Busy Bees are the Bees Knees!

I’m a tea drinker so as soon as my son was able to try honey, I gave him his own little (cooled down) cup to join me in my relaxing ritual before bed. 

Then, when he wasn’t feeling well, he’d ask for honey and lemon by the spoonful. He knew all about honey but not about the bees.  Then we read The Beeman. 

Well, let’s just say that there was a lot I didn’t know and the story begins with an introduction by Aileen Fisher who shared these poetic facts:  


There wouldn’t be sunflowers,
Wouldn’t be peas,
Wouldn’t be apples
On Apple trees,
If it weren’t for fuzzy old,
Buzzy old bees
Dusting pollen
From off their knees.

This insightful book guided us through the life of a bee keeper with rhyming verse.  It also includes (as do several other Barefoot Books cooking related titles) a recipe in the end. 

The Beeman's recipe is for "Grandma's Apple and Honey Muffins" which is a fun baking activity to look forward to and as I'm sure you know, honey is a healthy alternative to sugar. After reading, don't forget to turn your storytime experience into a mini lesson plan as well. 

For example, we came away with some new words, one of which is pupa and below are some questions you can review together:

• What types of bee colonies are there and how many?
• What is royal jelly all about?
• Beekeeping involves many tools. Find out the purpose of a smoker.  What are some others?
• What role do honeycombs play in the process?
• Who is the Beeman in this story?
• Does a beekeeper work in regular clothes while handling the bees?

We were fascinated and learned about all of this and more! If you're interested in any of these books, simply click on their title above. You may also turn it into an interactive experience by adding a Bee puppet with the set option (each is also available separately.)

To browse the full catalog, please visit www.amadorsbooks.com

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