Banyan and the Green Bee King Save the Bees

McCullough, K. (2015). Banyan and the Green Bee King Save the Bees. Self-published.

Children's / Nature / Fantasy

I gave this book 5 of 5 Stars

Banyan is a Fairlet, one of the tiny critters who lives in a tiny village in a treetop, eating nothing but mushrooms and flowers. Working closely with the Green Bee King, Banyan uses has magic glasses to locate far away flower fields where the bees can go to get nectar and bring flowers back for the Fairlets to eat.  But as the Bigs are building more and more, concrete is taking over the fields where flowers once bloomed, and the bees and the Fairlets are running out of food. Since Banyan "speaks Big," the Green Bee King takes him to the city to ask the Bigs to plant more flowers.  Banyan finds that in the harried world of the Bigs, it's hard to get anyone to notice him -- much less listen to him.  Will Banyan find the right ears willing to listen and help?

If the bigger Bigs won't listen, maybe the little Bigs will.

Author Kimberly McCullough has provided a real treat in Banyan and the Green Bee King Save the Bees.  It is very well written and has important messages -- both directly and indirectly delivered.  McCullough has created adorable characters to convey the delicate relationship between man and nature and how man's actions can be much more far reaching than imaginable.  By giving personalities to and placing cute faces on the bees, young readers will certainly become aware of and remember the plight of the bees.  And readers of all ages will understand that ultimately, it is really our children who have the power to save us from ourselves and the destruction of the environment. 

McCullough created her own illustrations, and they are FABULOUS. She used her own hand drawn images and embellishments and placed them over photographs for a truly magical and engaging effect. The illustrations, with their variety of colors and textures, create pages to linger over. And the GREAT NEWS is that readers can look forward to another Banyan adventure coming soon.

The book opens with a quote attributed to Albert Einstein**, and though the quote is misattributed (and the four year warning unsubstantiated), the message is correct: bees play a vital role in the environment. So, "Whenever you can, be sure to plant flowers for the bees, for the Fairlets, and for the future." 

Thank you to the author for giving me a beautiful print copy in exchange for my honest opinion -- the only kind I give. 

**The author has since realized the error and will make corrections in the next print batch.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  

Kimberly McCullough is a single Mom, biologist, marketer, and avid crafter. Though she obtained a BS in Biology and a High Tech MBA, her passion has always been in the creative arts. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her son and 4 furry critters.

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