(2) K-3 Photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz. This clear and engaging book documents the painstaking work of relocating a hive of honeybees that has outgrown its hive box. In Burns's conversational text, readers are introduced to Mr. Connery, who owns a "ramshackle barn" where he's discovered a colony of honeybees. He calls on the services of Mr. Nelson, a bee-rescue expert. Harasimowicz's eye-catching photographs document the entire relocation process, showing each step required to carefully move thirty-five thousand bees to a safer spot. Nelson uses a lot of patience, specially designed tools (e.g., his bee-vac: a modified vacuum connected to a traveling case), and ­Connery's assistance to gently collect the bees, disassemble their hive, and move the colony to a larger hive box on Connery's property. Details about honeybee life and behavior are smoothly woven into the discussion. An illuminating interview with Nelson explains why rescuing honeybees is important and how he's able to do his work without protective equipment. Back matter includes a glossary, a source list, further reading, and an author's note. A book that will inspire ­further curiosity about this important pollinator.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) PS A human boy makes the acquaintance of (anthropomorphized) honeybees Beatrice and Bella, who give him a magic pair of striped trousers and a furry jacket that shrink him to the size of a bee and allow him to fly. The trio heads inside the beehive, where it's hot and dark but smells "LOVELY" (of honey, Beatrice explains). The boy meets the queen (who likes his suit) and witnesses another bee doing the "waggle dance," giving flower-finding directions. Everyone flies off, eventually locating a patch of strawberries whose flowers contain the delicious, sugary nectar the bees will take home and use to make honey. In the city, however, it's hard to find flowers, so when the adventure is over and the boy is his regular size again, he plants lots of seeds and flowers. "Because every flower counts...for every little bee!" The message is clear but not at all ­heavy-handed, and the ­magic-transformation element is ­child-appealing, both in the text and in the simple, bold, cut-paper and ink illustrations. The boy is, delightfully, always recognizably a child in a bee suit. Particularly entertaining is the illustration in which a little girl notices him flying toward a dandelion growing in a crack in the sidewalk and tells her mother, who in classic adult fashion is too focused on catching the bus to look.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(3) K-3 In this fourth book about a vulnerable keystone species (If Sharks Disappeared and others), Williams envisions the devastating impact of a mass bee extinction. The presentation opens in the verdant hills of Kent, England, where the color-saturated illustrations feature an adult and two kids (one white, one Black) tending a garden. These characters appear throughout as Williams provides a general overview of bee physiology, behavior, reproduction, and hive culture before focusing on currents threats to the species and the projected "unraveling effect" on crops, other species, and more. The friendly illustrations help to deliver Williams's urgent message effectively. More about threats, tips on how to help, a glossary, and a bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Nature All Around series. Illustrated by Carolyn Gavin. Photosynthesis, pollination, leaf types, and more feature in this fact-filled beginner's guide to Canadian and American trees. Smudgy watercolor and gouache illustrations lack the realistic detail you'd expect in a guidebook but compensate with vibrant eye-catching hues (particularly in the sections on trees in each season). Instructions on tree-watching and -planting encourage readers to experience nature for themselves. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Masha D'yans. Narrated by a sassy purple prickly pear cactus, this playful, informative book about pollination teaches budding botanists how to interpret plant colors (e.g., yellow flowers say: "Bees, bargain basement this way--free food!"). D'yans's watercolors--featuring flowers, insects, and wide-eyed birds--are overly busy but burst with colors and textures as each page imparts science facts. Pollination steps and tips for protecting pollinators are appended. Reading list.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(3) K-3 A city girl is scared when a bee flies into her room. But she overcomes her fear, and the bee soon grows bigger than its human friend; they eventually set off on a fantastical airborne mission to gather seeds and spread them throughout the city. Without words, Jay's vibrant, folksy oil paintings clearly communicate the story's messages regarding friendship and conservation. A brief note on bees is included.

Reviewer: Jessica Bushore

(3) PS In Bee, concise rhymes explain the insect's life ("Visiting flowers of every hue, / She has a special job to do"); honeycomb-shaped cut-outs in the textured, spring-hued art show the bee attracting co-pollinators. In the illustrations accompanying Christmas's classic verses, two elvish kids marvel as the famous totems accumulate around a tree; again, Teckentrup comes through with her die-cut-engineering wizardry, highlighting the holiday gifts. Review covers the following titles: Bee and The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 First Step Nonfiction: Pollination series. For seeds to grow, pollen needs to reach a flower's carpel. In simple language (with potentially difficult words in bold print), this series teaches early readers about the various ways this happens; information is often repeated from book to book. Close-up photos (inconsistently labeled and captioned) of flower structures and yellow pollen dust on fuzzy bees and bats help readers visualize the process. Glos., ind. Review covers the following First Step Nonfiction: Pollination titles: Animal Pollinators, Cross-Pollination, Insect Pollinators, Self-Pollination, and Parts of a Flower.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 First Step Nonfiction: Pollination series. For seeds to grow, pollen needs to reach a flower's carpel. In simple language (with potentially difficult words in bold print), this series teaches early readers about the various ways this happens; information is often repeated from book to book. Close-up photos (inconsistently labeled and captioned) of flower structures and yellow pollen dust on fuzzy bees and bats help readers visualize the process. Glos., ind. Review covers the following First Step Nonfiction: Pollination titles: Animal Pollinators, Cross-Pollination, Insect Pollinators, Self-Pollination, and Parts of a Flower.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 First Step Nonfiction: Pollination series. For seeds to grow, pollen needs to reach a flower's carpel. In simple language (with potentially difficult words in bold print), this series teaches early readers about the various ways this happens; information is often repeated from book to book. Close-up photos (inconsistently labeled and captioned) of flower structures and yellow pollen dust on fuzzy bees and bats help readers visualize the process. Glos., ind. Review covers the following First Step Nonfiction: Pollination titles: Animal Pollinators, Cross-Pollination, Insect Pollinators, Self-Pollination, and Parts of a Flower.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 First Step Nonfiction: Pollination series. For seeds to grow, pollen needs to reach a flower's carpel. In simple language (with potentially difficult words in bold print), this series teaches early readers about the various ways this happens; information is often repeated from book to book. Close-up photos (inconsistently labeled and captioned) of flower structures and yellow pollen dust on fuzzy bees and bats help readers visualize the process. Glos., ind. Review covers the following First Step Nonfiction: Pollination titles: Animal Pollinators, Cross-Pollination, Insect Pollinators, Self-Pollination, and Parts of a Flower.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kenard Pak. What creatures do flowers attract, and what purpose do animals and insects serve in the life cycle of flowering plants? It's all about pollination. Short rhymed couplets and wide, striking floral habitat illustrations are combined with straightforward information on an array of variously colored, patterned, scented, and shaped flowers, with a bit about their pollinators. Observation tips and additional facts are included.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo