You Are a Honey Bee!

by Laurie Ann Thompson, Jay Fleck (Illustrator)

Overview

The first in an adorable, STEM nonfiction picture book series that encourages very young readers to learn—through gentle interactivity and play—about the animals who share their world

Swish, swoosh, fly! You might have heard the words “busy as a bee," but what do bees actually do each day? Did you know bees clean their rooms, help feed baby bees, and build the hive they live in? From birth to first flight and beyond, discover all that goes into being a bee in this charming picture book, the first in the Meet Your World series.

This playful and informative series invites you to take a closer look at the amazing animals that live right alongside you in rural, suburban, and urban landscapes across North America. In each book, words and art inspire you to act out animal actions that are not so different from your own habits. And robust backmatter offers even more facts and fun. From the animals’ families and foods to their environments and behaviors, let’s meet your world!

"Of great value . . . Useful . . . Wonderful." —SLJ

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593695890
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	03/12/2024
Series:	Meet Your World
Pages:	28
Sales rank:	467,192
Product dimensions:	7.06(w) x 7.06(h) x 0.64(d)
Lexile:	AD500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	1 - 3 Years

About the Author

Laurie Ann Thompson grew up in grew up in the fields and forests of northern Wisconsin and now lives between the mountains and the sea in western Washington state. A master naturalist and former software engineer, she writes to help her readers—and herself—better understand the world we all share. She is co-author of the Two Truths and a Lie series and author of several award-winning nonfiction books, including the teen how-to guide, Be a Changemaker, and Emmanuel’s Dream, a picture book biography about Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, which won the Schneider Family Book Award and was named an ALA Notable Children’s Book.

Jay Fleck is the best-selling illustrator of more than a dozen books for kids, including the Tiny T. Rex series co-created with author Jonathan Stutzman and the Feel-Good Fairy Tales series, written by #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Verde. When not creating books, Jay lives, runs, and creates in a suburb south of Chicago with his wife, their two kids, and their loyal dog, Otis.

Editorial Reviews

"Of great value . . . Useful . . . Wonderful . . . The hardworking life of a honey bee is shown through lively text and colorful illustrations which offer significant information." —SLJ

From the Publisher

01/20/2023

Gr 1–3—A personable little honey bee with a smiling face takes readers through the hardworking life of a female bee. Emerging from her cell, a new bee begins her work and, in many stages, progresses to become a gatherer of nectar and maker of honey. As the bee chomps, stretches, chews, and pulls, a diverse group of cartoon children imitate her motions with similar chomps, stretches, and pulls. The lively text and helpful illustrations offer much information and allow readers to understand the varied and important skills bees must have in order to maintain their hive. Further information is offered in a glossary and in suggestions for children to imitate bees by dancing, cleaning, and foraging for colorful flowers. Of great value is the explanation on the importance of maintaining a healthy bee population. VERDICT A very useful work for environmental science and animal studies in the classroom and for individual reading. The hardworking life of a honey bee is shown through a lively text and colorful illustrations which offer significant information.—Eva Elisabeth VonAncken

School Library Journal

2022-12-24
Young readers are encouraged to emulate a honey bee’s actions as they learn about its basic biology.

The smiling adult worker bee emerges with a “CHOMP, WIGGLE, [and] STRETCH” in the opening double-page spread; in a corner panel, three circles each highlight a different smiling human child (racially diverse) engaging in each action. This sets a pattern as the bee cycles through its various roles: nursing larvae, making honey, guarding, foraging. Setting key verbs in all-caps, the chirpy text uses the second person, further encouraging readers to relate to the insect protagonist: “You STOP on a flower. You unroll your long tongue and DRINK up the sweet nectar…SLURP!” Fleck’s flat, undistinguished illustrations present a stylized bee with an oversized yellow head and black-and-yellow body that tapers to a point. It’s all cute enough, but specific choices undermine the book’s educational mission. While some specialized vocabulary is presented (royal jelly, glands, antennae), Thompson elides metamorphosis, saying the adult bee “wake[s] up,” and incorrectly calls larvae “chubby white worms.” Worse, Fleck’s depiction of the honey bees’ nest finds it hanging impossibly from a single branch, exposed to the elements. This in no way replaces or even complements Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann’s magisterial Honeybee (2020).

Well meaning but simplistic. (glossary, activities, facts) (Informational picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews