This list of books about bees that kids will love is presented in partnership with Nature’s Theater and The Children’s Book Review.
Here’s a book list (and one buzz-worthy game) for raising young bee-lievers!
Kids curious and passionate about how bees produce honey, pollinate flowers, and more will love exploring these books. But while some kids are fascinated by the buzz of bees and the sweet honey they produce, bees can also often be scary for younger children—but the importance of the humble honeybee cannot be overlooked. In these books, readers can learn and laugh about bees and discover their importance to humans. So, if you’re looking for inspiring books to introduce your kids to the world of these pollinating superheroes, we’ve got your back.
Check out this list of some of the best bee books for kids for some reading as sweet as honey:
Who Stole the Bees’ Wings?
Created by Jeff Falyn
Illustrated by Dezla Falyn and Lyndsay Dawkins
Ages 4+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Nature’s Theater | ISBN-13: 9781940255064
This fiction story opens with Blue Flower telling Frog that the bees are gone; without the bees, she cannot make seeds, and the food chain will become disrupted. In a classic cautionary tale style, Frog sets forth on an adventure to find Know-It-Owl and to solve the problem of the missing bees. It turns out that the bees are not missing at all; somebody has stolen their wings. But who? In a well-paced story, which blends fantasy with real-world environmental issues, readers will delight in discovering that “little can do big things.”
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Honeybee Rescue: A Backyard Drama
Created by Loree Griffin Burns
Photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz
Ages 4+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Charlesbridge | ISBN-13: 9781623542399
Nature lovers and apiarists (beekeepers) alike will enjoy the story of how Mr. Nelson uses his expertise and special tools (a bee vacuum!) to carefully move a colony of bees from Mr. Connery’s barn. This nonfiction photobook includes the whys and hows of bee relocation, with detailed photos and illustrations to explain each step in the process. While Honeybee Rescue explains to a younger audience the careful process of moving bees, readers of all ages will find the content fascinating and the photographs captivating.
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Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera
Created by Candace Fleming
Illustrated by Eric Rohmann
Ages 4+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Neal Porter Books | ISBN-13: 9780823442850
Readers follow the life cycle of Apis Mellifera (Western honey bee), beginning at birth, by accompanying one hard-working bee as she is driven to care for her hive. Apis cleans the nursery and feeds the larvae. She builds wax comb to store honey and transfers pollen from other bees into storage. She even defends the hive from intruders, all before beginning her life outdoors as an adventurer! Lavishly illustrated with beautiful art, the accompanying poetic dialogue is insightful, with lessons on honeybees’ life cycle and body parts. This award-winning nonfiction picture book also includes an essay on the honeybee’s plight, making it a valuable resource for readers seeking to understand the nuanced life cycle of Apis Mellifera.
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A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree
Created by Daniel Bernstrom
Illustrated by Brandon James Scott
Ages 4+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Hippo Park | ISBN-13: 9781662640087
An epic chase story is born when a hungry, fuzzy bear encounters a hive of angry bees. Young readers will follow along as a hungry bear finds a tree and discovers that his honey snack has angered a hive of industrious bees. Bernstrom’s rhythmic and alliterative wordplay and Scott’s expressive art blend seamlessly by using energetic characters to create a laugh-out-loud situation that will engage readers from beginning to end. This fictional story will work well as both a read-aloud and a beginning reader book thanks to the simple alliterative rhyme—and is sure to become a storytime favorite.
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Begin with a Bee
Created by Liza Ketchum, Jacqueline Briggs Martin, and Phyllis Root
Illustrated by Claudia McGhee
Ages 4+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press | ISBN-13: 9781517908041
Begin with a Bee is a richly illustrated nonfiction book that helps readers of all ages understand and appreciate the contributions and significance of bees. In this tale of wonder, readers will follow the life cycle of the rusty-patched bumblebee by accompanying the queen bee, who carries an entire colony of bees inside her tiny body. Her story begins in the spring when she emerges from a hole in the ground to search for pollen. As the sun shines, she flies from flower to flower, gathering pollen and searching for the best place for her nest.
