April 20, 2007

The Odd Couple

Friendship is a funny thing – you never can tell who's going to hit it off (Katie Holmes and Posh?).

Take Owen and Mzee, for example. This unlikely pair has captured hearts and imaginations all over the world. Their books are best sellers, and with the launch of their new website, their remarkable story takes on an interactive edge.

Owen is a baby hippo, orphaned during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. When rescuers brought him to Haller Park preserve in Mombasa, Kenya, the frightened hippo bonded with Mzee, a 130-year-old Giant Aldabran Tortoise, and the two developed a relationship that baffles the experts. They live, eat and play together, and even have their own unique language. Their story is told in Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship and in a just-published sequel, Owen & Mzee: The Language of Friendship, which updates the story of this remarkable duo.

Now Owen and Mzee fans have even more ways to stay connected, with a website featuring weekly blogs and current photos and videos, as well as the Kid's "Boma" (the Swahili word for the enclosure where Owen and Mzee live), an online destination for creative and interactive activities including documentary filmmaking, animal sing-along Karaoke, and an interactive maze featuring the animals of Haller Park. Kids can also learn Swahili words, print out coloring and activity pages, and learn more about conservation and preserving endangered species.

This Earth Day, help your kids discover the wonders of nature and the beauty of cooperation.

Especially the part about cooperation.

For more information, visit owenandmzee.com.

Thursday's UrbanBaby Daily: What's in a Name?

Recently Discussed on UrbanBaby Message Boards: "When you named your DC, what image were you trying to convey?"

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