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Title: Owen & Mzee: The True Story Of A Remarkable Friendship
ISBN: 0439829739
Author:
Isabella Hatkoff
Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Paula Kahumbu
Publicate Date: 2006-02-01
Publish: 2006-02-01
List Price: $16.99
Average Customer Rating: 5.0
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $5.34
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $3.46
Amazon Merchant Price: $11.55
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| Customer Review: |
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1: A Feel Good Story
No doubt about it - that's what this one is...
So here's what happens.
Heavy December rains sweep Owen and his happy hippo family down the Sabaki River in Kenya and into the Indian Ocean where, much to the chagrin of the occupants of the small coastal town of Malindi, they take up residence.
Before you can say hippopotamus, the tsunami of December 26, 2004 hits, and when things come back to normal, Owen is stranded by himself on a coral reef. The villagers, originally dismayed by the hippo clan, now work with courage and persistence to save the baby's life.
After being rescued Owen is transported to Haller Park, an animal sanctuary outside of Mombasa. Here he meets Mzee (Swahili for "wise old man") a 130 year old Aldabra tortoise.
They become friends, snuggle together, and soon are found to be inseparable.
While this is all quite heart warming, the eclectic pairing left me with an odd sense of dissonance. Mzee is exceptionally ugly, and the sight of a mammal and a cold blooded reptile snuggling together seems somewhat icky.
Nevertheless I'll give it four stars. For sure this is a book that kids will enjoy. And, if I give it anything less, my nephew just might clobber me...
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2: An Astonishing Story on Friendship and Resilience
The well-written book portrays a heart-warming story about friendship. Mzee's love and guidance, along with Owen's resilience, proves that Science can't always explain what brings species together. The book contains factual material, as partially told by the general manager of Haller Park, Dr. Paula Kahumbu. Photographer Peter Greste brings this story to life with his photos that capture all the main events leading to the remarkable friendship of Owen and Mzee. Further, they capture the amazing bond the two share. The pictures do a well job of telling the story. The vocabulary of the story is geared towards an average intermediate reading level, and can easily be modified to tend to a younger audience's level of understanding. Following the story are maps with facts about Kenya and Malindi, as well as facts on hippopotami and aldabra tortoises. The last section of the book also further discusses the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. Lastly, this wonderful addition includes websites where teachers and parents can download discussion guides and take a virtual visit of Haller Park. This is a must for any parent and/or teacher to share with students of all ages.
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3: Awesome message of friendship!
The story of Mzee and Owen is a beautifully written story of two friends. The message of friendship and the bond of love shared between two souls makes this a must read for all ages.
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4: Fantastic Story!
Fantastic story, great for these turbulent times. Also recommend The Great Hippo Migration, fiction, for kids. William James Reece.
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5: My wife loves the book
Bought this book for my wife for christmas. She heard the story on the news and really wanted to know the whole story.
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