You might not expect bees books to be a thing. But between the beekeeping tomes, books on honey and pollination, they feature quite a lot. They also show up as characters, often in lucid narratives brimming with enchanting scenes of lush green.
These curious, little critters have buzzed their way into the spotlight as memorable motifs in coming of age books, and as eerie foreshadowing in cautionary tales.
And as news about their decline continues to sting, bee books showcasing a lively ecosystem and lifestyle have began to swarm the bookshelves too.
Why read a book about bees?
From flight of the bumblebee, to the much loved Bee Movie, this elusive gardener is an unsung hero of the natural world. The bee is an underdog in its bid to preserve the environment too. And gives nature a nudge in a sustainable direction.
It’s flowery antics encourage crops to captivate, fruit to flourish and pollen to propagate. Parts of their life cycle have been the subject of scientific debate too. Even the way they flew baffled researchers for a time.
You can learn about bees through lots of ways. Blogs, the news, even through watching them in the back garden. All in an attempt to support them in the important work they do. Picking up a book is also another window into their unique way of life as well.
Bee Books for your reading lists:
Bee books are a wonderful shortcut to learning or teaching others (younger and older) about a bee’s wondrous ways and fascinating facts. So if you’re looking for a new title to (honey) comb your way through, you might find these recommendations are pretty sweet:
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Secret Life of Bees follows the story of Lily and Rosaleen, a runaway teenager and family maid who find refuge with a family of beekeepers after they both flee from a difficult home life.
Honeycomb by Joanne Harris
This intriguing book is a jigsaw of short stories that take inspiration from the world of bees and the universe of fairy-tale and folklore.
The Bee Man by Laurie Krebs
The Bee Man is a lyrical tale packed with illustrations. The story follows the journey of a little girl, as she helps her grandfather with the task of keeping bees for a whole year.
The Honey Bee by Kirsten Hall
The Honey Bee is a breath-taking and descriptive picture book, painting the flight path of a bee as it gathers pollen from flower to flower.
The Beekeeper’s Handbook by Diana Sammataro
As the benefits of keeping bees climbs higher and higher, a lot of people are making a start with their own bee-keeping hobby. The Beekeeper’s Handbook is a useful addition to your bookshelf if you’re interesting in making your own homebrewed honey.
The Beekeeper’s Lament by Hannah Nordhaus
It’s said that once you read this story, you’ll never see bees in the same way again. This story follows the account of how one man and half a billion bees manage to feed all of America.
The Bees by Laline Paull
A dystopian novel that follows the story of one bee, Flora 717 as she tries to rebel against the hive and its regime of of fear, power, and control.
Want to know more about World Bee Day?
Bee books are just the tip of the hive-berg. World Bee Day also makes a buzz around the 20th of May. What better time than now to start learning about these amazing creatures?
You can look into bee conservation efforts to see if you can make a difference. There might even be ways to get involved with supporting the bees near your own home too.
Educators?
If educating future generations about the importance of bees is a passion of yours, then you’ll adore these bee-themed activities. They’re perfect for projects or one-off classes on the bee’s natural world. A great addition to reading a book as well.
Read more books about nature:
Interested in other parts of the natural world? Then maybe you’ll really like a closer look at the sciences. You can also check out our review of the famous novel ‘Where The Crawdads Sing.’
Lose yourself in this wild book review of ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’