A picture-book series for ages 4–8
Meet Norman: a real parrot who skips the cage and does things his own way. Norman is anything but the norm, and he wants your child to know they can be too.
What is Anything But the Norm?
Series 1 · Three books
Norman keeps his tools in an invisible toolbox. Each book adds a new one, so by the end of the series your child has a whole kit.
A Norman Book
Anything But the Norm
Embracing Different
[Cover art in progress]
Book 1
“What's normal for me might not be normal for you, and that's okay.”
Love what makes you different, respect what makes others different, and grow at your own pace.
Tool for the toolboxInvisible glasses, for seeing things in a new and kinder way
A Norman Book
Ruffled Feathers
A Story About Anger and Finding Your Way Back to Calm
[Cover art in progress]
Book 2
“It's okay to get angry. You can always find your way back to calm.”
Anger is a normal feeling, and getting back to calm gets faster with practice.
Tool for the toolbox“Fluff, flap, and breathe” and an invisible stopwatch
A Norman Book
Winging It
The Art of Doing Things on the Fly
[Cover art in progress]
Book 3
“I don't need a perfect plan. I just need direction and my next step.”
When Norman's Blueberry Launcher experiment goes sideways, he learns to keep going anyway.
Tool for the toolboxAn invisible compass, for finding your way when plans change
Try it like Norman
Every book ends with something kids can actually do. Pick a tool and try it together right now.
Use it when something feels unfair, or things aren’t going your way.
Make your finger glasses, then tap a card to see the same moment a new way.
Use it when your feathers feel ruffled and your body feels hot and fast.
“My body was trying to keep me safe. Now I’m back to calm.”
Use it when your plan didn’t work and everything feels ruined.
“I don’t need a perfect plan. I just need direction and my next step.”
Why it works
Norman lives the lesson. No lectures, just a story your child asks for again.
Each book adds a tool kids can really use, like taking a deep breath, seeing things a new way, or taking the next step.
Lines kids love to shout out, wings to flap, and plenty of laughs along the way.
Every kid belongs in Norman’s world: the loud ones, the quiet ones, and everyone who sees things a little differently.
Meet Norman
Norman “tells” every story himself, with the help of some human tools, and kids learn right alongside him.
01
Eclectus parrots can live 30 to 50 years. Plenty of time for more books.
02
He lives on a jungle gym so he can stretch his wings whenever he wants.
03
He knows he shouldn’t have them. He would still like some, thank you.
04
“Hi Norman!” “Good boy!” and a big “Hahaha.” Currently rehearsing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”
For the days your child feels different, their feelings get too big, or plans fall apart. Read it together at bedtime to help them settle down, talk about the day, and start tomorrow on a better foot.
Ready-made SEL lessons with discussion questions, activity pages, and a visit from Norman himself.
Concrete, copyable strategies (breathing, reframing, next-step thinking) wrapped in a story kids can’t get enough of.
The Series 1 set
For classrooms
Norman “reads” his book to your class with help from a special machine that gives him a voice, plus slides and a hands-on workbook. He’s already visited a 2nd-grade classroom, and the kids still ask about him.
Pre-K through 2nd grade · [Local / virtual / both]
[A real quote from the 2nd-grade teacher about Norman's visit, used with permission.]
[Name] · [2nd-grade teacher, school]
“[Parent quote, with permission]”[First name, parent]
“[Counselor or therapist quote, with permission]”[Name, credential]
Meet Norman's human
[YOUR NAME] is the author of the Anything But the Norm series and Norman’s favorite person. [2–3 sentences: why you started writing these books, and who you write them for.]
— [Your name] & Norman
Questions
Ages 4–8, pre-K through 2nd grade. The books are written to be read aloud by a parent, teacher, counselor, or caregiver.
Yes. Norman is a real Eclectus parrot, a species native to the Solomon Islands and New Guinea. Some of his adventures are based on real events, and for others we used our imagination. Can you tell which ones are real and which are made up for fun?
Ruffled Feathers shows kids that getting angry is okay and teaches a simple calm-down tool, “Fluff, flap, and breathe,” they can practice at home or school.
Winging It is written for kids who find surprises hard, including perfectionists. Norman learns he doesn’t need a perfect plan, just a direction and his next step.
Yes. Every book carries a neurodivergent-friendly badge and is written so all kids can see themselves in Norman, without the story being about a diagnosis.
Yes. Norman visits pre-K through 2nd-grade classrooms [local / virtual] with a read-aloud, slides, and a workbook. Use the booking button above to ask about dates.
The first 100 copies of Anything But the Norm come with a 3D-printed Norman keychain, made by Norman’s human.
Series 1 launches [LAUNCH DATE]. Join the waitlist to hear first.
Feathers or fur, whatever your form…
Hahaha! Join the flock and be first to bring Norman home.
Join the Flock