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The Adventures of Honey & Leon #1

The Adventures of Honey & Leon

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Actor and New York Times bestselling author Alan Cumming and artist Grant Shaffer imagine what their dogs do when they’re not around—and it’s no surprise that the dogs aspire to lead lives as action-packed and glamorous as their dads’!

Honey and Leon are rescue mutts who love their dads very much. But their dads often have to go away on glamorous and important business, which worries the dogs. Honey and Leon are done staying home and fretting—they’re off on a dad-protecting adventure! Careful to remain incognito, the two pups shadow their dads on a trip across the sea, keeping them out of danger at every turn! How did they survive without Honey and Leon’s protection for this long?!

Alan Cumming and Grant Shaffer wrote this story as a tribute to their own dogs, based on their frequent conversations about what Honey and Leon get up to while they’re away.

48 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 2017

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About the author

Alan Cumming

76 books786 followers
Alan Cumming, OBE, is a Scottish-American stage, television and film actor. His roles have included Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United, and Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy. He has also appeared in independent films like The Anniversary Party, which he wrote, directed and starred; and Ali Selim's Sweet Land for which he won an Independent Spirit award as producer.

His London stage appearances include Hamlet, Madman in Dario Fo's Accidental Death of an Anarchist for which he received an an Olivier award, the lead in Martin Sherman's Bent and as Dionysus in The National Theatre of Scotland's The Bacchae. On Broadway he has appeared as Mac the Knife in The Threepenny Opera and the Emcee in Cabaret for which he won the Tony in 1998.

Cumming has also written a novel, Tommy's Tale, contributed to many publications, and performs with his band I Bought A Blue Car Today on a regular basis.

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5 stars
53 (18%)
4 stars
84 (30%)
3 stars
102 (36%)
2 stars
38 (13%)
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3 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
Profile Image for TL *Humaning the Best She Can*.
2,424 reviews176 followers
November 1, 2023
3.5 stars 🌟

My insomnia kicked in so it messed up my reading plans some because I had trouble focusing today,yay body hmm?
Saw @alancummingreally 's post about it being banned and requested it from the inter library loan immediately.
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Dear people who banned this book: "Here's your sign!" There is nothing wrong with kids or animals having two moms or two dads.

So much hate in the world,why add to it? Books can help children learn many things, including compassion and empathy.. just because you don't like it doesn't mean that you can decide for everyone else.

This book is so cute/adorable and sweet !There was some moments that were hilarious and couldn't help but picture it in my head.

I can imagine Mabel doing this if she could,and probably Mar-vell as well. :)

Would recommend for your little one and for the ones young at heart ❤️ 💙 💜 💖 💗

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Last completed book of October:)
Profile Image for La Coccinelle.
2,259 reviews3,572 followers
June 12, 2019
The Adventures of Honey & Leon reminds me a bit of the film The Secret Life of Pets. It imagines what happens when Honey and Leon's two dads pack their bags and go on a trip without them. But dogs are supposed to protect people, right? How can Honey and Leon protect their dads if they're not around to do so? So the two dogs make a plan to follow their dads (to France, apparently), trying to keep out of sight so that they won't get caught. Honey makes it a little more difficult for them at one point, and there's a cute twist at the end that made me smile.

The illustrations are decent, and there are some cute touches (like the newspaper called The Ruffington Post and the labels on the dads' airplane meals). It's fun trying to spot the two dogs as they sneakily try to follow their dads throughout the vacation.

Celebrity-written picture books can be a mixed bag. The last one I read wasn't that great. But this one is actually pretty entertaining. Dog lovers, fans of movies like The Secret Life of Pets, and anyone who's ever wondered what their dog gets up to when they're left alone will probably enjoy this book.

Quotable moment:

5,870 reviews144 followers
June 21, 2019
The Adventures of Honey & Leon is a children's picture book written by Alan Cumming and illustrated by Grant Shaffer, which stars two dogs: Honey and Leon and who follow their human fathers on a trip in order to protect them.

