BUGZEE AND THE BEES

Williams explores backyard beekeeping in this illustrated children’s book.

Readers meet a boy nicknamed “Bugzee” for his love of all things related to insects. Bugzee knows a lot about bees thanks to a backyard apiary where his grandparents tend to honeybees. He can’t get too close, because he doesn’t have a beekeeping suit; instead, he watches the action through binoculars from his “honeybee headquarters” in the greenhouse. Bugzee is excited about a new package of bees arriving soon. His grandmother asks him to help with the bee boxes and frames, where the bees build their honeycomb and the queen lays her eggs. A sidebar explains that beehives typically have one queen bee, hundreds of drones, and thousands of worker bees. The queen bee lays all the fertilized eggs for the hive—up to 1 million in her lifetime. The drones are male and do not have stingers; their job is to mate with queens from other hives. The worker bees are female and tend to the housekeeping, feed the babies, make wax, and collect pollen and nectar. Bugzee’s mom informs him that a garden of native plants will be a source of nectar and pollen for the bees. In the final scene, Bugzee opens a box to find a new beekeeping suit. “I can’t wait to help take care of my very own hive!” he exclaims. This engaging children’s book balances narrative and nonfiction deftly, juxtaposing Bugzee’s scenes with sections of facts about beekeeping (including photographs). Williams simplifies complex bee-related concepts, like defining an apiary as a “bee yard” where “human-made beehives are located.” Unfortunately, while the story stresses that “We must do what we can to protect all species of bees because they play a vital role in ecosystems around the world,” it is not fully explained exactly how bees help the environment. Goshay’s bold digital illustrations incorporate the honeycombs’ hexagonal designs and golden hues while also emphasizing the characters’ faces, effectively conveying the family’s enthusiasm.

A charming introduction to beekeeping that needs further elaboration on bees’ environmental importance.