Publisher's Synopsis
James (7) and his sisters, Ellen (5) and Rebecca (1), are asked to be a pageboy and bridesmaids at their auntie's wedding. They then overhear their Mum and auntie discuss details of the wedding and the planned honeymoon.James' sisters are confused by what their auntie means by a 'honeymoon'. James, having a vivid imagination, makes up a story that he tells his sisters at bedtime. This story is all about the Moon that they can see every night up in the sky. This is, in fact, made out of honey, which is why, James says, it's really called the 'Honey Moon'. Then, one day when James is looking for possible presents for his upcoming birthday, he comes across a small, silver telescope in a toy shop in town. The shopkeeper, who James refers to as the Toy Keeper, tells him that it's a magic telescope. Hearing that, there's no doubt in James' mind that this is top of his wish list. Luckily for him, Mum and Dad buy it for him and he gets it on his birthday. That first evening as he looks through it from his bedroom window at the Moon, James is, somehow, magically transported to the Honey Moon. His made-up story is coming to life! Suddenly, the Toy Keeper appears and introduces himself as Gabe. There on the Honey Moon, the two then meet with Queen Bee and her subjects, the Honey Bees, who live there. They already know Gabe.Before he knows it, James is awoken by his Mum. He's overslept and may be late for school. Was it all a dream? That night, James continues telling his sisters his 'Honey Moon' bedtime story and, as part of this latest story, he tells them about Gabe, Queen Bee and that his small, silver, telescope is magical. Together, the three siblings take it in turns to look through it and, just like James before the previous time, they are all magically transported to the Honey Moon. There Queen Bee comes to meet them once more. They learn from her that the planet is in danger from being eaten up by another group of creatures, called the Honey Badgers, who also live there. Can James, Ellen and Rebecca help save it?Moral of the Story: While the Honey Moon is a fictional place, James and the Honey Moon could quite easy be set on our own planet, Earth. If it had not have been for James and his sisters, the honey that formed the Honey Moon would have all been used up by the Honey Badgers. The planet itself would have ceased to exist and Queen Bee and the Honey Bees, including Acacia, Manuka and Buckwheat would have needed to find a new place to live. Roger, the King of the Honey Badgers, did not realise the damage he and his subjects were unintentionally causing to their planet. Like Roger, many of us do not realise the damage we are unintentionally causing to the Earth. We can all do our bit, no matter how young or old and rich or poor we are. Whether we are an individual or a business, we can each ensure that we look after our planet and not only use its minerals, treasures and components in a sustainable way, but are as green as we possibly can be when disposing of our waste. If we each do our bit, then together we can make a big difference and, as Roger discovered, we can not only ensure that our planet is a beautiful place for us all to live our lives on, but that it remains a beautiful place for our children, grandchildren and future generations to also enjoy.In writing James and the Mystery of the Vanishing Honey Moon, I hope that this story will play its part in helping everyone that reads it appreciate that our planet is precious, and, like Roger, they can make a difference
