Children's / Picture Book / Informational
I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars!
Children
will read along and learn as our happy young narrator shows readers, in a very
simple and non-threatening way, that bees are worthy of a closer look. Author
Rebecca Bielawski uses rhyme along with beautiful illustrations to explain the
process of pollination and where bees live, and she throws in a few gentle
words of caution about stings. In a supplemental section at the end, insects
are defined and flowers shown in the story are identified, and there’s even an
invitation to the readers to go back and find the flowers in the illustrations.
Whether used as a read-aloud or for new readers to tackle alone, Bees Like
Flowers is a fun and appealing teaching tool about the life of bees.
The
rhyming is very well done and kudos to Bielawski for using easy simple phrases
and easy to read print. There is a
repeated use of “cos,” which could create some confusion since the target
audience is children learning to read and it’s not a word. It sounds good when read aloud – though “‘cause”
would have worked just as well -- but its use may need to be explained. The
illustrations are what really put it over the top. This book is so cute that readers
will want to hug it. For starters, the sweet-faced little girl narrating the
story is precious and obviously precocious, and she’s not afraid to climb a
tree or get her hands dirty as she tromps about nature. And NATURE! Nature is drawn so vividly and
beautifully – the bees have soft, gentle expressions and are definitely
represented as friends, not foes. While some of the flowers do have faces,
others are drawn very realistically where children would be able to identify
them in their own yards and gardens. Though
the location isn’t ever told, readers will want to immerse themselves in the
lovely setting of Bees Like Flowers, and this book will be read again and
again.
Bees Like Flowers is book two in a series called Mummy Nature.
This
book was reviewed for Readers' Favorite, who provided me a free eBook
in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give.
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