By Lori

Bees and I have a love-hate relationship, but only because somewhere along the line I became allergic to their sting. I do, however, depend on them to pollinate the plants in our vegetable garden each year; I even go so far as to encourage my daughters to plant wildflowers in our yard each spring to attract them. Over the past few years I have learned more about these buzzing creatures as I have taught my daughters about their importance. I want my daughters to grow up knowing how necessary bees are to human survival. Honey bees pollinate the fields and orchards which produce about one-third of the food consumed by humans, as well as food necessary for other animals to eat. They pollinate trees and wildflowers maintaining biodiversity. They also give us delicious honey. Many people who are truly scared of bees don’t understand them, which is why I’m grateful for this trio of books which, through beautiful illustrations and a mixture of informational and narrative text, help spread awareness around the world about these important insects.

Bruno the Beekeeper

Written and illustrated by Aneta Františka Holasová
Translated by Andrew Lass
Translated from Czech [Czech Republic]
Published by Candlewick Press

Illustrated in rich honey tones, Bruno the Beekeeper: A Honey Primer follows a bear and his grandmother as they care for bees over the course of a year beginning with late summer. This nonfiction text features information about the bee’s life cycle, anatomy, hives, and how to harvest honey. I found the format of this book both engaging and informative. There is enough narrative woven in to keep it interesting for a younger audience, while still maintaining its authority. It has more text than a typical picture book, so would be perfect for students, hobbyists and want-to-be beekeepers over the age of six.

The Bee Book

Written by Jakob Streit
Illustrated by Jesus Gaban
Translated by Nina Kuettel
Translated from German [Switzerland]
Published by Waldorf Publications

The Bee Book is a true living book about a fascinating topic. This early chapter book is written in narrative form, so draws you in, all the while providing factual information about bees at a much higher level than you would see in a typical nonfiction text aimed at grades 3-6. The sweet story follows young Oliver, and his beekeeper grandfather through all four seasons as Oliver learns about the life cycle of bees, bee hives, and bee care. The pacing, and short chapters kept me engaged and made this a difficult book to put down. The illustrations found every few pages helped to clarify some of the explanations of bee hive parts, or situations bees find themselves in, that I may have had a hard time understanding otherwise.

Bees: A Honeyed History

Written by Wojciech Grajkowski
Illustrated by Piotr Socha
Translated by Agnes Monod-Gayraud
Translated from Polish [Poland]
Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers

Bees: A Honeyed History is a big book dedicated to a tiny, but important insect. This oversized nonfiction book about bees goes well beyond the usual scope of bee-science books to include information about humans’ interaction with bees throughout history on the six inhabited continents. The uses of honey throughout the ages is also discussed. Perfect for middle grade readers and beyond, the vintage-style illustrations are accompanied by small, informational text along the bottom directly related to what is seen above. There are also a few newspaper-inspired pages scattered throughout, showcasing fun facts about bees. The illustrations and large format of the book have drawn my 3 and 5 year olds to it on more than one occasion. They like to pick a page and have me read it, then ask questions about what they see.  This is definitely a book that can grow with them.

Meet Lori:

My name is Lori. My family and I live in New Jersey in the United States. My husband and I have two daughters, 5 years old and 3 years old, and two 11 year old cats named Kalina and Tiger.  My husband is an immunologist who has worked on treatments for leukemia and sickle cell disease. Growing up I wanted to become a teacher, but it wasn’t until college that I decided to become a special education teacher, which is what I have been doing now for 17 years. I love finding new ways to reach and teach kids. Besides reading (mostly picture books), I love to cook for my family. I hate ketchup, but love all other tomato based products. We all love to garden, but this year the neighborhood bunnies have been reaping most of the rewards of that endeavor. Find more of my book posts on this blog and at Kids Read the World.