Jaylen Callins is not your ordinary 16-year-old. Far from it.

For one thing, Callins is the creator of an 18-page activity book he named “The Adventures of Oscar the Octopus: A Visit to the Library.”

Jaylen Callins holds one of his works at an art competition.

The book, which introduces children to the many fun activities that can be found at the Birmingham Public Library, is being distributed free of charge to youngsters throughout the system.

For his efforts, Callins was recently recognized by the Jefferson County Board of Education at a special ceremony.

Jaylen Callins (c) is joined (left to right) by Angela Fisher Hall of the Birmingham Public Library, his parents Brad and Rachael Allen and Birmingham Mayor William Bell

But Callins’ interest in art goes far beyond entertaining and educating young children with sketches of quirky sea creatures for them to color and read about. He’s a serious artist whose work has won numerous awards and has hung in the Birmingham Museum of Art.

In addition to artistic endeavors, Callins’ interests include sports, family activities, academics and volunteering with the Birmingham Museum of Art’s Teen Board. In the words of his principal at Clay-Chalkville High School, “Jaylen is a great kid!” Instructors in visual art and photography at the Jefferson County School of Visual Art, which he attends for several hours each day, agree.

Alabama NewsCenter’s Lynn Sampson, writer and producer and Bruce Nix, videographer and editor, recently spent a busy day with Callins, his family, and his many, many supporters who take pride in Jaylen’s creativity, dedication and positive attitude.

At 16, Jaylen Callins’ art gaining notoriety from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.