| | |  | Cows | Home » » MAMA: a TRUE story, in which a BABY HIPPO loses his MAMA during a TSUNAMI, but finds a new home, and a new MAMA | | | | | | | Description: | | Set during the devastating tsunami of 2004, MAMA is the touching true story of a baby hippo that was separated from his mother when the wave hit. After struggling alone for several days, the baby was rescued by Kenyan wildlife officers and brought to live in an animal refuge. There, all by himself, he adopted a new "mother"--that just happened to be a 130-year-old giant male tortoise. And they've been inseparable ever since.
Although MAMA takes place against the backdrop of a terrible human tragedy, at the heart of this story is a moving and original tale of adoption--and of finding love and companionship in the least likely of circumstances.
Includes an author's note.
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Jeanette Winter | | Hardcover:
| 32 pages | | Publisher:
| Harcourt Children's Books | | Publication Date:
| April 01, 2006 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0152054952 | | Product Length:
| 8.74 inches | | Product Width:
| 9.4 inches | | Product Height:
| 0.37 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.64 pounds | | Package Length:
| 9.2 inches | | Package Width:
| 7.6 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.4 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.6 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 10 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
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0 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 A True Story of Loss and LoveAug 24, 2009
MAMA: a TRUE story, in which a BABY HIPPO loses his MAMA during a TSUNAMI, but finds a new home, and a new MAMA
During the tsunami that struck the Indian Ocean in 2004 near Indonesia, a group of hippos that were swimming in Kenya's Sabaki River were swept out to sea. Most of the hippos returned to safety, but one baby hippo was separated from his mother and washed up on shore after spending the night in the ocean. The baby hippo, less than a year old, was rescued by Kenyan wildlife officials and local fishermen and brought to a wildlife park. The baby hippo, now named Owen, immediately adopted a 130-year-old male tortoise named Mzee ("old man" in Swahili) as his new parent.
Mama tells the story of Owen the baby hippo through a series of charming illustrations that use only the words "mama" and "baby" to tell the tale. Even pre-reading children will be able to follow Owen's story, and having them explain what they think is happening in the pictures is a great first start towards building reading comprehension skills.
Mama is a wonderful testament to the power of adoptive families, and a celebration of the fact that they can occur even in the animal kingdom. Because it can be understood as a picture book even by very young children, this book is a good resource for introducing the idea of adoption to children who may not have heard their own adoption story yet. This positive message is further affirmed by the final panel, which shows the spirit of the mama hippo looking down happily upon Owen and Mzee.
One drawback of the book's presentation is that it does not make it apparent that Mzee is a male tortoise, especially since Owen calls him "mama", so the idea of animal fatherhood is somewhat obscured. Parents who want to make this point clear to their children should read the Author's Note at the end of the book, and any child will be fascinated to know that this is a true-life story.
3 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Psychologically inappropriate for the age level it targets!Jul 06, 2008
I love the store of Owen & Mzee, but it's for an 7-8+ year old child--and then a better choice in my opinion is Owen & Mzee: Language Of Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff (or check out her other great titles in the series).
Unfortunately, this picture book is written for a VERY young child. The subject matter is just inappropriate for a child that age. Yes, we all LOVE this beautiful story, but a child at that age can't appreciate the loveliness of the "new mama" relationship. All the child can understand is that the mama died. Who in the world would expose this concept to young children who already suffer from separation anxiety (and even if your child doesn't seem to suffer outright, why would you introduce the fear of you being permanently gone)!?
For a child who tragically faces the loss of a mother, this might be nice--but I wouldn't even give it until a while after the death, because I don't think the message should be given that a mom can just be replaced. (And I wouldn't buy it if a father has died, in case it induces increased fear that the mom may be next!) Again, bad idea for kids this age. (However, for young-at-heart adults who love the story, they just might enjoy this very simple telling, and the illustrations are very lush and sweet.) I recommend requesting this from the library before purchasing, and again, I STRONGLY suggest you NEVER read this title to a young child!
1 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Paving the way for children to express their emotions.Apr 27, 2008
My daughter received this as a gift, at the time she was only 2 so I didn't venture to even open it. As time went on she showed an interest and wanted me to "read" it to her. While the pictures are detailed enough, I tried to be sure that the emotions I conveyed were accurate. On the page where it shows the baby alone, my daughter became sad. I questioned whether it was appropriate, but as time went on and I continued to read it I noticed she became happy at the end. She has now taken to reading it to me; I'm amazed that she is not only able to see, but also express her emotions regarding what the pictures are depicting. Our children are wise beyond what we give them credit, I'm glad there are books like this that help ease the questions of what is inevitable in life- death.
1 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Very powerful bookNov 29, 2007
I got this book from the library. I read the book to my 3 years and 6 years old daughters. Both were fascinated by the story so much that I was totally amazed! A book with only two words spoke so much. Then they started creating many stories of lost and found animals.They asked me about Tsunami and I got Tsunami DVD to explain it to them.
My elder daughter created a new story where the father of the baby is swept to New York city, where as mother tightly holds the baby. One fine day, they plan to take a trip to New York and whole family reunites.
And my little daughter fell in love with turtles saying it loved the baby hippo........
This book continues to be a model play story for my daughters..... It really gave me the first hand experience of power of books for young imaginative mind.....
Also this book can be read by the three years old.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
a grandmotherNov 25, 2007
The book is striking. It is a real find for a book to be a visual delight, creating wonderful images for dramatic events and powerful feelings. My granddaughter, 4 years, loved the story and the images of the spirit of the little hippo's mother. I am very picky about books for my grandchildren and this one is lovely.
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