School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Teckentrup's simple rhyming story presents a short lesson in how bees pollinate our world. At the break of dawn, the little bee buzzes and floats past birds, deer, and other animals out to the meadow where the flowers grow. She knows that she has "a special job to do, gathering nectar from every foxglove [and] every rose, dusty with pollen." From bloom to bloom she goes, with the sun as her compass. As she works and travels, the pollen goes with her. When she discovers a field with "flowers as far as the eye can see," it's time to head back to the hive to spread the news. Soon, the other workers join her and leave "the gift of pollen behind" as they travel, playing their important part in the life cycle of plants and flowers. Teckentrup's colorful mixed-media illustrations are enhanced digitally. The pages have a hexagonal die-cut, suggestive of a honeycomb, with a drawing of a bee at the center. Each cutout is smaller than the previous, creating an appealing frame. Although a simple presentation, this book is well suited for an introductory look at pollinators. VERDICT A recommended read-aloud for most elementary classrooms or informational book collections.-Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
A single honeybee sets out at dawn to do a very special job: gather nectar. As she buzzes from daisy to poppy to primrose, she trails a cloud of golden pollen in her wake. Soon Bee realizes there are too many flowers for one small bee, and calls on her hive mates to help with the work of collecting nectar and pollinating plants. By story's end, readers will learn that every plant and flower was given life by one small bee. Though the meter of the rhyming couplets is often uneven, the words themselves capture the essence of Bee's life and environment: Bee travels on from bloom to bloom, / Drawn in by their sweet perfume. Teckentrup's richly textured illustrations are abuzz with activity and utilize a series of telescoping die-cut hexagons to draw the reader's eye along Bee's journey. Ample opportunities can be found to linger over the vibrant multimedia collages of meadows, woods, hedgerows, streams, and, most of all, the flowers bursting from the pages. An inviting introduction to the busy lives of honeybees.--Chaudhri, Amina Copyright 2016 Booklist
