Don't Feed the Greed! Honey... Honey.. Lion! by Jan Brett

 

 IN AFRICA THE HONEYGUIDE AND THE HONEYBADGER ARE PARTNERS. WHEN IT COMES TO HONEY. THE LITTLE BIRD FOLLOWS THE BEE TO ITS HIVE AND THEN SHE LEADS THE HONEYBEAR THERE TO BREAK IT OPEN WITH ITS BIG STRONG CLAWS.

TOGETHER THEY SHARE THE SWEETS. THAT'S THE WAY IT'S ALWAYS BEEN.

But one day Honeybear wakes up with a greedy plan, to find the honey all by himself and not share any of it with that silly bird! He locates, gulps, and gobbles down several honeycombs. But Honeyguide Bird discovers the glutton and follows him all the way back to his hole, where his full tummy forces him to wiggle and squirm to get inside his den.

HONEYGUIDE FUSSED AND FUMED,"NO FAIR! NO FAIR!"

The next morning Honeyguide has a plan. When Honeybear wakes, hungry as always, the guinea hens, bear, and hippo giggle silently as Honeyguide flies over the pond, low and fast, as Honeybear splish-splashes after her. As he careens into a termite mound, Honeyguide flies over the papyrus and through the scratchy bristlegrass. Wet and itchy, Honeybear huffs and puffs after her, just as Honeyguide fans her tail and dives down under an acacia tree, singing..

"HONEY... HONEY... LION!"

A roaring lion is not exactly the sweet treat Badger was expecting!

BADGER TURNED ON HIS TAIL AND RAN!

Honeybadger's solo honey hunts come to an abrupt end, and he and Honeyguide remain partners to this day, in Caldecott author-illustrator Jan Brett's Honey... Honey... Lion! A Story from Africa (Rise and Shine) (G.P. Putnam's Sons). Jan Brett's African animal characters star in a humorous trickster tale in which her trademark meticulously drafted and colored characters portray the plot, while each page's illustrated borders reveal hints at what comes with the next page turn. Writes Booklist, "This lovely title works equally well for storyhours or for one-on-one sharing."