Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis mellifera

Nonfiction (Informational) Book Review

 Bibliography:

Fleming, C. (2020). Honeybee: The busy life of Apis mellifera. Neal Porter Books.

ISBN 9780823442850

Plot Summary:

The book Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis mellifera follows the life of a newly emerged honeybee, scientific name Apis mellifera, or Apis for short. As she grows, Apis takes on various roles in the hive. She builds wax combs, collects nectar from other bees that come in, takes care of the queen, and more! As she gets ready for each new job, readers are led to wonder: Is she ready to fly? The beautiful illustrations follow Apis as she journeys through her life as part of the hive.

Critical Analysis:

Candace Flemming provides an accurate and informational account of the life of a honeybee in the form of a lovely story. As Apis does the different jobs of a worker bee, Flemming creates intrigue by asking on each page if flying will be part of the next job. On each subsequent page, the answer comes, "Not yet." The excitement that Apis might be ready to fly builds until, with a wonderfully illustrated gatefold page, the little bee takes flight. Eric Rohmann provides beautiful illustrations using oil painting on paper. His double-page spread images bring Apis' world to life. His art shows a unique perspective, giving us a larger-than-life view of the tiny insects.  

Review Excerpts:

"This book is nonfiction at its best - a combination of beautifully crafted language and astonishing close-up illustrations." -School Library Journal, starred review

"Whether used to support inquiry projects or as a stunning storytime selection, this offering will captivate audiences." -Booklist, starred review

Connections:

This book would be an excellent resource for studying honeybees, pollinators, or lifecycles in science class. The literary device of "ready for flying? ..... not yet" could be a good introduction to using suspense-building in students' writing.

Awards

2021 Sibert Medal Winner - an award given to the most distinguished informational children's book from the preceding year

2021 Orbis Pictus Award Honor book