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rebeccadanielle's review against another edition
4.0
A lovely book. I cried. I love the pictures, they're beautiful.
imallmadhere's review against another edition
2.0
This was the book selected by my story time counterpart at the main library for today's story time.
The good aspects of this book were the repetitive nature of the story which the kids gravitate toward. The problem this -based on a true story- story created for me was the general dreary town. I tried to read happiness into the story but.....
SPOILER!!!!
OWENS MOTHER IS GONE! I swear the kids looked at me like I was the most horrible person in the world when I said that Owen was swept out to sea and then a tsunami wave sent him back to shore alone. One of the mothers actually walked up and cuddled her children because the story was so sad.
Thank goodness Owen makes Mzee's acquaintance which saves things a little bit but at the end of it all a grayish brown or brownish gray turtle is not a replacement for a grayish brown or brownish gray loving hippo mother.
It was like a walt disney story hour, killing off parents in the first few pages...Stay tuned next week we hug porcupines!
The good aspects of this book were the repetitive nature of the story which the kids gravitate toward. The problem this -based on a true story- story created for me was the general dreary town. I tried to read happiness into the story but.....
SPOILER!!!!
OWENS MOTHER IS GONE! I swear the kids looked at me like I was the most horrible person in the world when I said that Owen was swept out to sea and then a tsunami wave sent him back to shore alone. One of the mothers actually walked up and cuddled her children because the story was so sad.
Thank goodness Owen makes Mzee's acquaintance which saves things a little bit but at the end of it all a grayish brown or brownish gray turtle is not a replacement for a grayish brown or brownish gray loving hippo mother.
It was like a walt disney story hour, killing off parents in the first few pages...Stay tuned next week we hug porcupines!
rainbowbookworm's review against another edition
1.0
I was first captivated by Owen and Mzee when I saw their story on CNN. However, this version took several shortcuts.
myreadingcorner_'s review against another edition
5.0
Una historia triste pero también enternecedora sobre Owen y su nueva mamá Mzee. Me recordó muchísimo a uno de mis libros favoritos cuando era pequeña que era Chiquitín. Está basado en una historia real.
chachacenteno's review against another edition
5.0
Based on the true story of an orphaned hippopotamus, this story would pair well with foster youth, adoption and even stepparents. It's the story of loss and finding comfort again with a parental figure. It also covers diversity.
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition
5.0
This is a really well done book about a hippo. Based on a true story.
susurrus's review against another edition
5.0
Read to me by my son. A very sweet true story of a hippo named Owen who loses his mother and bonds with a 130-year-old giant tortoise. Art is beautiful and the story is sad but sweet.
gemmaflanagan's review
5.0
Knowing this is a true story makes it an emotional read.
My children love to hear the story, but still find it incredibly sad.
My children love to hear the story, but still find it incredibly sad.
lieslindi's review
Kind of intense for preschoolers because Owen's mother doesn't find him, unlike Nemo and Dory and Are You My Mother? and Come Along Daisy and all the other narratives the children know. But sweet because Owen makes himself a new family. I wonder what's happened to Owen and Mzee in the 13 years since the tsunami.
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