June, at least in my part of the world is LGBT Pride Month, which I plan to read one children's book, which pertains to the subject everyday this month. Therefore, I thought that this book would be apropos for today.

Cumming's text is rather simplistic and straightforward. Based on the real dogs of their owners, it depicts the story of the titular dogs going undercover to protect their human fathers when they go on another trip. It is a fun premise and breezily told. Shaffer's fluid, pastel-hued water colored illustrations are colorful and exudes the fun premise of the narrative.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. When the always-on-the-road husbands take yet another trip, the dogs decide that they’re not going to be left behind again as Honey and Leon believe their dads need to be protected. Employing a combination of clever disguises and intensive shadowing, the dogs tail their owners to their seaside destination, preventing a couple mishaps and even grabbing a moment in the spotlight.

All in all, The Adventures of Honey & Leon is a wonderfully fun children's book written about two dogs following their humans – who happened to be gay, in order to protect them incognito with hilarious results.
Profile Image for Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance.
6,584 reviews340 followers
July 13, 2021
Honey and Leon are two happy rescue dogs. The only thing that makes them sad is that their dads are always traveling while they remain at home. Honey and Leon concoct a scheme to secretly follow their dads as they head off to France.

A fun romp of a story as the two dogs don disguises and duck to elude the eyes of their dads.
Profile Image for Becky R..
493 reviews84 followers
May 13, 2018
Cute story about two dogs who can't stand to see their humans pick up and travel so often. Really cute little tale.
Profile Image for Sam.
18 reviews
March 11, 2019
Honey and Leon are not your average house pets. These pups of New York City are spoiled rotten by their two dads except when they are away on trips. At the sound of suitcases shuffling, Honey and Leon know that their beloved owners will be leaving them yet again and they refuse to let them get away without them! This time the pair decides to secretly tag along on their dads' adventure and they are not disappointed! This charming picture book will intrigue young readers with its detailed pictures and fun, fictional dog adventures. The dialogue and illustrations really highlight the quirky personalities of these sweet pups! I gave this book a 3 because while I loved the personalities of Honey and Leon, I felt the writing and story lacked something. However, I really enjoyed the pictures and loved that the illustrations gave the reader more information than what was presented in the text. Pay close attention to find out if their dads are suspicious of these sneaky pups!
Profile Image for Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews.
5,552 reviews177 followers
July 23, 2022
Nobody likes being left home alone while their parents have an adventure.

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that explored the relationships between the dogs and the dads. Their family was a close and loving one, and it showed. I smiled as the narrator explained why Honey and Leon were so concerned about keeping their humans safe and how they planned to make sure everything was okay on their dads’ latest business trip.

I would have liked to see a little more time spent on the world building. As much as I enjoyed the open-ended nature of certain topics that I will mention in a moment, there were other times when I couldn’t help but to wonder about what people in this universe expected from the dogs around them. Most of them seemed so relaxed and understanding of talking dogs taking a cab or flying in an airplane that it made me wonder if similar adventures were well known enough that this was somewhat ordinary in their world. If only there had been more information about this!

The thought of two dogs travelling alone tickled my imagination. I couldn’t help but to wonder how they would avoid drawing unwanted attention to themselves and whether they’d be successful in their mission. It was a great deal of fun to come up with my own theories about how this all would work. The author gave enough information about this for the plot to make sense, but he also left plenty of space for little readers to come up with their own creative interpretations as well.

The Adventures of Honey & Leon made me smile.
Profile Image for Lillianna Bliss.
419 reviews16 followers
Did Not Finish
June 30, 2026
1 star

Really annoyed you can't just pick up a book and read it anymore, even CHILDREN'S books. In my impatience to find a book for my twin brothers I forgot to double check Goodreads and thought we'd give it a go. The end papers are pretty and I found an audio + print ebook so I could let the narrator read for me whilst I brainstormed which book to check out next. Except on the very first page I am startled by "Honey and Leon live with their two dads..." and make a mad scramble to turn it off. WHY. It's ridiculous to shove this sort of stuff in books... for kids... but center it (mostly) on the dogs so parents (and sisters like me) are fooled by the normal-looking cover.

