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66th out of 447 books
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Owen & Mzee: The True Story Of A Remarkable Friendship
The inspiring true story of two great friends, a baby hippo named Owen and a 130-yr-old giant tortoise named Mzee (Mm-ZAY). When Owen was stranded after the Dec 2004 tsunami, villagers in Kenya worked tirelessly to rescue him. Then, to everyone's amazement, the orphan hippo and the elderly tortoise adopted each other. Now they are inseparable, swimming, eating, and playing...more
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
March 1st 2006
by Scholastic Press
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Gundula
rated it
Recommends it for:
older children interested in animals, ecology, unique friendships
I just love the gorgeous photographs, as well as the simply excellent and informative back material (on Kenya, hippopotami, aldabra tortoises etc.). Actually for me, it is the photographs and the back material that really "make" this story (and it is the main reason I am giving Owen & Mzee: The True Story Of A Remarkable Friendship four stars, instead of three stars). Especially the photographs of Owen and Mzee snuggling together, being together, being friends are simply amazing ...more
This is a wonderful story about resilience, caring and friendship. The sad story of Owen and his family during the tsunami turned into a story of hope and love. Our girls have read a couple stories about these two unique animals as well as seen documentaries about them and they just love the story.
This story was selected as one of the books for the February 2012 - Friendship reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
This story was selected as one of the books for the February 2012 - Friendship reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
Owen and Mzee tells the remarkable story of Owen, a baby hippo and Mzee, a 130 year old giant tortoise.
In December of 2004, a frightened baby hippo became separated from his mother and the rest of his family, when the tsunami it southeast Asia. When this baby hippo was found, he was alone on a coral reef. Although he was only 2 feet tall, he already weighed over 600lbs, which made rescuing him extremely difficult. A brave visitor names Owen Sobien was instrumental in saving Owen, and ...more
In December of 2004, a frightened baby hippo became separated from his mother and the rest of his family, when the tsunami it southeast Asia. When this baby hippo was found, he was alone on a coral reef. Although he was only 2 feet tall, he already weighed over 600lbs, which made rescuing him extremely difficult. A brave visitor names Owen Sobien was instrumental in saving Owen, and ...more
2nd to 4th Grade
Photographer Peter Greste captures the heart-warming rescue of a baby hippo (Owen) who was lost to his mother after the 2004 Indonesian tsunami. Photos catalogue the entire story as it unfolded--from Owen’s brush with death--to his unlikely pairing with an indifferent 130-year-old tortoise named Mzee in an animal sanctuary. Father and daughter team, Craig and Isabella Hatkoff describe in great detail Owen and Mzee’s journey toward a “remarkable friendship.” They go the e...more
Photographer Peter Greste captures the heart-warming rescue of a baby hippo (Owen) who was lost to his mother after the 2004 Indonesian tsunami. Photos catalogue the entire story as it unfolded--from Owen’s brush with death--to his unlikely pairing with an indifferent 130-year-old tortoise named Mzee in an animal sanctuary. Father and daughter team, Craig and Isabella Hatkoff describe in great detail Owen and Mzee’s journey toward a “remarkable friendship.” They go the e...more
This true story is written by Craig Hatkoff, his daughter Isabella and Dr. Paula Kahumbu. The book begins with a letter to readers from the author and his daughter. Craig Hatkoff and his daughter became interested in this story when they read it in the newspaper. They contacted Dr. Paula Kahumbu who is the manager at the park where Owen and Mzee currently reside. They worked together, along with the photographer to write this book to inform a bigger audience about the special friendship betw...more
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Abigail
rated it
Recommends it for:
Young Animal Lovers
Shelves:
childrens-non-fiction,
picture-books
The heartwarming true story of the baby hippopotamus and the elderly Aldabra tortoise that became good friends and companions, after the 2004 tsunami killed the hippo's entire pod, is told in Owen & Mzee, an engaging picture-book that is also a father-daughter project, begun when co-author Isabella Hatkoff was six years old. Bringing in Dr. Paula Kahumbu, the ecologist who manages Haller Park, where Owen and Mzee now live, and photographer Peter Greste, the Hatkoffs set out to document an unusua...more
I had heard the story of Owen and Mzee years ago and had read several news articles about the strange relationship between the two animals. I had never read this book nor did I use it in a classroom setting and regret not having done so. It is an amazing story and a very beautiful book with it's endearing pictures of Owen and Mzee. I also see the usefullness of this book as a mentor text, due to the fact that the book was written not only by an adult, but also his young daughter, who contacte...more
Who says age matters? This is the true story of a friendship that developed between a baby hippo and a 130-year old giant tortoise at a Kenyan wildlife preserve.
