Have you ever read a book about bees? These curious, little critters have buzzed their way into the spotlight as memorable backdrops in enchanting stories, 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. Plus parts of their life cycle are still a mystery. Something a lot of us are still learning about – including the way they fly, which for a long time was a mystery.
Learning about bees is the best way to support and sympathise with them in the important work they do. And picking up a book is one of the most effective ways to understand them.
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.
Read a Bee Book for World Bee Day
World Bee Day makes a buzz on the 20th of May. Its hope is to teach the world about the importance of bees. And what we can do to give them a helping hand.
There are also opportunities galore and plenty of bee-themed activities for educators too. Why not get involved? And soak up some extra knowledge!
Read more books about nature:
Lose yourself in this wild book review of ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’