*sighs* Welp, off to find something else to appease the boys.

Also realized why the name of the author seemed familiar: I've been betrayed by Mr. Elton! Fitting I suppose.


CWs: LGBT content

12/29/24
Profile Image for Alida.
573 reviews
November 18, 2017
Well, this might be a "pet project" and not on par with say, The Knuffle Bunny, but I'm partial to Alan Cumming, alternative families, and above all, DOGS!! I primarily rate based on illustrations and whether I like it or not or makes me laugh or cry. Then other considerations come in - location, author, jokes, politics and messages to kids.

So, any book with dogs, lovely illustrations, set in that wonderful city, with witty jokes, written by a talented actor and with a great message for kids, is good reads to me.
Profile Image for Alice.
4,307 reviews37 followers
September 21, 2017
I liked the story, It is super cute! It isn't very well written.. but it is cute. I love that the dogs take care of their dads. My not so high rating is that it that I fear that the only reason this book was published because it was written by a celebrity! Whatever sells RIGHT?! I don't care that it has two dads... it doesn't bother me at all. I Just think the writing is ok but not great!
Illustrations are cute and well done!
Profile Image for Arminzerella.
3,746 reviews94 followers
June 22, 2021
Honey and Leon are two dogs who decide to follow their owners on their travels after being left home one time too many. They disguise themselves and sneak onto planes and into hotels and other venues as they try to keep their people safe from harm. Unbeknowst to the dogs, the owners have spotted them! Who is protecting who?

A cute concept that doesn't really reach its potential.
Profile Image for Jessica Furtado.
Author 1 book42 followers
November 21, 2017
Cute illustrations take us on an adventure as we follow Honey and Leon in their quest to follow their dads and protect them when they leave on one of their many trips away from home. The story is lacking a bit, but our puppy protagonists are fun characters who children will enjoy.
Profile Image for Baby Bookworm.
1,642 reviews108 followers
November 12, 2017
https://thebabybookwormblog.wordpress.com/2017/11/03/the-adventures-of-honey-leon-alan-cumming-grant-shaffer/

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is The Adventures Of Honey & Leon, written by Alan Cumming and illustrated by Grant Shaffer, a delightful tale of two clever dogs and their loyalty to their human daddies.

Honey, a rescue mutt with refined sensibilities and a talent for acting, and Leon, a Brooklyn-born Chihuahua who is much tougher than his size suggests, live in the big city with their beloved human daddies. Life is practically perfect, except for one thing: their daddies travel a LOT, and Honey and Leon get lonely and worried about the other half of heir family when they’re separated. One day, upon finding their daddies packing their bags for another trip, Honey and Leon decide that they will embark upon a covert mission: they will pack their bags and follow their daddies across the globe in secret, defending them from baggage thieves and dozing boat captains, watching over their outings and activities, and even joining them for a fancy party – where Honey inadvertently becomes star of the show! Can the dedicated duo keep their cover and get home without their daddies realizing that they’ve had two (furry) tails?

We loved this one! The story felt very fresh and original, and was clearly written and illustrated with a great deal of love (Honey, Leon, and their daddies are based on the married author and illustrator and their real-life dogs). I loved the detail of the characters’ accents – Honey’s posh British dialect, Leon’s Brooklynite, even Cumming’s Scottish brogue if you’re feeling froggy – which allowed for some real fun when reading the book aloud to JJ. Honey and Leon themselves are a hoot, and captured gorgeously in exciting, colorful illustrations that brought them, their daddies, and their world to life. The length was great, and JJ and I both really enjoyed this one. A wonderful book to celebrate the bond between dogs and their human families, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!
Profile Image for Lauren Kramer-Theuerkauf.
Author 2 books45 followers
January 3, 2018
Leon is a Chihuahua from Brooklyn who knows how to hold his own. Honey is a rescue mutt with a flare for acting. They live together with their two dads in New York City.

