An African Lion and the Great Tree of Fireflies

A lion cub sets out on the long journey to the tree of fireflies. His mission: to flee from a ruthless beast lion and to find his mother – if she is still alive, that is. But he is not alone for long. Friendly and sympathetic animals from the savanna give him refuge or pitch in. They rally to his cause for various reasons: support, escape, revenge, honor. The search for the land of the fireflies now takes on a wider lens, that of ridding the land of its lawless predators and finding a new peace and tranquility.
An unlikely mix of three animals: Papio the baboon, Meru the giraffe, and Regulus the lion cub, form a rag-tag team aiming to take on giants. Don’t laugh, for, as the story unfolds, they manage to discipline themselves into a well-oiled killer machine – of sorts – for there are bungles and mishaps at critical points. Nonetheless, fueled by Papio’s battle cry: "Alert, focused, all seeing senses, dart, stalk, winner, fast, intelligent, brave, very sly, is the dangerous glint in Papio's eye!" they rise up to show remarkable fortitude in the face of overwhelming odds.
This motley crew is joined by other comrades-in-arms who face the common enemy. Interestingly, each animal is equipped with the essential skills needed to meet every new challenge. Among them is Tocus, the broad-billed crane, who can scan the landscape for miles around and warn of impending danger. There is also the secretive Woburn who is said to be able to tackle even lions in battle. The giraffe, Meru must overcome her vertigo for the benefit of the quest. Her limpid eyes and slurpy kisses also belie her kung fu kicks. There is Papio the baboon with his colorful bravado and Prince Jeer the hippo who pontificates in lofty tones seated in the mud, a monitor lizard who speaks with a lisp and a bush baby delirious from eating too much fermented fruit! The villain beasts are characters, too, from Martha the mamba, who stalks her “tasty and delicious frienddddsss” with relish, to the wicked S-headed vulture shouting death wishes and threats from the sky. Then there is the changing countryside as the animals move from the parched grasslands to the lush verdant hills, all painted with deft brush strokes to make the landscape come alive as well as to detail the animals’ sources of food.
Most chapters end with a minor cliff hanger. There are breathless moments as the animals are caught in the midst of a stampede of wildebeests or are encircled by snarling hyenas. And the momentum increases towards the final encounter with the beast lion himself and his male bodyguards.