For families navigating disagreements over resources or fairness, this African folktale explores the challenges of sharing when initial harmony breaks down.
A parent might reach for this book after witnessing a seemingly fun activity dissolve into arguments over sharing. This beautifully illustrated African folktale provides a powerful metaphor for navigating conflicts about fairness. The story follows a group of animals who cooperate perfectly to find and access a honeycomb, only to have their teamwork collapse into a selfish, angry squabble when it's time to divide the sweet reward. It explores themes of collaboration, fairness, and the consequences of greed in a way that is accessible for children ages 4 to 8. It's an excellent choice for opening conversations about how frustration can spoil a good thing for everyone.
The core topic is intense interpersonal conflict and anger. The approach is metaphorical, using an animal fable to explore common human behaviors around greed and fairness. The story does not have a tidy, happy resolution; instead, it's a realistic and cautionary tale where the characters face the natural consequences of their selfish actions (bee stings, ruined honey, broken trust). The tone is secular.
Ideal Reader
This book is ideal for a 5 to 7-year-old who struggles with the intense emotions of sharing. It is for the child who understands the concept of fairness but gets overwhelmed by feelings of injustice in the moment, leading to meltdowns that spoil the fun for everyone, including themselves. It's also very effective for a classroom or group setting to discuss cooperation.
Parent Prep
Parents should be prepared for an ending that is not neatly resolved. The animals are left unhappy and nursing their stings. This requires a follow-up conversation. A parent may want to preview the two-page spread depicting the chaotic fight, as the illustrations of angry animals and swarming bees might be intense for a highly sensitive child. The book is best read with an adult ready to facilitate a discussion about the outcome. The parent has just mediated a fight between siblings or friends over dividing a treat, choosing a game, or sharing a popular toy. The parent has heard cries of "It's not fair!" or "He got more!" and watched a positive situation devolve into tears and frustration.
Age Experience
A younger child (4-5) will grasp the surface-level moral: fighting is bad and spoils the fun. They will enjoy the animal characters and the clear cause-and-effect. An older child (6-8) can engage with the more nuanced themes of broken promises (to the honeyguide), the definition of fairness, and the irony of working together so well only to fail at the final step. They might be able to articulate what a better solution would have looked like.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many books that praise the positive outcomes of sharing, this story is a potent cautionary tale about the negative consequences of failing to share fairly. Its foundation as an African folktale offers a distinct narrative style and cultural perspective. The realistic, consequence-based ending makes a more lasting impression than a story with an artificially happy resolution.
Read plot summary
A honeyguide bird leads a diverse group of animals, including a honey badger, elephant, and vervet monkey, on a quest for honey. They work together seamlessly to fell the tree and access the comb. However, once the prize is within reach, their cooperation dissolves into a chaotic and angry argument over who gets what share. In the ensuing fight, the bees attack, the honey is ruined, and the honeyguide bird, who was promised the first share, is forgotten and left with nothing.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
The Honeyguide bird was promised the first taste of honey for helping. Was it fair that the other animals forgot their promise in the argument? What could they have done differently?
2
When the animals started fighting, what happened to the delicious honey they all worked so hard to get? Did anyone end up happy at the end?
3
Look at the page where all the animals are arguing. How do their faces and bodies show they are angry? Have you ever felt that angry about sharing something?
4
If you had been in charge of sharing the honeycomb, how would you have divided it so that it was fair for everyone, including the little bird?
