Module 11, Owen and Mzee

 Owen & Mzee by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu is an informational picture book.

Summary

This story is the true account of how baby hippopotamus, Owen and 130-year-old giant tortoise Mzee formed an unimaginable bond.  The book was written by 6-year-old Isabella Hatkoff and her father, along with the help of the ecologist involved in Owen’s care, after Isabella had seen a photograph of the two.

Owen became lost from his hippopotamus pod after the 2004 tsunami washed him to a coral reef off the coast of Kenya.   After much struggle, local villagers and visitors were able to capture Owen and tow him to shore in Malindi, Kenya.  One rescuer, who went to great lengths to save the hippo, putting himself in danger, was Owen Sobien.  Owen the hippo was named after Owen the rescuer. 

When Owen was taken to the Haller Park animal sanctuary, he was deeply traumatized from his ordeal.  He immediately headed to the first creature the same color as his lost hippo pod, a cranky tortoise named Mzee.  Although at first, Mzee was not thrilled about Owen’s choice, he finally formed a connection with the hippo.  Mzee became a surrogate to the young hippo and their friendship endures today.

The book contains a section at the end to get more details about the two creatures and where they come from.  The large detailed photographs were taken by internationally recognized photo-journalist, Peter Greste.

Impression

This story offers not only information, but also inspiration.  Many facts are given about Kenya, the hippopotamus, the tortoise, and the event.  Also information about the 2004 tsunami is included.  However, this is also a beautiful story about an unlikely friendship.  Students of all ages will be able to connect with the relationship between two creatures who are very different. 

The story will spark conversations about friendship, loyalty, and how we can help someone who is struggling. 

Library Uses

Owen and Mzee could be used at the beginning of the year in a school library.  It could be used to talk about the power of friendship and how we can find friendship in unlikely places.  One quote from the book, “Our most important friends are sometimes those we least expected.” (p. 23) exemplifies opening your mind to new friendship opportunities.

This book could also be used with other books, such as “Boxes for Katje” in a discussion about how we can help each other after a natural disaster or war.  There are many books about natural disasters, but not as many about what we can do in the aftermath of a natural disaster or war.  I think students could then pick someway as a group that they would like to assist others and then design a project around that.

Professional 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)

--Kirkus, 2006

Remarkable" seems too tame a word for this memorable book about a friendship between two wild creatures. Its genesis lay in Greste's photo of a baby hippo snuggling with a giant tortoise, which appeared in newspapers the month after the cataclysmic 2004 tsunami. Craig Hatkoff and his then six-year-old daughter, moved by that image and by the accompanying article, decided to learn more about these animal companions—and to write their story. They do so succinctly and smoothly, ably aided by Kahumbu, manager of the Kenyan animal sanctuary, Haller Park, where the two creatures now live. Greste's crisp, closely focused photos will instantly endear the title characters to readers. When the tsunami struck Kenya, Owen was separated from his mother and the rest of their pod and became stranded on a coral reef. Several spreads chronicle the hippo's difficult rescue and transport to the sanctuary. Once set loose, he immediately scrambled toward Mzee (the Swahili term for "wise old man"), a 130-year-old Aldabra tortoise: "Owen crouched behind Mzee, the way baby hippos often hide behind their mothers for protection." The unadorned text allows the facts themselves to move readers, making clear how the improbable bond between the now inseparable mammal and reptile has helped resilient Owen recover from his traumatic ordeal. ("Most [wildlife experts] have never heard of a mammal... and a reptile... forming such a strong bond.") Priceless images document the pair swimming together or nuzzling, their rough skins complementing each other. In several of Greste's photos, the two creatures appear to have genuine smiles on their faces. Readers will have the same. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)

--Publishers Weekly, 2006

References

Children's Book Review: Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff, Author, Craig M. Hatkoff, Author, Paula Kahumbu, Author , photos by Peter Greste. Scholastic $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-439-82973-1. (2013, February 2). Retrieved April 29, 2015, from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-439-82973-1

Hatkoff, I., & Hatkoff, C. (2007). Owen & Mzee: The language of friendship. New York: Scholastic Press.

OWEN & MZEE by Isabella Hatkoff , Craig Hatkoff , Paula Kahumbu , Peter Greste | Kirkus. (2006, December 15). Retrieved April 29, 2015, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/isabella-hatkoff/owen-mzee/