Rabbit and Bush-rat have found some honey and begin eating it until lion comes along. He tells them it is his honey. They get away by fooling the lion. This is called “making a monkey” out of him. The next day rabbit goes back with turtle. Once again they get away by fooling the lion. The lion realizes that the rabbit is behind all of this and decides to hide in rabbit’s house and gobble him up when he returns home. The rabbit is smart and fools the lion once again. ( )

A retelling of a Swahili tale.

Rabbit Makes a Monkey of a Lion is a Swahili folktale that follows the traditional lore outline in which a cunning little creature outwits a large opponent. I enjoyed this book for three reasons: the story, the illustrations and the multicultural perspective of folk tales. The story follow Rabbit and her friends Bush-rat and Turtle as they steal the honey that Lion claims as his. The vengeful Lion attempts to retaliate only to be outsmarted each time by one of the wily creatures. Aardema provides the reader with a humorous tale filled with creative uses of onomatopoeia. The illustrations by Pinkney capture the tale with gorgeous, soft watercolor and pencil images heavy with greens and tans. The composition of these drawings brings drama to the text by displaying the multitude of escapes from the unlucky Lion. Rabbit Makes a Monkey of Lion provides the reader with a multicultural lens in viewing folktales. Aardema retells this ancient Swahili folktale in a captivating way that serves as a fun insight into Swahili stories. ( )

Determined to enjoy the honey to be found in a bee's nest lodged in the lion's calabash tree, Rabbit and her friend Bush-Rat, and then Turtle, get to "have their cake and eat it too." Each time they are confronted by the territorial lion, Rabbit and her friends manage to escape to safety, until Rabbit decides not to test fate any longer...

I enjoyed this Swahili tale, originally published as The Hare and the Lion in George W. Bateman's 1901 Zanzibar Tales, immensely. Verna Aardema, well known for her many excellent folktale adaptations, delivers another entertaining narrative in Rabbit Makes a Monkey of Lion. The beautiful illustrations by Jerry Pinkney, five-time Caldecott Honor winner, give a real sense of motion and activity to the tale. Highly recommended to all young folklore lovers! ( )

Rabbit evades lion over and over again by using clever tricks and sometimes the help of friends such as turtle and bush rat. Pinkney's signature watercolors add expression and emotion to the text, but they are cluttered compared to his later work of "Lion and Mouse".