Now the New York Times #1 Bestseller is available for the youngest readers.
This is the true story of two great friends: a baby hippo named Owen and a giant tortoise named Mzee. In December 2004 a frightened young hippo, separated from his family by the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia, adopted an 130-year-old tortoise as his "mother." And the tortoise remarkably accepted the baby hippo as his own. Owen and Mzee are now inseparable and their story has captured hearts everywhere. With bold photographs from the original book and new simple, sweet text, Owen and Mzee is perfect for young children and families.
Synopsis
This is the true story of two great friends: a baby hippo named Owen and a giant tortoise named Mzee. In December 2004 a frightened young hippo, separated from his family by the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia, adopted an 130-year-old tortoise as his "mother." And the tortoise remarkably accepted the baby hippo as his own. Owen and Mzee are now inseparable and their story has captured hearts everywhere. With bold photographs from the original book and new simple, sweet text, Owen and Mzee is perfect for young children and families.
Publishers Weekly
Recasting the bestselling Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Paula Kahumbu, with photos by Peter Greste, the board book Owen & Mzee: Best Friends boils down the extraordinary tale of a hippo who adopts a giant tortoise (and vice versa) to its essentials ("Owen takes care of Mzee./ Mzee takes care of Owen"). The photos are as dazzling and expressive as in the original. (Scholastic, $6.99 12p ages 6 mos.-3 yrs. ISBN 978-0-439-92872-4; Jan.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
About the Author, Craig Hatkoff
Craig Hatkoff is the co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival and of Turtle Pond Publications. Both Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship and Owen & Mzee: The Language of Friendship are New York Times bestsellers. He lives with his wife and their two daughters in Manhattan.
Isabella Hatkoff is the co-author of bestselling Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship and Owen & Mzee: The Language of Friendship with her father, Craig Hatkoff, and ecologist Dr. Paula Kahumbu. Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship was published in the spring of 2006 and became an international phenomonen. She lives in Manhattan with her family
Recasting the bestselling Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Paula Kahumbu, with photos by Peter Greste, the board book Owen & Mzee: Best Friends boils down the extraordinary tale of a hippo who adopts a giant tortoise (and vice versa) to its essentials ("Owen takes care of Mzee./ Mzee takes care of Owen"). The photos are as dazzling and expressive as in the original. (Scholastic, $6.99 12p ages 6 mos.-3 yrs. ISBN 978-0-439-92872-4; Jan.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature
- Marilyn Courtot
Owen, the young hippopotamus, and Mzee, the old tortoise, have been the subject of several award-winning books. The story all began with Owen's dramatic rescue after the tsunami and his incredible attraction to Mzee, who actually began exhibiting some mothering qualities, which are not natural for reptiles. The companions eat at the same times and travel through the park grounds together. They take care of each other. The full-color photographs of Haller Park and the interactions of these friends are remarkable, adding meaning and insight to the understanding of the phenomenon of bonding in nature. Further factual information about Owen and Mzee appears in the back of the book.
