Buzz About Bees

Winters, Kari-Lynn. (2013 hardcover, 2019 paperback)

Imagine a world without bees. Not only would it be less colourful — with fewer wildflowers and flowering plants — it would be less fruitful as well. A world without bees would mean a world where the food supply would be significantly diminished. Global bee researcher Laurence Packer estimates that bees are responsible for 1/3 of our food supply.

Buzz About Bees is Kari’s first addition to the series that includes Lowdown on Earthworms and her own sequel Bite into Bloodsuckers. Each offers an in-depth look at an endangered and vital part of the natural world.

Accompanying information about the history, social structure and science behind the world of bees and honey are conservation activities to make the world a place where hives of bees can thrive.

  • Reading level: ages 7+

  • 32 pages

  • Published Fitzhenry & Whiteside (2013 hardcover, 2019 paperback)

  • ISBN10: 1554552028

  • ISBN13: 9781554552023.

  • Classified “Juvenile Nonfiction/Animals/Insects” & “/Animals/Endangered.”

Purchase Links!

2019 Paperback edition:

Fitzhenry and Whiteside

Amazon

Chapters

2013 Hardcover edition:

Fitzhenry and Whiteside

Amazon

Chapters

Reviews

  • "Did you ever want to know almost everything about bees but were afraid to ask? Buzz About Bees doesn’t have every answer but this non-fiction science based book is a great place to start researching this very interesting insect. From recipes through health aids to detailed facts, this book covers the subject of bees and their global contributions. The author uses a variety of text styles including lists, charts, maps, labelled diagrams and photographs to keep the reader interested and engaged. One of the most interesting features of the book is a Q & A which shows a Caesar wrap and asks which of the contents are dependent on bees. The answers are later in the book and provide details on some of the foods that depend on bee pollination and their direct link to our food supply."

    Review by Kent Miller in Canadian Teacher (September 2014)

  • “Buzz About Bees” by Kari-Lynn Winters is a book full of everything you would want to know about bees. Did you know that bees are so important that it is believed that,” If bees disappeared, humans would have only 4 years to live?” The author writes about early bee hunters around 13,000 BCE who were found on cave paintings demonstrating the importance of hunters who gathered honey. At the time it seemed like a very dangerous job. You learn about the differences between bees and what their jobs are in the colony. We also found out not all bees live in a colony (an estimated 97-99%) live by themselves or with just their babies. It is estimated that bees are responsible for 1/3 of our food supply. We really never looked at bees other than as an insect that makes honey and if you get it mad, it can sting you. “Buzz About Bees” really made us look at bees in a new way and realize how important they are to us."

    Kid Review, By Kids, For Kids by Mason (age 11) and Emilee (age 12). Summers for Reader Views (October 2013)

  • "With punny titles such as “UnBEE-lievable Body Parts” and “Let Me BEE: I’m BUZZ-y Working”, Buzz About Bees takes an upbeat, yet serious, approach to its topic. The biology and social structure of the world’s many bee species are described and illustrated in detail with plentiful colour photographs and drawn diagrams in the book’s six chapters."

    Review: by Janet Eastwood, in Canadian Review of Materials CM Magazine 37 (May 24, 2013)

  • "With contributions by several bee researchers and advocates, Winters (Gift Days; Jeffrey and Sloth) has written a beautiful and informative book about bees. The six chapters give an in-depth look at bee anatomy, social structure, life cycle, and pollination."

    Review, by Tanya Boudreau (March 2013)

  • "By the time children finish reading the book, they’re likely to (1) want to become an beekeeper (2) want to become a bee researcher or (3) just want to glean more information about bees. For sure, they’ll all appreciate bees more, thanks to this buzz about bees."

    Brian’s Bee Beard blog review, by Kathy Keatley Garvey for the University of California Garden Web (August 22, 2013)

Activities

  • See an interactive website designed by Dave Potts, “The Life Cycle of a Bee,” in Kids activities.

  • Download the Buzz About Bees Teacher’s Guide, written by Sonja Sweet (Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 2013): BuzzAboutBeesTeachersGuide.doc [5MB].

    Online Bee Resources

    1. Book Reference List for Further Bee Research:

      • Buchmann, S. (2006). Letters From the Hive. New York: Bantam.

      • Fisher, R. (2010). Bee. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.

      • Griffin, B. (1993). The Orchard Mason Bee. Bellingham, WA: Knox Cedars Publishing.

      • Packer, L. (2010). Keeping the Bees: Why All Bees Are At Risk And What We Can Do To Save Them. Toronto: Harper Collins.

      • Pundyk, G. (2008). The Honey Trail. New York: St. Marten’s Press.

      • Winston, M. (1987). The Biology of the Honey Bee. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    2. Websites:

    3. Other Book Resources for Children:

      • Burns, L. (2010). The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

      • Cole, J. & Degen, B. (1996). The Magic School Bus: Inside A Beehive. New York: Scholastic Press.

      • Howard, F. (2005). Bumble Bees. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

      • Rotner, S. & Woodhull, A. (2010). The Buzz On Bees: Why Are They Disappearing? New York: Holiday House.

Awards


2014: Selected: Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year, ages Nine to Twelve; see PDF

2014: Nominated: Alberta provincial Reader’s Choice Rocky Mountain Book Award 2015 Shortlist

2014: Nominated: Canadian Science Writers’ Association’s “Outstanding Youth Book“

2014: Selected: Ontario Library Association’s “Best Bets“

2013: Selected: Canadian Children’s Book Centre‘s “Best Books for Kids and Teens”

2013: Selected: Resource Links magazine’s Best Books of 2013

2013: Nominated: Forest of Reading’s Silver Birch Express Award

2013: Recommended: Canadian Toy Testing Council’s Toy Report 2014 Best Books

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