A MAMA FOR OWEN

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Author: Marion Dane Bauer
Illustrator: John Butler
BUY – A Mama for Owen

I recently came across this gorgeous book based on the true story of little hippopotamus who was rescued by Kenja Wildlife Service after he and his family were washed down the Sabaki River by a flood and then he alone was washed back to shore by a Tsunami.

Owen was less than a year old and hippo calves usually stay with their mums for four years.
At a nature preserve outside of Mombasa, where he was taken to live, this lonely little hippo chose Mzee (‘old man’ in Swahili), an obliging 130 year old male tortoise to be his mother.

This deliciously illustrated story will touch the heart and redefines the boundaries of love and friendship which all creatures share.

The short text is playful and well suited to toddlers and younger children. It focuses on a gentle life in the wild and the eternal theme of being safe with someone you love.

The warm hazy illustrations reflect both the hot environment and the little hippo’s emotions of childish bliss.

Far from being another, ‘are you my mother book’, A Mama for Owen, strikes a far richer chord, placing it easily into the favourite bedtime story category.

BUY – A Mama for Owen