A picture book about a boy who hides the thing that makes him different, from Tom Percival's Big Bright Feelings series. BookTrust called it a story that "celebrates diversity in a subtle but unique way".
Norman had always been perfectly normal . . . until the day he grew a pair of wings!
Norman loves his new wings, and has the most fun ever trying them out high in the sky. But then he has to go in for dinner. What will his parents think? What will everyone else think? Norman feels the safest plan is to cover his wings with a big coat.
But hiding the thing that makes you different proves tricky and upsetting. Can Norman ever truly be himself?
The illustrations use a minimal palette, and the story is about self-acceptance and being yourself.
Who it is for
Young children: Amazon UK gives a reading age of 3 to 7, based on customer data. In school it suits early years and Key Stage 1 story time, or a class discussion about difference and fitting in.
About the book
- Author and illustrator: Tom Percival, whose author note describes him as a writer, artist, video producer and musician and the author of the ten-title Big Bright Feelings series for Bloomsbury.
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books. Paperback picture book, 32 pages, published 10 August 2017 (ISBN 9781408880975).
- Series: Big Bright Feelings.
Source: Amazon UK listing, used because the Bloomsbury page could not be fetched; checked 13 October 2026.