Life is sweet on the honey side of the street! Did you know that a hive of bees needs to fly about 55,000 miles to gather enough pollen to make just one pound of honey? One honeybee will visit 50 – 100 flowers in one collection run and carries about 35% of its weight in pollen on its hind legs.
We can discover these interesting bits and more about the big impact these little creatures have on our lives every day by looking at a few books about bees. Here’s the buzz on some great reads for kids of all ages.
Babies and Toddlers
1. The Honeybee and the Robber by Eric Carle.
I’ve always loved Eric Carle’s books for children. Wonderful illustrations and simple rhymes make it memorable as we follow the story of a honeybee’s life on earth.
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2. Honey by David Ezra Stein
David Ezra Stein brings us the sweet tale of a young bear that awakens from his winter nap craving his favorite snack. The whimsical illustrations capture Bear’s fun pursuit while the short sentences and sensory words help the young reader experience the natural wonders of bees.
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3. Little Bee by Chronicle Books
Using a little finger puppet peeking through the center of this adorable board book, Little Bee introduces all the different things bees do to babies and toddlers.
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4. The Big Honey Hunt by Stan and Jan Berenstain
This classic Berenstain Bears story follows the adventure of the Bear family as they search for fresh honey. Great nostalgic read for us “older” kids who remember these books from our own childhoods.
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5. The Little Yellow Bee by Ginger Swift.
This beautiful picture book introduces the very young to the world of bees. It has big, chunky sturdy board pages that young hands can grasp and hold easily.
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Young Readers – Pre-K through 3rd Grade
6. UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian.
A lovely combination of illustrations and 14 separate poems to playfully explore the life of the honeybee. To keep the young reader connected, each poem is told from the bee’s perspective and ringing with rhyme and rhythm.
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7. The Boy Who Lost His Bumble by Trudi Esberger
A sweet and gentle story of what life would be like without any honeybees in it. This book introduces the very young to the life cycles of bees and how everything in nature is connected.
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8. Kaia and The Bees by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by Angela Dominguez
Many children have a fear of bees and their painful stings and Kaia is no different. She finds that she overcomes her fears when she learns just how important bees are in our world as her father teaches her about how honey is made.
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9. The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Deegan
Loved by beekeepers and teachers alike, this classic story explores a beehive and the life cycle of bees when the magic bus is suddenly turned into a beehive.
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10. Save The Bees by Bethany Stahl
Get a bug's eye view of a bee pollination route as we embark on an adventure with three friends that team up to save the bees. This book is the 3rd in a series about saving the planet.
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Elementary Readers – Grades 3rd through 6th
11. What if There Were No Bees by Suzzane Slade and illustrated by Carol Schwartz
This short and engaging book utilizes illustrations and scientific facts to explain how and why the honeybee is our friend and is important to maintaining a natural balance in our ecosystem.
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12. The Honeybee Mystery – A Boxcar Children’s Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
The Alden family discovers there is a honey shortage when they make their annual trip to the Sherman farm. They investigate the mystery and learn a few things about how honey is made along the way. The Boxcar Children series has been a popular fan favorite book series for many years.
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13. How to Bee by Bren MacDibble
A fictional story set in an apocalyptic world where children must climb trees and pollinate flowers because there are no more bees. A beautiful and heart-warming story that deals with challenging subjects such as domestic violence and feelings of abandonment set against the backdrop of a world without bees.
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14. The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe (Scientists in the Field) by Loree Griffin Burns
This is an informative book that brings science to life for young people through a dynamic story that enlightening story that explains what life would be like without honey bees.
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Pre-Teen/Middle School
15. Why I’m Afraid of Bees by R.L. Stine
Goosebumps is a popular book series for preteens and this one delivers a quirky tale about a 12-year-old boy that accidentally switches bodies with a bee, Freaky Friday style. As he tries to figure out how to get his body back, he learns some valuable lessons about bullying others.
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16. Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid by Mikaila Ulmer
Mikaila Ulmer tells her story of how getting stung by a bee gave her the idea to start a lemonade stand and bring awareness to the plight of the honeybee. At age 14, Mikaila gives advice to other young entrepreneurs who want to follow their dreams.
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Teenager/Adult
17. The Bee Book by DK, Emma Tennet, et al.
Beautiful photos accompany information and instructions to guide the reader in the process of creating a bee-friendly garden with beautiful flowers and getting started in beekeeping.
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18. Plan Bee by Deb Baker
Part of her Queen Bee Mystery Series, Deb Baker’s fictional story is about two women who make a beeline for the truth when they discover a dead body, and then the body goes missing! Baker uses humor and engaging characters to keep the reader entertained in this fun read.
Learn more: Amazon
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