BEA'S BEES

When Beatrix notices that bees have
left their hollow-tree nest in her local park, she needs the town’s help to
bring them back.

Bea walks to school through the
park, where she discovers a nest of active bumblebees in a hollow oak tree. She
is fascinated with the tiny creatures, and she visits the tree every day. But
one day, the nest is silent; the bees are gone. She asks her teacher about it,
but he doesn’t know why bees disappear. She notices the flowers around the oak
tree have been cut down. She asks the school librarian, who helps her find
books about bees. She learns all about bees—what they eat, how they pollinate,
and what kinds of foods would stop growing without them—and that information is
shared with readers. Bea makes a plan. In early spring, she plants wildflowers
around the tree. She does her science report on bees, and she hands out seeds
at school. Seedlings sprout all over town, and finally the bees return. The
illustrations, which depict Bea as black, are colorful but largely redundant of
the text. An endnote in small font and scientific language is appropriate for
older readers, and the final page of labeled wildflowers is a lovely and useful
finish. The story is paced well, and Bea is likable enough, but the book’s design
lacks professional polish.

This well-intentioned effort falls
short. (Picture book. 6-10)