Numerous animal stories from the veterinary clinic are interwoven in the story as Simon matures. These include Jake, the hunting dog, whose chest is ripped open by a bear in a hunting accident, and Sam, the labrador retriever, who is dying from a rattle snake bite.

Each chapter is filled with gorgeous color photos of Simon, Teddy the dog, and Dr. Joy surrounded by a background of the majestic American northwest.

"It was late when I turned off the light,. I wasn't sure if Simon would sleep at all since owls are supposed to be nocturnal.

As it turned out, neither of us slept much. Each time I began to doze off, I awoke with a start and looked over to see what Simon was doing. His presence gave me the strangest, most wonderful feeling, filled with warmth and love. He appeared almost human as he stood upright on my bed.

I awoke again at three a.m. and gazed up at him. He was wide awake, staring at me with his huge yellow eyes. He stood motionless on my pillow with his wings at his side.

When our eyes met, I felt our love for each other deep inside me. I tried to smile through the tears that rolled down my face.

'Simon, my precious baby. You really have come to help me, haven't you?' As I spoke, he didn't chirp back at me. He kept staring at me instead without making a sound.

I reached up and held his foot in my hand shaking my head in disbelief. 'Simon, no one will ever believe us, will they?'"