JUMA AND THE HONEY GUIDE

In this story set among the Dorobo tribe in Africa, a father and his son follow the bird known as the honey guide out of the village, through the tall yellow grass, past friendly wildlife to a nest full of honey. The father, or baba, smokes out the bees, knocks the hive from the tree, and shares the honey with his son, then breaks off a part of the honeycomb for the bird. Juma complains that the piece is too big: ``I think we should take it all home.'' His father explains that it would be selfish to do that, but Juma remains unconvinced until Baba threatens him: In the future, the angry bird might lead Juma to a hungry lion instead of honey. Juma complies with his father's wishes. This is an amiable tale, even if the moral seems to be ``share or else.'' The language is stilted and lacks the lyrical quality of April Pulley Sayre's If You Should Hear a Honey Guide (1995), but full-bleed drawings in gold and brown capture the breadth of the habitat. The father and son, bronzed and muscled, are powerfully modeled and distinctive. An author's note gives more information on this unusual bird. (glossary) (Picture book. 7-10)