Owen & Mzee: The Language of Friendship

( 10 )

Overview

The in-demand follow-up to the New York Times bestseller, OWEN & MZEE, the friendship that has touched millions around the world.

In this exciting follow-up to OWEN & MZEE, the New York Times bestselling story about an orphaned baby hippo named Owen and the 130-year-old giant turtle, Mzee, Craig Hatkoff explores the language of love, friendship, and nurturance that these two incredible creatures share with one another. This book traces their first year together, including their adorable playful ways and the unique "language" that they have developed.

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More About This Book

Overview

The in-demand follow-up to the New York Times bestseller, OWEN & MZEE, the friendship that has touched millions around the world.

In this exciting follow-up to OWEN & MZEE, the New York Times bestselling story about an orphaned baby hippo named Owen and the 130-year-old giant turtle, Mzee, Craig Hatkoff explores the language of love, friendship, and nurturance that these two incredible creatures share with one another. This book traces their first year together, including their adorable playful ways and the unique "language" that they have developed.

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble
Owen and Mzee are perhaps nature's most endearing odd couple. Owen is an orphaned baby hippo; his real-life best friend, Mzee, is a 130-year-old giant turtle. Having made their debut in 2006's hit photo-essay Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship, the pair return in a cute follow-up that shows how their unlikely friendship flourished during the subsequent year.
In this sequel to Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship, the bestselling tale of a 130-year-old tortoise who adopts a baby hippo, intimate details and photos spotlight the pair's continued, loving relationship. The narrators have a theory: "When you need a friend, one will be there for you." (ages 5 to 8)
The February 2007 issue of Child magazine
More Reviews (4) Fewer Reviews
Publishers Weekly
Those who were captivated by Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship-about the bond between a baby hippo orphaned by the 2004 tsunami and an adult tortoise living in the same Kenyan sanctuary-will find this follow-up equally mesmerizing. Again, Greste's crisp color photographs reveal these inseparable animal companions at remarkably close range. A standout sequence of nine frames allows readers to observe one of the unique ways the pair communicates: the now two-year-old Owen, signaling Mzee to move to the left, nudges the 130-year-old turtle's left rear foot. The two also communicate in their own "language," a deep rumbling sound that is not intuitive to either species. The authors (a youngster, her father and the manager of the Kenyan park) do raise questions about how the friendship will progress, as Owen grows to his adult size of 7,000 pounds, and his caretakers worry that he could unintentionally harm Mzee. Nonetheless, readers of all ages will likely concur with the authors' observation: "No matter how things turn out, the story of their friendship will always remind the world that when you need a friend, one will be there for you." Youngsters will eagerly await the next chapter in this extraordinary companionship. Ages 4-8. (Jan.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature
The extraordinary friendship between a small hippopotamus and a mature tortoise is further explored through describing the ways in which these two communicate with each other. Owen the hippo and Mzee the tortoise were introduced to the world in the first book, which described 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. Their camaraderie has strengthened over the past year. They eat at the same times and travel through the grounds together—Owen slowing his pace to stay in sync with Mzee's deliberate movements. They communicate through nips and nudges when changing directions. But the most remarkable aspect of their friendship is a unique series of sounds they use together, which are not normal sounds for either hippos or turtles. When Mzee needed to be hospitalized for two weeks because of an infection, Owen made friends with Toto, a younger tortoise. Now the three friends spend most of their time together. The caretakers are concerned, however. Owen seems to have adapted fully to tortoise ways and does not seem to be aware that he is a hippopotamus. He is already twice the size of Mzee and could inadvertently injure his friend. It is unlikely that Owen would be accepted into an established pod of hippos. A possible solution exists in placing Owen with Cleo, another orphaned hippo who lives alone. Owen's story is not over. Another installment can most likely be expected. The large full-color photographs of Haller Park and the interactions of these friends are remarkable, adding meaning and insight to the understanding of this phenomenon of nature. A map ofKenya and further factual information about Owen, Mzee, and Haller Park appear in the back of the book.
School Library Journal
K-Gr 4
Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship (Scholastic, 2006) chronicled the fascinating story of a baby hippo who was orphaned by the December 2004 tsunami and the bond he formed with Mzee, a 130-year-old Alhambra tortoise at a wildlife sanctuary in Kenya. This sequel updates readers on the status of that friendship a year and a half later, particularly with regard to the way this unusual duo has learned to communicate with one another. They apparently call back and forth, making sounds that hippos and tortoises do not usually make. The authors honestly discuss the issues that will face these two friends in the future, as their caretakers become increasingly concerned that Owen could become a danger to Mzee as he continues to grow. Other problems and possible solutions are discussed. The text is clearly written and accompanied by numerous high-quality, full-color photos of this unique pair. Children captivated by the first book will be thrilled to discover this one, and enough background information is provided so that readers coming to the story for the first time will be comfortable. A first purchase for most libraries.
—Grace OliffCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
In 2005, this father-daughter team, with the ecologist and the photographer, chronicled the irresistible story of the baby hippopotamus, orphaned by the December 2004 tsunami, which imprinted on the more-than-a-century-old Aldabra tortoise in a nature preserve in Kenya. Owen and Mzee's story continues, with unexpected communication and devotion between the animals and the unexpected difficulties (Owen acts much more like a tortoise than a hippo). The photographs continue to be quite wonderful, and it is hard not to agree with the astonishment in the text: These animals communicate, play, eat and live together, though they are utterly dissimilar in every way. Their story is recapitulated in this volume, so even if they don't own the first, eager young readers can catch right up and be mesmerized, mystified and charmed. (natural history, maps, notes) (Picture book. 5-10)

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780594233480
  • Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
  • Publication date: 11/29/2011
  • Pages: 40
  • Age range: 4 - 8 Years
  • Product dimensions: 10.70 (w) x 9.60 (h) x 0.40 (d)

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
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