Featuring exotic images and empathetic language, this modern day Indian
fairy tale teaches children to respect and appreciate nature. The story
of the honey hunter beings in Sundarban, a land of eighteen tides and
six seasons, where three rivers meet in a huge mangrove forest. At
first, everything is peacefulfor the thousands and thousands of
honey-bees that live there not far from the Bay of Bengal. They fly from
flower to flower, collecct nectar, and supply both people and animals
with their sweet, liquid gold. Everyone who lives in Sundarban loves
honey, but one most of all: a small, black-haired boy named Shonu. One
year, the seasons in Sundarban get mixed up and the region is plagued by
powerful cyclones followed by drought and hunger. Shonu becomes so
unbelievably hungry that he sneaks into the mangrove forest and breaks
the golden rule: he takes honey from the hives even though it is not yet
harvest time. Shonu doesn't quite realize that what he has done could
get him into deep trouble with the almighty demon tiger...This modern
day fairy tale reveals what can happen when someone interferes with
nature's rhythm. It teaches children to respect and appreciate the
environment. Inspired by Muslim and Hindu myths, author Karthika Nair
and Illustrated by Joelle Jolivet have created a compelling narrative
style and visual language to tell their tale.
