The Dishevelled Little Owl

In The Dishevelled Little Owl, an owl embarks on a mission to spread kindness. She is joined by an owl-friend and encounters all manner of discombobulated Australian animals, insects, birds, and people who have forgotten their best selves. In a messy world, the little owl—who has experienced her own fair share of dishevelment—shows the people she meets they are bigger, braver, and more capable than they think. She reintroduces them to kindness.

Author’s note:

In 2016, the dishevelled little owl was my pseudonym and sounding board on Facebook. I put her in situations that bothered me, to see how she would cope. As the pandemic took hold in 2020, the little owl became a character in her own right. My nightly posts became more thoughtful, the accompanying images, more detailed. (Each one combines up to twelve stock images by my favourite artists, which I repurpose.) 

The little owl’s Facebook community opened its heart. People confided their problems in personal messages and shared the posts with their children. The owls’ 12 Days of Christmas—where I sent prints to selected Facebook families by Owl Post—was first held in 2020. Recipients paid their owl-gifts forward by donating to their favourite charities in the dishevelled little owl’s name. Some 30 charities in Australia, the UK, and Canada have received donations. 

Where can I read it?

Completed in 2022.