While the pampered pooches seem to have it made, there is one problem. Their dads are always traveling for work. Leon and Honey miss their dads and want to protect them at all times.

One day, Honey hears the familiar sound of luggage being moved. She and Leon quickly devise a plan to secretly follow their dads. With bags packed, the mischievous pair hail a taxi and head to the airport.

Will this dynamic duo be able to stay incognito? Can they complete their mission to protect their dads? Will Honey ever become a famous actress?

I love this book! This is definitely one of my all time favorite picture books. The story is overflowing with humor and heart. I also love how the book encompasses modern day technology and family life. From Honey snapping a selfie to the discussion of same-sex couples, this book truly has it all.

Being a pet parent to five rescue dogs, I can totally relate to how much I miss them when I have to go to work or travel to a conference. I have often wondered what it would be like to take them with me. I am sure that chaos would ensue, much like with Leon and Honey.

Grant Shaffer's illustrations are beyond adorable. I love how Shaffer uses pale and pastel colors for the backgrounds while using bold and vibrant colors for the main characters. This definitely makes Leon and Honey pop off of the page. I also love how creative Shaffer is with his artwork. Having a Where's Waldo type spread on the first two pages of the book is pure genius.

I would highly recommend this book to readers of all ages. Everyone will delight in Leon and Honey's silly antics. I hope that these courageous canines will have many more adventures to come.
Profile Image for Barbara.
15.4k reviews319 followers
September 23, 2017
Young readers may enjoy this story about two dogs who are tired of being left home alone when their human companions travel. But this time, Honey and Leon decide they won't be left behind. After all, they need to protect their two dads. I'm not sure how they manage to navigate the airport and pay for tickets, but the two dogs manage to pull it off, and once they arrive at their destination, they put their protections skills on high alert, saving their human friends from disaster several times. Although they go to great lengths to keep the two men from knowing they are around, as it turns out, they knew it all along. I loved the idea of trying to figure out what one's dogs are up to when they're left to their own devices, but this book takes that wondering a bit too far. It seems as though it might have been easier to just bring them along. Still, many young readers will be amused by all the possibilities here. The colorful illustrations allow readers to see the dogs and humans having a blast on their vacation.
64 reviews
March 16, 2019
I loved this story! It is so cute and while some of it is very on point about how dogs are and what their duty and loyalty is like, the rest of it is quite far fetched but provides the humorous and entertaining value of the story. A diversity aspect that differs this book from most is that the dogs owners are 2 male partners or husbands. The story tells of the family, consisting of the 2 humans and 2 dogs, who live in New York City. The dogs owners constantly travel for work leaving the dogs alone a lot of the time. While they are gone they constantly worry about them until one day they decide to take it upon themselves to secretly follow their owners to watch over them and protect them, just as dogs are supposed to do. As they follow them around they unknowingly aware that their owners see them following them. The most entertaining aspect comes from the dogs attempting to blend in causing them to even take on disguises. Though I am unsure about what age I would want to introduce and explain to my child about a same sex couple, unless of course I was in one or my family or friends were, nevertheless, it is a great book. It is just that my child already asks enough complex questions and in regards to that, I would rather wait until she asks me, partially because she is only 4 and attends a religious preschool.
Profile Image for Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book*.
6,157 reviews222 followers
March 30, 2018
Cumming, Alan The Adventure of Honey and Leon, illustrated by Grant Shaffer. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2017. $18. 9780399557972

Two cute doggies follow their two dads on a vacation. They ride in the airplane, take taxis, go to the movies, and even on boats. But the best part is when they crash a fashion show.

The stylistic illustrations are as glamorous as the fashion show. The story has gentle humor and a charming ending.

