Quest for the First Hive

by Mark Jenkins

Ray's father, Fa, has not returned from his previous adventure and is presumed dead. This and a seriously ill friend puts Ray into a major funk. During this time Ray goes to the Toronto Zoo where she develops a unique relationship with a Giraffe called Tum, where she learns of a corporate plot to genetically modify bees to pollinate only that corporation’s crops. This leads Ray to Africa where she meets Ulanglabila - a Medicine Man who points the way to a lost city under the Kalahari Desert where the Queen of Queen bees lives in The First Hive. Ray meets many allies and dangers on her adventure to warn the Queen of Queens, including Tuliliki, a honey guide, Xhabbo, a Kung San tracker, a Praying Mantis who sacrifices his life for them, and a honey badger with a surprising ability to put bees to sleep. The Queen of Queens and Ray devise a plan that will thwart the plot to control the pollinators. After facing her fears and learning to share her story, Ray returns to Mt. Albert with a pet Meerkat and a new-found confidence.

93 pages, Paperback

Published December 8, 2020

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