HONEYBEE

HONEYBEE by Candace Fleming. Illustrated by Eric Rohmann

Our apple trees are decked out in all their spring finery, and that means an appearance of the bees. The trees are surrounded in an endless song, as the honeybees hum from one blossom to another. They are busy, busy, busy and are difficult to get a picture of!

It's a perfect day for reading Candace Fleming's Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera. These hard little workers have an amazing life, and Fleming walks us through it in beautiful description from start to finish. When you close the cover, it will be with admiration for this tiny insect.

Accompanying Fleming's writing is Caldecott Honor winner Eric Rohmann's amazing artwork. Rohmann uses oil paints to create pictures with lots of detail. When studying the pictures you feel as if you have entered the hive and are seeing everything first hand. It is incredible!

ALONGSIDE ACTIVITIES-There are so many things you can do with this book!

-First, always use caution around bees! They are there to do a job. They don't want to hurt you, but will sting if they feel threatened!

-Observe bees around you! Find different types of flowers and note what kinds of bees are attracted to the different flowers.

-Connect with someone who raises bees and see if you can visit. If that isn't possible, goggle beekeeping videos online.

-It's almost Farmers Market season. At our market we have beekeepers who sell different kinds of honey. Try a couple different varieties and decide what your favorite is. Different flowers affect the taste of the honey!