Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship
Co-written following the Asian tsunami by six-year-old Isabella Hatkoff, her father, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu, this book is a model of a “safe haven” story for children who have experienced loss or need a new family. The book relates the story of what happens to Owen, a baby hippo, separated from his family during the tsunami. Local people in Kenya help the stranded hippo and take him to a park in Mombasa. Once there, Owen is confused and angry until Mzee, an old giant tortoise,