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Library | Call Number | Status |
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Searching... Stillwater Public Library | E 595.799 SAY | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Lyrical text just right for young nature lovers describes the life of a typical North American bumblebee queen. Follow the queen as she finds a nest, gathers nectar, lays eggs, and tends her colony through spring, summer, and fall. Scientifically accurate illustrations include captivating details of hive life.
Author Notes
April Pulley Sayre is the award-winning author of dozens of books, including MEET THE HOWLERS!; TURTLE, TURTLE, WATCH OUT!; and ONE IS A SNAIL, TEN IS A CRAB, an ALA Notable Book. She lives in South Bend, Indiana.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Engaging watercolors keep time with a simple, easy-to-read text describing the life cycle of a bumblebee queen, from her awakening from winter hibernation to her death in late autumn. Sayre includes "fact circles" containing extra data on these creatures, a couple of closing paragraphs on bumblebee/honeybee pollinating skills, and respectful human behavior toward bees. Gentle, informative, and appealing, this title is an effective antidote to the edgy world of "killer" bees.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
(Preschool, Primary) We join a queen bee as she emerges in spring and begins the process of colony building and reproduction. She carefully chooses a nesting site, builds her hive, lays eggs, and cares for the drones, workers, and new queens that hatch. Sayre tells the bee's story in the main text and provides additional interesting bee facts in separate areas. The clear, close-up illustrations depict the fuzzy bees in their farmland habitat filled with colorful flowers, trees, and leaves, and include enough detail to help young readers learn bee and hive structures. The choice to focus on the queen as the central character is understandable from both scientific and literary perspectives, though it does mean less attention paid to the equally important workers and drones. Further information about bees, including tips on careful observation and facts about pollination, is appended along with a list of recommended books and websites. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Sayre follows the life cycle of a bumblebee queen, as she emerges from her winter shelter, selects an abandoned mouse nest for a colony site, busily tends the first generation of eggs and larvae, then, at summer's end, dies with her workers and drones, while the next generation of queens digs in to wait for spring. Throughout, she inserts additional details in smaller-type rubrics and adds "More Buzz about Bees" and "Good Bee-Havior," at the end. Wynne draws the viewer in to her precisely detailed, close-up natural scenes by posing queen and offspring looking up from the page to make eye contact--but she follows the author in steering clear of anthropomorphic inventions. Capped by a multimedia resource list, this makes nourishing fare for young observers of nature. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 1-3. In the spring, a queen bee digs her way out of the ground and flies off to drink nectar and search for a home for her colony. She settles into an old mouse nest, makes a waxy cup for storing nectar, lays eggs, tends them, and hatches them. After going through the larval stage, the new bees become workers, drones, and queens. In the fall, the new queens mate with drones before burrowing underground for the winter. A dual text conveys the main facts in large-type words, carefully chosen for sound as well as meaning. In a smaller font, another paragraph on each page or double-page spread offers related information in greater detail. Precise ink drawings with watercolor washes illustrate the text with clarity, simplicity, and skill. An appended spread includes a circular illustration of the bee's life cycle as well as more facts about U.S. bees and pollination, suggested activities, tips on observing bees, and short lists of recommended books and Web sites. Informative and attractive. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2005 Booklist
Excerpts
Excerpts
The bumblebee queen begins the spring below ground and all alone. Excerpted from The Bumblebee Queen by April Pulley Sayre All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
