“Owen & Mzee: The Language of Friendship” is the second book that describes the relationship between Owen, a two year old hippopotamus and Mzee, a 130 year old Aldabra tortoise.

As with the first book, “Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship”, we meet Owen who was rescued from the coastal village of Malindi in Kenya in 2004 after a powerful tsunami destroyed all the hippos in his family pod, including his mother.

Owen was rescued from the coral reef where he was stranded through the efforts of hundreds of people. Even though he was only two feet tall, he weighed 600 lbs., was very frightened, and very slippery from the seawater. Finally one brave man (named Owen) tackled the baby hippo long enough for others to catch him.

Owen was transported to Haller Park, a restored limestone quarry that now function s as a wildlife sanctuary. Park Manager, Dr. Paula Kahumbu, decided that it would be unwise and possibly dangerous to put the young hippo with the three older hippos already living at the park, so Owen was placed in an enclosure with smaller, gentler animals including Mzee who was known as a grumpy loner.

The lonely little hippo found the old turtle, followed the old fellow around and after the first day, they cuddled together and became friends.

Park staff were astounded; it was unheard of for a reptile to befriend a mammal and no one expected the odd relationship to last.

Now, a year later, Owen and Mzee are inseparable. They eat together, sleep together and wallow in the pond together. Visitors flocked to Haller Park to see this amazing pair and according to park staff, they both seem happiest when they are together.

Like any friendship, the relationship has changed. Owen is no longer a timid little hippo and he is bigger (when full grown Owen will weigh 7,000 lbs.). He is very protective of Mzee. When workers went into the enclosure to work on a crack in Mzee’s shell, Owen charged at them, and Mzee had to be moved to another pen to receive care.

Park officials are worried that Owen is not learning hippo behavior--he sleeps with Mzee during the night and forages with Mzee during the day, which is opposite normal hippo behavior. Eventually, Dr. Paula Kahumbu hopes to move Owen and Mzee into another enclosure with a young female hippo that is not part of the established pod.

The story of Owen and Mzee has generated great interest around the world. It was from a simple photo that six-year-old Isabella Hatkoff asked her father to help her write a book about this unlikely pair. From that first book, Isabella and Craig have continued the story with this sequel.

Supporting the informative text, are wonderful color photos of the tortoise and the young hippo taken by Peter Greste, internationally known photojournalist. Full-page photos show hippo ears and a turtle head as they swim together. Another sequence shows the two of them nuzzling each other as they play until Owen has his mouth completely around the old tortoise’s head. The most captivating photo shows the two friends lumbering down a rainy bark path.

“Owen and Mzee” is an endearing story about friendship and about the resiliency of the young hippo and the patience of an old tortoise. It also speaks to the human capacity for compassion in caring for other creatures.

“Owen and Mzee: The Language of Friendship”. Told by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu with photographs by Peter Greste. Scholastic Press. New York. 2007. $16.95.

The Book Ladies can be reached at 824-5343.