Alice Parker's Metamorphosis (Book 1 of the new adventure series for children) by Nicola Palmer

right in the overall picture now. He didn’t look up from his food until they were standing directly in front of him.
    ‘ Oh...my...life! Is that really you, Wiglet?’
    Alice grinned.
    ‘ Well, I’m...flabbergasted. It’s not often I’m stuck for words. You look great, Alice. Well done kiddo.’
    ‘ You look...er...better than usual as well. Funny, isn’t it?’
    ‘ This is just who we are, simple as that.’ He watched Sarah’s expression as she tried to take everything in - so many people with various but beautiful wings, fascinating clothes and coloured hair, some tiny people, some with strangely shaped ears. And the most delicious-looking food laid out in front of the kitchen. ‘You OK?’ he asked. ‘Sarah?’
    She brought her gaze back to him. ‘Thomas! You look so different, I didn’t recognise you!’ she said, embarrassed.
    ‘ Help yourself to some food,’ he said, pointing to it. The girls wandered over to the buffet. They didn’t know where to start. The kitchen staff had thoughtfully labelled the dishes: in the hot section was stuffed butternut squash or allotment pie (a vegetarian shepherd’s pie). For dessert there was cherry plum flan, blackberry and orange cake, vanilla scones with damson jam or pineapple-halves filled with tropical fruit salad.
    Sarah’s face was a study when Fay asked them what they would like.
    ‘ Good to see you, Sarah! Is she keeping you on your toes?’ she asked, glancing at Alice.
    Sarah nodded. ‘Um...yes...hello,’ she mumbled. It was one of those occasions when, no matter how hard you try not to look at something, you can’t stop yourself. Those pointed ears were incredible! Of course, she wasn’t wearing a bandana today. Fay laughed.
    ‘ We’ll have you looking like one of us soon!’
    Sarah smiled, certain that she would much rather have wings than pointed ears. ‘Are you all vegetarian here?’ she asked, looking slightly disappointed.
    ‘ No,’ replied Fay, ‘but we need a lot more fruit and vegetables than normal humans. Would you prefer a bat meal?’
    ‘ Yuck! That sounds gross,’ Sarah blurted out.
    ‘ It’s not what it sounds like!’ laughed Fay. ‘It’s just a meal with meat, for Finwips with bat wings. Not insect meat, though.’
    ‘ Oh, I see! No, thanks, I’ll try some of this.’ She took a portion of allotment pie. Alice chose the stuffed squash.
    ‘ How many puddings can we have?’ she whispered to Fay.
    ‘ As many as you like, seeing as it’s you!’
    ‘ Might have known you’d be eyeing up the desserts!’ said a familiar voice over her shoulder. Her grandad was standing behind her.
    ‘ Grandad!’ she shrieked. She stared in amazement at his golden robes and unusual, mottled wings with their ragged edge.
    ‘ You look a picture, Alice,’ said her grandma proudly, appearing beside him. ‘He doesn’t scrub up too badly for an old’un, does he?’
    Alice had to agree.
    ‘ I hope you’re going to try my blackberry and orange cake, girls!’ she continued. ‘How are you coping with all this madness, Sarah? You sit next to me,’ she insisted as they returned to Thomas’s table. ‘I’m normal, I can assure you.’
    ‘ That’s good,’ said Sarah gratefully. ‘Although, I do love all this.’
    ‘ Me too,’ admitted Grandma, giving her a hug.
    Alice was struggling to eat her meal for all the compliments and welcoming comments she was receiving from other Finwips. She’d even had her photograph taken with some of them. When she had finally finished, she insisted that her grandad took one of her and Sarah – she wanted to make sure her friend didn’t feel left out.
    ‘ We’ll do another one when you get your robes,’ she promised.
    Sarah was looking forward to that. She sat back down next to Grandma. ‘Do you think, after today, that I’ll come here again?’ she asked.
    ‘ I don’t think you need to worry about that, my love,’ she replied. ‘I’m sure you’ll be kept very busy in this community if