Once she finds the best spot, she lays eggs and seals them in pollen. This single queen lays more eggs every summer, and more worker bees hatch. They gather pollen and maintain the colony until next year’s queen hatches in the fall, and readers can see how the life cycle of the rusty-patched bumblebee continues.
This book also contains a comprehensive commentary in the back, which offers readers young and old suggestions for how to be a friend to bees and a good citizen of the natural world. Between the scientific information, which is written in easy to understand and poetic format, and the scratchboard art, which uses natural colors and strong contrasts to connect with the reader, Begin with a Bee provides an intense and vivid opportunity for the reader to connect with nature.
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It Starts with a Bee
Created by QEB
Illustrated by Jennie Webber
Ages 6+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: QEB Publishing | ISBN-13: 9780711270350
Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall bees are busy through it all! The lyrical text, which reads like a treat, combined with detailed illustrations, shows a bee’s journey through the seasons. Audiences of any age will delight in the simple rhyming passages which build upon each other, while the soft and delicate feel of the art will enchant nature lovers as they watch the seasons change. Younger audiences who might be fearful of bees will find this book a gentle and safe way to explore the life cycle of bees and learn more about the process of pollination.
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The Secret Life of Bees
Created by Moira Butterfield
Illustrated by Vivian Mineker
Ages 4+ | 48 Pages
Publisher: Quatro Publishing | ISBN-13: 9780711260511
Meet Buzzwing, the honeybee, who guides readers through The Secret Life of Bees and introduces the wide world of honeybees. Colorful and cartoon-like illustrations accompany the text in this book which presents a plethora of information on the humble honeybee. Readers looking for more information beyond the basic facts of honeybees will enjoy this information-rich book and full-page illustrations. Included are six folktales scattered throughout the text, providing readers with cultural contexts of bees’ importance worldwide. Furthermore, several pages ask readers to find hidden pictures creating an interactive experience sure to delight younger readers. The information is thorough, and the illustrations are lighthearted, creating an engaging resource book perfect for younger audiences.
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1001 Bees
Created and Illustrated by Joanna Rzezak
Ages 4+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Thames & Hudson | ISBN-13: 9780500652657
Beginning with Mr. Busby’s hundreds of hives, this colorful and lively illustrated book takes readers on an adventure highlighting how bees are crucial to life on earth. Each page is filled with bite-sized facts written in conversational text and paired with bright and charming illustrations to enhance readers’ understanding of how bees interact with the world around them. In addition, Rzezak has provided a fun interactive element within her illustrations by asking readers to search out a little bee with pollen on her back legs on each page, which further allows readers to explore the bees’ world and foster a greater interest in the insect world.
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B is for Beekeeping: An Alphabet Book
Created by Justin Weiss
Illustrated by Winda Mulyasari
Ages 2+ | 27 Pages
Publisher: Independently published | ISBN-13: 9788840165539
This bright and straightforward book introduces readers to the ABCs of Beekeeping. Each letter of the alphabet is used to teach beekeeping terms. Featuring large letters that children can trace and explore the shape of along with lively illustrations, readers, young and old, will enjoy the brief explanations of each letter’s importance in beekeeping. This book is a short read guaranteed to entertain while educating readers.
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Beehive Mancala: A Nature Board Game
Ages 6+ | Number of Players: 2
Publisher/Brand: Laurence King | Play Time: 15 minutes
Direct your bees to the flowers to collect nectar and return it to the hive. The player who builds the largest bee colony wins! Players will learn the strategic game of mancala while discovering the importance of biodiversity and honeybees. Short play makes this an ideal game for younger players, and older players will appreciate the strategy needed to be victorious. The beautiful illustrations and quality construction will make this gameday a favorite.
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This list, Books About Bees That Kids Will Love, was curated by Jen Lemm. Discover more books like these titles by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with books with bees, nature, and the enviornment.
