with the beehives - not me!
And the kids in my building?
I go on and on to them like
I'm a beekeeper. And, oh man,
they listen.
But I get twisty inside because
I'm not exactly."
Kaia is a very brave girl. She eats hot peppers. She doesn't mind spiders. BUT she has a giant fear of bees and their stingers! To add to her worries, the rooftop of her apartment building has two beehives and many, many bees. To make matters worse still, her father is the beekeeper!
Her father loves bees and knows how necessary they are to the environment and the planet. He is constantly learning more about them, and sharing his knowledge with his family. Although Kaia pretends to love bees when she is with her friends, she is very fearful when they are near. Her terror is front and center when one lands on her arm, and Kaia freaks out.
That experience is the impetus for Kaia to learn more about them. Her father is very happy to take her to the rooftop with him. It isn't easy, but he helps her learn to be calm and really watch what he is doing. He even offers a chance to hold one of the frames.
"And here I am, scared to death, but holding a thousand
bees (maybe more!) between my own two hands. The bees
are electric - buzzing, buzzing - and I'm electric, too."
An unexpected encounter with one of those bee's stingers causes a renewed urgency to keep her distance. When she helps with harvesting the honey, she comes to understand the true magic of the process - and look with a different perspective at the tiny insect that can do such a remarkable thing.
Angela Dominguez uses colored pencil, with color added digitally, to create telling and enjoyable illustrations that provide context about setting and process. Facial expressions are clear as Kaia deals with her fear, her reluctance to take part, and her amazement at the end result of keeping bees.
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