Begin with a bee /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A Chicago Public Library's Best Informational Books for Younger Readers selection

Begin with a Bee and its story of the life of one queen bee, a rusty-patched bumblebee, teaches us not only about bees but also about our own responsibilities in the natural world

By looking closely at the life cycle of one bee, Begin with a Bee helps readers of all ages understand and appreciate the contributions and significance of all bees. The life cycle of the rusty-patched bumblebee is a tale of wonder, the adventure of one queen bee who carries an entire colony of bees inside her tiny body. Her story begins in the spring when she emerges from a hole in the ground to search for pollen. She finds a nest, "underground best," lays a few eggs, and seals them in pollen. All summer this single queen lays more eggs, and more worker bees hatch. They gather pollen and maintain the colony until next year's queen hatches in the fall.

The queen bee's life unfolds through Claudia McGehee's captivating illustrations. The authors--three beloved and prolific writers of award-winning children's books--impart the poetry and basic science of the rusty-patched bumblebee, the first bee to appear on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species list.

Extensive commentary at the end of the book offers suggestions for being a friend to bees as well as a good citizen of the natural world. It also introduces the native plants that bumblebees need for survival. Begin with a Bee might inspire a child (or any of us) to seek out, identify, even cultivate these essential flowers--and participate in the next chapter in the story of all bumblebees.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 4--Beginning with a simple question on a stark black-and-white page, "What's inside this hole in the ground?," authors Ketchum, Jacqueline Briggs Martin, and Phyllis Root, and illustrator McGehee collaborate in producing a beautiful book on the life cycle of the endangered rusty-patched bumblebee. Vivid woodblock illustrations on every page begin with winter scenes of kids playing with snowballs or one very red fox persevering through a snow-packed woods while the small queen bee--"her tiny body (not even an inch)"--waits underground to create a colony of bees. Sparked by leading questions, the rhythmic narrative describes the solitary queen's year as she emerges from the ground in spring, searches for flowers to nourish the eggs that she lays, and feeds them until they mature into female worker bees. These bees toil all through the summer and fall to sustain the queen as she continues laying eggs. Bright purple, blue, and red flowers come and go until the winter when the queen, alone again, goes underground to hibernate as "Seeds drop. Snow falls." A one-page summary provides more information about this species and other bees, and a list of "Ten things we can all do to help" outlines individual actions and group project websites. VERDICT This stunning introduction to an endangered bee native to North America belongs in every collection.--Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Fairfax County P.L., VA

Booklist Review

All winter long, a queen bee lives in a hole in the ground, and inside her body (which is less than an inch long) is "everything she needs to create a whole colony of bees." Gradually, the ground warms in spring, and the bee flies from flower to flower, eating pollen and nectar, finding a nesting place, and laying eggs. The hatchlings go through larval and pupal stages and then emerge as female worker bees, tending to the queen, keeping the nest clean, and collecting food. In late summer, male drones and future queens emerge and find mates from other rusty-patched colonies. After the first frost, most bees die, but those queens will hibernate underground, ready to start colonies next spring. The text is succinct but informative, and its focus broadens from one bee to many as the narrative progresses. The back matter includes more facts about the species and tips for helping bees. The illustrations, detailed scratchboard artwork brightened with watercolor washes, illustrate the science while reflecting the changing seasons. A handsome introduction to an endangered bumblebee.

Horn Book Review

This account of the rusty-patched bumble bee life cycle is told from the perspective of the queen. The story opens in winter, as a hibernating queen bee awaits the arrival of spring. That single creature's "tiny body (not even an inch) holds everything she needs to create a whole colony of bees." As spring arrives and turns to summer, the meadow environment awakens: plants populate the habitat, other wildlife return, and the bee proceeds to build a nest, start laying eggs, and raise the workers who will attend to her care. McGehee's wonderful scratchboard and watercolor illustrations are bursting with the colors and movements of flora and fauna, yet also delicately detailed in portraying bee anatomy. Even the negative spaces are not quite empty, filled with thin lines that indicate movement in the wind and a dashed line that traces the path of the bee as she finds a place for a nest. By the last days of autumn, just one bee -- a new queen -- is left. The text echoes the introductory pages to emphasize the beginning of a new cycle: "What's inside this hole in the ground? / Next year's rusty-patched bumble bee queen." End notes include more information about these creatures and the decline of the species, as well as steps readers can take to help conserve bees in their neighborhoods. Danielle J. Ford November/December 2021 p.131(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

A poetic life-cycle study of the bumblebee. Honeybees get a lot of attention because of their use in agriculture and their honey, but what about other hardworking pollinators? Here readers will learn about another industrious bee--the rusty-patched bumblebee--from a queen bee's life cycle to the species' role in the food web. The story is told in brief bursts of text, often approaching free verse, on each spread: "Eggs hatch! / Are they bees yet? / No. / Little white grubs, / no eyes, no legs, / eating machines." The backmatter information is more straightforward, providing enough substance for a simple report, and confronts the rusty-patched bumblebee's endangered status. It also includes a short list of resources for further research and 10 suggestions that people of all ages can do to help the struggling bee population. The real queen in this colony is the striking artwork, which appears to be scratchboard with added watercolor. Close-ups of the bees alternate with views of a lush countryside and its other denizens. It's an inviting book on any shelf, and the story is concise enough for longer storytimes. Educators, caregivers, and young readers will all be buzzing with delight. This book is the bee's knees. (Informational picture book. 5-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Phllis Root is the author of over forty books, almost all of them picture books, both fiction and non-fiction. Her middle grade novel, Lilly and the Pirates, is currently under contract. Aunt Nancy and Old Man Trouble won the Minnesota Book Award, and Big Momma Makes the World won the Boston Globe Horn Book Award. Root was awarded a 2006 McKnight Fellowship for her book, Lucia and the Light. She has taught at the Loft, in the Complete and Practical Scholar program at the University of Minnesota, and in Vermont College's MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program.

(Bowker Author Biography)