Owen and Mzee

Owen and Mzee
Told by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff
and Dr. Paul Kahumbu and Photographs by Peter Greste
Publisher: Scholastic Press
February, 2006
Grade Levels:K-6
Theme: Friendship and Geography

Summary: This book is a story about friendship between a hippo and a 130 year old tortoise. The hippo known as Owen lived around the Sabaki Canyon in Kenya, but was separated from his family after the tsunami in 2004. Owen was stranded alone in a coral reef. Dr. Kahumbu, a ecologist and conservationist was contacted and was able to to find Owen a home. He was taken to a wild life park. It was there that Owen met Mzee(tortoise). This is how their remarkable friendship began.

Reflection: This is such a sweet book about about an unlikely friendship and the fact that it is factual makes it so much better. The wording is simple enough to understand for young children. The pictures are also amazing! I would recommend this to all ages even adults. You won't be disappointed!

Pre-Reading: I will give the students some background knowledge about the setting in the story, some facts about hippos and tortoises and what a tsunami is.

Post-Reading: Children will write in their journals or draw depending on their age about a friendship they have. Answering the questions, what it means to be a friend, are you similar or different and what do you like to do together? It would also be great, if we could write letters to Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff or Dr. Kahumbu with questions or comments.

Told By:

Father and daughter team Craig and Isabella Hatkoff collaborated with Dr. Paula Kahumbu, director of the Haller Park sanctuary where Owen and Mzee live, to tell the story of this great friendship in the New York Times best selling books Owen & Mzee: the True Story of a Remarkable Friendship and Owen & Mzee: The Language of Friendship.