Be Normal!: Why be normal… when you can be yourself?

Meet Geoff. He has impeccable manners, he has a rich vocabulary, he makes delicious smoothies and he has an artistic flair. He sounds like the perfect friend, right? Wrong! Geoff is a dog and his new owner, Theo, was expecting something…different.

Theo is confused when Geoff politely turns down the offer of water in a dog bowl and shocked when Geoff declines his cosy doggy basket. Theo was excitedly anticipating dog behaviours from his new pet and is therefore bewildered when Geoff does not conform to his expectations: no walks in the park, no doggy licks, no games of fetch. Instead, Theo has acquired a dog who doesn’t like muddy puddles, strokes or squirrel chasing. How will Theo introduce Geoff to his friends-how embarrassing to have a dog who doesn’t do what ‘normal’ dogs are supposed to do?

When Geoff tries to ‘fit in’ and to be the dog that he feels Theo is wanting, the true message of the story becomes clear. It is good to be who you are and that it’s completely ok to be who you are without feeling the need to fit into any stereotype. Geoff embraces his individuality and doesn’t feel the need to conform to expectations. Soon Theo learns to love Geoff for who he is.

Beautifully illustrated in eye-catching colours, this is a book with a strong message. Geoff is just ‘Geoff’ – he doesn’t need to be a dog; he is himself and trying to be ‘normal’ makes him unhappy. What a great message that needs to be shared with young people.