The Very Different Owl

This book is 100% written and illustrated by Avery
Kallonen. With the help of mom and a voice recorder,
tons of scribed notes, and many check ins for
authenticity in the narrative, Avery developed and
narrated his story starring the Different Owl.

The book is simply illustrated in black and white, exactly
the way Avery wanted it. The owl doesn’t have a name
because “Owls don’t have names mom!” The story was
told from the perspective of a child who is still actively
scanning his world for a sense of felt safety and
connection in relationships, best observed from a place
of familiarity and stability. While the book doesn’t end
with the comfort and clarity of ‘happily ever after’, it
ends on a note of genuine experience and realization
that social learning and core belief systems are a
personal process. Regardless of how we feel each day
about our differences, we are in fact better, when we are
ourselves.