Local authors Amanda Owen and Ashley Wedding are officially making their children’s book, Owen the Wonderer, a series. The two announced this week that the second installment, Owen the Wonderer and the Great Park Adventure, is now available for presale.
Owen the Wonderer follows a curious boy who asks a lot of questions to learn about new friends that appear a little different than him. In the first book, Owen meets McKenzie, a new girl in his class who he learns has Down syndrome. In the second book, Owen meets Karlie, who has cerebral palsy, and learns about why she uses a wheelchair and how she uses different ways to communicate.
“Owen the Wonderer is a great tool for teachers and parents to start a conversation about disabilities and inclusion,” Amanda Owen said. “Kids are naturally curious like Owen and our books teach how to ask questions, but in a respectful way.”
Amanda Owen has a brother with a rare chromosomal disability and opened the local nonprofit Puzzle Pieces to serve those in the community with intellectual disabilities. Wedding serves as Puzzle Pieces’ public relations director. As moms, the two wanted to inspire kids to be more comfortable around those with disabilities and learn tangible ways to promote inclusion.
“The great thing about our book is that Owen teaches how to ask questions, but also how to be brave and include others who may look, act, communicate and get around differently,” Wedding said. “And as an added bonus, our book series supports Puzzle Pieces.”
According to the authors, 25 percent of all sales goes directly back to the nonprofit that they serve.
Local readers may notice some familiar settings in The Great Park Adventure, which is set at Smothers Park. Owen and Wedding are excited to put a piece of their hometown in their book, along with basing all characters on people in the community. Karlie, the main character in the second book, is based on Karlie Hempel of Team Karlie, who is also a client at Puzzle Pieces that Amanda Owen taught in her former teaching career.
“As much as we can, we want to keep our book local,” Amanda Owen said, adding that both books are printed at Greenwell Chisholm. “Owensboro means a lot to both Ashley and I and we want to honor the people we love and the place we call home.”
Owen the Wonderer can be purchased at piecesofme.org/owen-the-wonderer. The authors also encourage readers to follow Owen on social media @owenthewonderer for more helpful tips on teaching acceptance and inclusion.
