Mama for Owen - by Marion Dane Bauer (Hardcover)

About the Book

A heartwarming tale based on a true story. Owen, a baby hippo orphaned by the 2004 tsunami, arrives at a Kenyan nature preserve where relief workers hope to match him with a new mother. But Owen chooses his own RmotherS--a 130-year-old male tortoise named Mzee, who comforts Owen like no one else can. Full color.

Book Synopsis

Owen the baby hippo and his mama were best friends. They loved to play hide-and-seek on the banks of the Sabaki River in Africa. That was all before the tsunami came and washed Owen's world away.

But after the rain stops, Owen befriends Mzee, a grayish brown tortoise. He plays with him, snuggles with him, and decides he just might turn out to be his best friend and a brand-new mama.

Inspired by the tsunami of 2004, acclaimed storyteller Marion Dane Bauer and celebrated illustrator John Butler depict this heartwarming true tale of healing, adoption, and rebirth -- with splendid illustrations and oodles of love.

About the Author

Marion Dane Bauer is the author of many books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor book On My Honor and the Coretta Scott King Book Illustrator Award winner The Stuff of Stars. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and can be reached at MarionDaneBauer.com.

John Butler has illustrated more than forty books for children, including Little Chick, Little Bunny, A Mama for Owen, and While You Were Sleeping. He has worked for Sesame Street and Time magazine and resides in the United Kingdom.