Mama: A True Story, in Which a Baby Hippo Loses His Mama During a Tsunami, But Finds a New Home, and a New Mama

by Jeanette Winter

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152054952
• ISBN13: 9780152054953
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.4" x 8.7"
• Age Range: 4 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

Paving the way for children to express their emotions.

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.

Very powerful book

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.

a grandmother

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.

A PERFECT Picture Book

This is perhaps the most beautiful and perfect picture book I have ever read. Using just two words throughout the entire text, brilliant author/illustrator Jeanette Winter conveys the most basic of all human emotions: the bond between a mother and child. This most universal of subjects is something every child will understand -- and not just understand, but feel. And with the beautiful, equally minimal illustrations depicting the big, blue ocean, this book is certain to put every child, and every parent, in a trance -- from beginning to end. And the ending is ultimately a very happy, life-affirming, love-affirming one -- that will leave most readers with a big smile tempered with tears, like the sunshine that follows, say, a tsunami.

Winter At Her Absolute Best

As a children's book librarian, I've been following Jeanette Winter's books for many years, and I have always been struck by how child-friendly they are. They are books written and illustrated for children, not for adults, and this is what makes them such welcome additions to any children's book library. With MAMA, we have the ultimate example of this. In life, even in a child's life, difficult things happen. Tsunamis happen. Hurricanes happen. Divorce happens. Rather than being told such things aren't real, children need to deal them, to process them, and in a way that provides comfort. And so it is that Winter, as a children's book author, fearlessly, and with the utmost of grace, tackles a difficult thing that really did happen, ultimately providing much hope and joy. Bravo, Ms. Winter!