"Slowly, the bee opened its eyes,
stuck out its long tongue,
and took a sip.
And another. And another.
With each sip, the bee got
stronger and stronger.
Soon the bee was up
on its feet!"
I have never seen a bee without wings, or one in distress. Perhaps I should take a closer look as Sasha and her cat Molly do when they notice a bee in trouble. Bea has no wings, and is unable to eat anything. With patience and hope, Sasha does what she can to help.
Sasha's care proves most beneficial. Soon Bea is up and filled with energy. There are obvious difficulties; so, Sasha does everything she can to help Bea survive. They become good friends. Sasha knows Bea longs to fly. Creating a hot-air balloon style kite, Bea takes a ride and finally feels the freedom of flight. Their days are filled with fun.
It isn't long until Bea shows signs of aging: stumbling, eating less, sleeping more. When Bea dies, as bees do, Sasha and Molly are sad and lonely. There is something they can do in memory of their friend.
Based on a newspaper article the author read, she has created a warm and tender tale of friendship that will resonate with little ones. In final pages, Sasha and Molly create a garden for bees and bugs. Back matter includes further information about caring for early bees: what plants attract them, what we can do to protect them and what to do if a bee needs help. As well, there are instructions for creating a bee-friendly garden in your own backyard.
No comments:
Post a Comment