After being orphaned by the 2005 Indonesian tsunami, baby hippo Owen was transported to the nature preserve. He immediately gravitated towards an old tortoise named Mzee. At first the “grumpy” old Mzee seemed annoyed and crawled away. But the next morning, the staff found Owen and Mzee snuggled up against each other. “Th...more
After being orphaned by the 2005 Indonesian tsunami, baby hippo Owen was transported to the nature preserve. He immediately gravitated towards an old tortoise named Mzee. At first the “grumpy” old Mzee seemed annoyed and crawled away. But the next morning, the staff found Owen and Mzee snuggled up against each other. “Th...more
Just as the title suggests, this is indeed a remarkable story. A flood (caused by the huge tsunami of 2004) leaves Owen, a baby hippo, stranded behind while his mother and pod are pulled out into the sea. Hundreds of villagers worked together to rescue the frightened and angered baby Owen. Dr. Paula Kahumbu and Stephen Tuei welcomed Owen into their animal sanctuary—Haller Park. Mzee, a 130 years old Aldabra tortoise, was already living in Haller Park but he was not friendly. However, Owen immedi...more
Isabella Hatkoff Owen & Mzee: the true story of a remarkable friendship told by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, Dr. Paula Kahumbu; photographs by Peter Greste
unpaged. Scholastic Press 3/09 Trade ISBN 0-439-829-73-9 $16.99 Includes glossary, photographs, maps
(Primary)...more
Inspired by the photographs of Owen (hippopotamus) and Mzee (mm-ZAY),(Aldabra tortoise), six-year old Isabella Hatkoff approached her father to help her write a book about this unlikely friendship between
Granted, I have a soft spot for orphaned animals, but this is a really adorable true story of a baby hippo named Owen and an old grouchy tortoise named Mzee. Owen is the only surviving hippo from his pod after the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. Mzee is a grouchy tortoise in a Kenyan sanctuary who won't be nice to any other animal except his caretaker. The sanctuary adopts Owen and the caretaker decides to put the baby hippo in the same area as Mzee because tortoises and hippos both enjoy similar ...more
This was a very cute story of an unlikely friendship!
When a tsunami hit Owen's home and killed his hippo mama, he was rescued by people and brought to an animal park in Kenya. He wasn't a happy camper until he met his turtle buddy, Mzee. The book stated that they aren't really sure why these two animals hang out a lot, but they are happy together.
I would definitely read this to a class. It could teach the kids about differences, enduring hard times, and being a friend when so...more
When a tsunami hit Owen's home and killed his hippo mama, he was rescued by people and brought to an animal park in Kenya. He wasn't a happy camper until he met his turtle buddy, Mzee. The book stated that they aren't really sure why these two animals hang out a lot, but they are happy together.
I would definitely read this to a class. It could teach the kids about differences, enduring hard times, and being a friend when so...more
booklady
marked it as recommended
Recommended to booklady by:
Heather
I remember seeing the e-mail go around about this unusual pair. Need to check this out from the library!
It's nice to know that something good came out of the awful tsunami of 2004.
This heartwarming story of the friendship between a baby hippo and a 130-year-old tortoise was conceived when six-year-old Isabella Hatkoff saw the story of the young hippo’s separation from it’s family in the 2004 tsunami in the newspaper. She and her father Craig originally created this photo-filled story as an ebook, but it received so much attention that it was soon published as a picture book. The story takes place in Kenya, so readers will learn a little about the country while enjoying ...more
This is a great book solely because it's an amazing story. It's not written beautifully, but it's written simply, with enough detail that as an adult I'm not wondering about what really happened by the end. It talks in a way that kids can understand, but ALSO tells what happened.
It uses real pictures to tell the story of this unlikely friendship, which is awesome.
It's a little long (to get all that explanation in), but since it's a fascinating story, that's not a down...more
It uses real pictures to tell the story of this unlikely friendship, which is awesome.
It's a little long (to get all that explanation in), but since it's a fascinating story, that's not a down...more
By now, most animal lovers are familiar with this true story. Owen, a baby hippo orphaned by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, was rescued and placed in an animal sanctuary. There he bonded with a 130-year-old giant tortoise, Mzee.
The story is commemorated in this colorful children’s book. Owen and Mzee’s tale helps bring home the message that all animals have feelings—including those who are unfamiliar to us or unusual-looking. This would be a nice read-aloud choice for humane educatio...more
The story is commemorated in this colorful children’s book. Owen and Mzee’s tale helps bring home the message that all animals have feelings—including those who are unfamiliar to us or unusual-looking. This would be a nice read-aloud choice for humane educatio...more
This is a remarkable story of an unlikely relationship between a 130-year-old tortoise and a baby hippopotamus.
After a devastating tsunami off the coast of Kenya in December of 2004, a 1-year-old hippo (later named Owen) became entangled in the sea grass in the sandy coral reef. Hundreds of villagers struggled to pull the frightened, angry hippo to shore.
