THE BEE

An Inuit child’s flight from a bumblebee sends them running across Nunavut.

Happily playing on the playground, Apita is startled by the buzzing of the bee. Frightened, Apita cries, “Qaariaq, qaariaq, qaariaq,” which translates to “Don’t come near me!” This determined bee follows Apita from one community to the next as the kid, clad in a puffy red-and-white–checked coat, runs and runs. Three days later, Apita reaches the town of Igloolik, but the bee is there, buzzing, “Apita, wait for me!” Apita does not, running from the unwelcome insect for five more days. When Apita reaches Rankin Inlet, they stop, puffing from the effort. The bee has followed the child again, but this time Apita has stopped long enough to hear the bee’s protestation: “Apita, I won’t hurt you!” Apita finally understands, responding, “Come here, dear little bee.…I’m not afraid of you!” Finally Apita understands that they’ve been running away from an energetic playmate. Inuk singer/songwriter Han adapts her song “Qaariaq” for this brief picture book, incorporating lots of repetition that will lend the story to reading aloud. (Readers who do not speak Inuktitut will be grateful for the glossary and pronunciation guide on the final page.) Peturs’ soft line-and-color illustrations depict a treeless landscape dotted with sprays of small purple flowers, likely purple saxifrage. A large red school building greets Apita in Igloolik and an inuksuk in Rankin Inlet, embracing both modernity and tradition. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Should delight little ones with rhythmic and repetitive words and actions.