The King of Bees, written by Lester L. Laminack and illustrated by Jim LaMarche. Peachtree, Penguin Random House. 2024. $12.49 ages 6 and up

 

"Henry could hardly wait to help with the bees. 
He waited eagerly at the door of the shed as Aunt 
Lilla stepped into her bee suit and put on the hat that
protected her face. She let Henry carry the smoker 
she used to calm the bees. 

"A bee won't sting you unless you get in the way of 
what she's doing," Aunt Lilla told him as they made 
their way to the hives."

This is but one of the books you might want to share with children to help them learn about bees in nature. It is a lovely introduction to the importance of bees and to the life of a beekeeper. Henry and Aunt Lilla live on a small farm in South Carolina where they have a garden, a henhouse and Henry's favorite beehives. 

Aching to help with the bees, Henry accompanies Aunt Lilla whenever she works with them. At present it is his job to sit and observe. Henry watches as his aunt speaks softly to the bees while she works, and patiently answers the questions he asks. On his own one day, he explores their woodshed and longs to have a bee suit for himself. He just wants to help. 

One day, as the bees are preparing to swarm, Aunt Lilla rushes to set up another box that will keep them close to home. Wanting to make a difference, Henry gets the bee suit and accidently spills some bee drops on himself. After dancing in the field to encourage the bees to stay, he trudges back to the house. He doesn't notice the bees are following him. They follow him onto the porch. It's Aunt Lilla to the rescue with her smoker - just to be safe! Henry is definitely learning the lessons his aunt is teaching; perhaps he will be a beekeeper, too. 

Jim LaMarche used ink and watercolor to create visually appealing artwork sure to inspire readers to wish for a visit to the farm. The pastoral beauty, the beekeeping process, the patience exhibited as his aunt helps Henry learn bring warmth and attention to every spread. 

Once you have shared this book, find others to help the learning grow and to underscore the importance of bees to life on earth. A thorough author’s note with information about bees and bee conservation adds to the appeal of the story told.  

“Did you know that one third of the food you consume is available on the earth only because of the pollination of bees? That if we were to lose all of the bees that we have, then one-third of our available food source would dissipate in a matter of 10 years,” That is a sobering thought.