Once he was safe, he went to live at Haller Park, an animal sanctuary that immediately adopted him because he was too y...more
After a devastating tsunami off the coast of Kenya in December of 2004, a 1-year-old hippo (later named Owen) became entangled in the sea grass in the sandy coral reef. Hundreds of villagers struggled to pull the frightened, angry hippo to shore.
Once he was safe, he went to live at Haller Park, an animal sanctuary that immediately adopted him because he was too y...more
Photographs illustrate the true story of Owen the hippopotamus and Mzee the 130-year-old tortoise. Facts about hippopotami blend into the narrative of Owen’s rescue after being displaced by the tsunami of 2004 leads him to be enclosed with an ornery tortoise. The writers speculate that Owen, being a baby, saw Mzee’s rounded shape as similar to that of a mother hippopotamus. The heartwarming tale can educate children about the effects of the tsunami. Each photograph is captioned.
I get goosebumps everytime I read this. Owen's (hippo) pod is a casualty of the 2004 tsunami. The local villagers worked very hard to catch Owen. He was transported to a wild life reserve and now lives in with a 130 year old tortoise Mzee. Now, Mzee, being 130 years old, is grumpy. He doesn't like anyone and wants to be left alone. However, Owen's plight has softened Mzee's heart. Mzee showed him what to eat. They follow each other around, they sleep together, they are friends.
This book is so wonderful and touching, giving us a glimpse into the lives of two very unlikely friends, a baby hippo and a 150 year old tortoise. This would be a great community building book for a class, in regards to the unlikely friendship and bond that is formed. This book could also be used in many science lessons. A neat writing exercise would be for students to write about what they think happens to Owen an Mzee in the future.
This was a really cute book about friendship. It can be used to show students that no matter how different people or animals are, it does not mean that they cannot be friends. This was also a good book to show about hippos and tortoises. It shows how a hippo was transported to a safe environment and might be useful in showing students how animals end up in safe environments, like zoos or habitats.
Ckorbakis
rated it
This would be great to do at the beginning of the school year to talk about friendship and how differences don't have to be focused on. I could also use this in social studies when we talk about the continent of Africa. It could also be used to help understand a tsunami or other natural disaster. Time for Kids had an article about this years ago that could also be used for more information.
Very good read aloud book that tells the real life story of how a hippo and tortoise became friends. It also teaches children how to care for all animals. No one would ever picture a hippo and a tortoise being friends but this book does an excellent job of showing that anyone of any age or difference can become friends. It is really important to emphasize caring for one another as well.
I loved this heart-warming true story about a baby hippo named Owen, who was separated from his family in a tsunami, and 130 year old tortoise named Mzee. The unlikely pair soon share an unsepartable bond that has Mzee becoming the mother that Owen had lost. Made me cry..I would use this book to teach about differences and friendships to my younger grades.
I thought this book was ADORABLE. Of course, keep in mind, I'm way past the overall intended age level. I spent the majority of my time flipping through the pages and squealing over pictures of a tubby little hippo making nice with a surly old tortoise. Had I been seven, though, I imagine this book would have bored me senseless.
I love this book! This book can be used to teach about animals and friendship. It can also be used to teach about what people can accomplish if they put their minds to it. In this book, people rallied together to save the baby hippo. It also takes place in a differnt country, so it can be used to teach about other cultures.
Definitely a science book, not a story book. A little long, a little fact-heavy for the youngest. But the photos are beautiful, and the science is fascinating (imo, at least). To me, the most heartwarming part was seeing how all the different people worked together to give the animals a chance at a good life.
I discovered the story of Owen and Mzee when I read what I thought was a fictional children's book (A Mama for Owen) In the back it noted that the story was true and sent me to a website, which is how I discovered this book series.
I love that little Isabella Hatkoff was moved to write this book, and that she and her father went about it thr right way teaming with Dr. Kahumbu and photographer Peter Greste.
This is a thorough telling of the story, and Greste's photographs...more
I love that little Isabella Hatkoff was moved to write this book, and that she and her father went about it thr right way teaming with Dr. Kahumbu and photographer Peter Greste.
This is a thorough telling of the story, and Greste's photographs...more
You can't help but to fall in love with this story of a hippo and a turtle who become the best of friend unexpectantly. Student will be amazed and entertained by the story of Owen and Mzee which is a true story about two african animals. Highly recommended for any classroom.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parents/Teachers guides | 1 | 3 | Jun 24, 2008 09:56am | |
| Owen and Mzee have a website | 1 | 8 | Jun 24, 2008 09:53am | |
| A Mother for Owen | 1 | 2 | Jun 24, 2008 09:46am |
