I wrote this book with my daughter Mia www.miaboday.com illustrating the rhymes. We’d both been exchanging bird pictures on instagram, and I’d been getting really fascinated with owls, partly because of a couple of conservationists and trainers I’d come across (check out @pythonpaige). Mia had graduated from art school a few years back and was doing some interesting work, including delicate watercolors, so we put our heads together and came up with an aspirational tale with the illustrations being a major feature of the book. Kids love pictures, well, we all do, but I think kids can also appreciate good art beyond basic linework. The more I researched, I discovered so much more about the birds that appear in this book, and wanted to share that as well. So, while this is meant as entertainment, I hope there’s something else of value too in Ollie’s story. Ollie plans to have lots more adventures too, now that he’s got started!

Ollie, a little Owl is afraid to fly. He goes in search of other birds who don’t fly and meets flightless birds in different countries. He wants to learn how they get away with not flying, because everyone at home wants him to fly. With a little help from his friends he travels around the world and discovers new places and meets new friends. He learns new things about himself too.

In the course of Ollie’s adventures, children learn about geography and the natural world. They learn that the world is not the same everywhere. They also learn from Ollie that there are many options and decisions to make in their lives. They learn about being brave and utilizing their full potential and that they’re OK just as they are, through beautiful illustrations and humorous rhymes.

Kirkus Reviews says:

“A delightfully told, beautifully illustrated tale, that subtly teaches the value of testing your limits.” 

And even more to the point, Leo W., age 4, in England, says it was “Awesome! I liked learning about the birds. I loved the pictures.”

Brian N. in Arizona said, “It’s the first book in a long time to make it as a morning and nighttime book!”

Maeve L. in New Zealand, Alexandra’s mom, said, “The pictures and words match well. She really enjoyed it.”