ‘Perfectly Norman’, they will see it for what it is rather than spending ages deciphering every single point logistically, and often long-winded. Also known as – OVER THINKING EVERYTHING. Don’t get me wrong, not every adult (or even child) are like that.
Tom Percival’s children’s book is an extremely vital learning material for children of all ages, and yes, even adults. As soppy as this sounds, this book made me emotional because I could appreciate the sheer importance of the message which the author was trying to convey, and managed one hundred percent flawlessly.
‘Perfectly Norman’ is a beautiful, enchanting, eye-opening story which needs to be read by every single person out there. Such a joy to read, yet extremely emotional at the same time for those who can fully appreciate the sensitive topic.
Magnificent. My favourite children’s book of the year so far.
O Natal está a chegar e, para quem gosta de contribuir para o crescimento da biblioteca particular dos mais pequeninos da família, deixo uma sugestão vencedora: "Perfeitamente Normal" de Tom Percival - um livro mágico sobre diferença e aceitação.
Indicado para qualquer idade, "Perfeitamente Normal" conta-nos a história de Norman, um menino perfeitamente normal até ao dia em que lhe cresce um par de asas. Perante esta característica (que o torna diferente de todos os outros meninos), Norman sente que precisa de se esconder, veste um grande casaco, perfeito para o mais chuvoso dia de inverno, e usa-o até para tomar banho e dormir... até que, um dia, decide abraçar aquilo que o torna único, despe a peça de roupa que o limita e voa pelo céu para abraçar um final amoroso e surpreendente.
Uma história maravilhosa, com lugar cativo no meu saco de voluntariado da Nuvem Vitória, que não podia deixar de recomendar pela mensagem poderosa que transmite. Acompanhadas por ilustrações bonitas e uma capa que faz o livro laranja-fluorescente sobressair em qualquer estante, estas são as palavras que vão querer partilhar com os mais pequeninos da família.
I picked this up from my local library after hearing some other primary teachers mention it. The story follows Normal, an exceedingly normal little boy...until the day when he grows magnificent, colourful wings. At first, he enjoys the freedom they give in, but soon begins to worry that other people don;t have wings and they might judge him because he's different. So he chooses to hide his wings under an old coat, which then prevents him from doing lots of the fun things he used to enjoy. This is an interesting look at how children perceive difference and normality and how they can worry about standing out rather than revelling in it as those who are older/more confident might be able to. This could be used as a discussion-starter about 'What is normal?' and how people can make fun if the unfamiliar due to jealousy or nervousness. A great book for any primary classroom! (Thank you to my local library for ordering in a copy for me!)
Vähätekstinen tunteikas kuvakirja, jossa piirrokset mielestäni taiteellisesti laadukkaita. Erityisesti hahmojen tunteet välittyvät piirroksista voimakkaasti. Taavin eri tunteet laidasta laitaan välittyvät lukijalle vain kehonkielestä ja ilmeistä. Tarina on yksinkertainen ja ymmärrettävä, mutta metaforinen. Taavi salaa pitkään siipensä, mutta kirjan lopussa hän suostuu ottamaan takkinsa pois, ja paljastamaan upeat värikkäät siipensä. Sitten hän liihahtaa taivaalle, ja pian siellä on muitakin lapsia lennossa.
A great book about being yourself, suitable for all ages from foundation stage to year 6. The use of colour is interesting as Norman is in colour against a greyscale background which makes him stand out but also reflects his sadness at not fitting in. This transforms at the end to bright colours when others join him who all have wings. This could be effectively discussed with older children in particular.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The artwork is amazing. The story is cute. The moral is a good one. However, the characters aren’t particularly well developed and it makes the story fall flat. The little bunny in Goodnight Moon has personality and all we know about them is that they don’t want to go to sleep. Also, the “Be Yourself!” message is a little on the nose, even for a picture book.
This book is just so darn CUTE! But it also doesn't have a clear "moral" relating to any specific topic but instead a more general one that I think could allow children of all identities to relate to it. I shed a tear while reading and would love to share this with the young people in my life.
Lovely illustrations and an important topic, but the text (story) could’ve done a much better job dealing with it. This was a bit simplistic and too easily resolved in the end.