Pre-K, EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE. Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
Profile Image for Shan.
1,191 reviews3 followers
January 19, 2025
So fun!! Honey and Leon are absolutely adorable and loveable characters, and I love how the author gives each of them their unique and distinctive personality. It really helps to bring the characters and the entire book to life, which is so impressive. Lastly, it's apparent that the creators of this book have an eye for humor, specifically in kids' books. There are little details on every page, both in the writing and the illustrations. Kids love this! The ending was so fun and will no doubt make every reader giggle. Bravo!
Profile Image for Kris Dersch.
2,371 reviews25 followers
June 10, 2018
Just an all-around cute book. Honey and Leon are a pair of dogs who try to surreptitiously follow their dads on a trip to protect them. I love that the same-sex relationship is mentioned but not made a huge deal of (they are dogs that have two dads, pretty simple,) and the characters these two dogs are comes across loud and clear. I thought this might be one of those better-for-the-adults picture books (there's no kids in it,) but the 4-year-old found the pictures of the dogs hilarious.
Profile Image for Rebecca Zaslavsky.
12 reviews
Read
December 2, 2019
Two rescue mutts, Honey and Leon, are living with their two dads and love them more than anything! Their dads are often away on business and the mutts begin to worry about their constant absence. Instead of spending more time worrying, Honey and Leon decide they need to protect their dads! In the ultimate adventure, the two dogs will stop at nothing to keep their dads safe, but where will this adventure lead these two rescuers?
Profile Image for Erin.
2,785 reviews
April 16, 2021
Horrible. Alan Cumming is an incredibly talented actor. He should not have insulted picture book writers by pretending to be one. So sad when famous people think, "Oh, wouldn't it be such fun to write a picture book?" having no clue what work goes into it. The worst part here is that whatever editor worked on it didn't make an effort to get in there and make this story good. It's a rough first draft story as it is. Boo!
23 reviews
October 31, 2021
In the Rainbow List of 2019 picture books you will find this excellent reading. It is about two rescue mutts that love their two dads. But their dads often have to go away on glamorous and important business, which worries the dogs. Honey and Leon are done staying home so the two mutts go on their own productive adventure to go see their dads. What makes this an interesting book is that the two mutts have this amazing relationship with their family. Lots of children have pets at home and they can relate to this story. The visual aspects as those warm tones lets the readers see the love connection between the two mutts and the two dads. I would show this in my classroom because this book gives the aspect of having two dads in a family and the love they have for each other and the two Mutts.
Profile Image for Krissy.
292 reviews5 followers
June 29, 2023
I didn't realize that actor Alan Cumming and his husband, artist Grant Shaffer had written a couple of children's books until just a few weeks ago. The Adventures of Honey & Leon is very charming, the story is very simple, but the watercolor-y illustrations are lovely and have a sense of humor to them. I recommend this cute picture book!

Edited to add: I laughed out loud when I saw what Leon chose to pack for his doggy luggage!
Profile Image for Esperanza.
Author 15 books2 followers
October 23, 2017
An adorable book that imagines what dogs do while their owners are away. This time, when Honey and Leon learn their dads are going away, they follow their dads on their trip. Full of whimsical illustrations which include many doggie thought bubbles. Written by actor/author/activist Alan Cumming and his husband Grant Shaffer.
Profile Image for Marion Vermazen.
419 reviews1 follower
September 16, 2019
Alan Cumming is one of my favorite actors and I really enjoyed his autobiography so I thought it would be fun to read the children's book that he wrote and his partner illustrated. Adventures of Honey & Leon is a charming fun book. The illustrations are fully of funny little twists and the story made me smile I liked this book.
Profile Image for Apple.
274 reviews20 followers
October 26, 2021
very cute book, of course I'm biased towards dogs so them being protagonists is a plus. the illustrations are lovely watercolours and the dogs very expressive. even the lettering is beautiful. my one complaint is the ending feels extremely rushed. the pace was laid back and detailed up until it ended quite abruptly and without any big finish.
Profile Image for Read  Ribbet.
1,905 reviews18 followers
September 17, 2017
Not the biggest fan of Hollywood kid authors. In this story, two dogs tire of being left alone when their dads travel the world decide to follow closely behind. Kids will enjoy trying to spot the dogs in the illustrations since they are trying to be discreet about their travels.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews