I made this 12 inch Owl Pillow for my other nephew using this pattern
http://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2012/11/owl-granny-square-crochet-pattern.html
It turned out really different since I used chenille yarn instead of worsted weight.
I used regular worsted weight yarn in soft navy for the front and grey for the back in a solid Granny Square pattern
http://www.crochetgeek.com/2008/01/solid-granny-square.html
Front
I added a little blue triangle button for the beak.
Back
I don't know if it shows up well, but I used a fun denim yarn ticked with silver for the edging.