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Summary
Summary
Buzzing with energy and humor, bestselling Caldecott Honor illustrator David Shannon presents a busy little bee who -- like most people -- won't slow down to enjoy the simple joys in life.Lizzie is the busiest, buzziest bee in Hivetown! David Shannon's vivid artwork and Lizzie's endearing efforts to "do it all" will make children laugh aloud at her frantic antics as she juggles school, multiple sports, dance, violin, and art. With charm and determination, she longs to impress the Queen by winning a spelling contest, but she studies to the point of exhaustion. When she dozes off in the middle of the competition, the only solution is rest -- and her refreshing visit to the local Garden finally teaches Lizzie to stop and smell the flowers, "which . . . is exactly what bees are supposed to do." Shannon's exuberant new book is funny and fresh, approaching the subject of over scheduled children (and adults) with breezy good humor and delivered with his signature fun and heart.
Author Notes
David Shannon was born October 5, 1960, Washington, D.C. He is an American author and illustrator. He graduated from the Art Center College of Design and now lives in Los Angeles. In 1998 he won the Caldecott Honor for his No, David!. He also wrote A Bad Case of Stripes, How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball, and The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza. He has also illustrated Audrey Wood's The Bunyans, various books by Jane Yolen including The Ballad of the Pirate Queens and Encounter, as well as Melinda Long's How I Became a Pirate and Pirates Don't Change Diapers.
Shannon currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Bizzy Mizz Lizzie comes by her name honestly; she is one busy bee. She gets good grades, takes dance, acting, art, and music lessons. She plays "Bee League" baseball and she is a member of the "Junior Honey Scouts." She wants to be her very best so she may meet the Queen Bee someday. Bees Lizzie's age are not as busy as she. Lizzie's mom is, however, very busy. When a spelling contest is announced, Lizzie exhausts herself studying. On the day of the contest, the Queen Bee, looking every bit a queen, is in the audience. Lizzie is very excited, but when it is Lizzie's turn to spell, she falls asleep and doesn't wake up for three days. Upon waking and learning what has happened, a disappointed and still tired Lizzie decides resting a bit more is a good idea. While lounging in a garden, she meets the Queen Bee, who is also lounging. The queen helps Lizzie understand being busy every moment is not always best. The bug-eyed characters in the illustrations are cleverly created with clothing that mimics the shape and texture of bumble bees and hair that gives each bee their own identity. The illustrations feel as frenetic as Mizz Lizzie's schedule, with generous use of black and yellow, but also reds and oranges. Spreads and textured backgrounds provide plenty of space for the fair amount of text it takes to share Lizzie's story. VERDICT This picture book has a timely message for a generation of families who may find themselves overscheduled.-Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Shannon (Duck on a Tractor) humorously advocates slowing down to appreciate the small things in life in this bee-themed fable. Bizzy Mizz Lizzie, an overscheduled bee, is "just about the busiest, buzziest bee anyone had ever seen." She earns solid Bs ("That's better than straight A's if you're in Bee School"), takes a variety of classes (dance, acting, art, and more), and is a member of the Junior Honey Scouts, among other activities. Lizzie is thrilled when she lands a spot competing in an upcoming spelling contest (humorously, or perhaps to avoid confusion, it's not referred to as a bee), but her intensive studying and lack of sleep results in her missing her much-awaited chance to meet the Queen at the competition. In the end, Lizzie takes direction from her best friend, Lazy Mizz Daisy, who knows how to appreciate lying in the flowers, reading a book, and talking her fellow bees. Shannon's excited narration and bold bee caricatures befit a heroine who's always on the move, bringing a jittery energy to the pages. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Bizzy Mizz Lizzie, the busiest, buzziest bee in Hivetown, is a star student who gets straight Bs on her report card (by Bee School standards, thats even better than As). She dances, acts, takes violin lessons, plays baseball, and is a member of the Junior Honey Scouts. She does all this and more because she wants to be the best bee I can be and one day be worthy enough to meet the Queen Bee. Lizzie doesnt understand how her best friend Lazy Mizz Daizy can just lie around all day among the flowers. How unproductive! When Hivetown sponsors a Spelling Contest (which Shannon refrains from calling a Bee), Lizzie is all-in because the winner gets to meet the Queen. But Lizzie is so exhausted from studying that she falls asleep at precisely the moment shes about to win. Ironically, its only when Lizzie slows down that she meets the Queen, who validates Lazy Mizz Daizys philosophy: sometimes taking a break and doing nothing, not everything, allows us to be our best. Shannons illustrations are impressive in their ability to portray a wide range of emotions, activity, and detail. The art is expressive and exuberant, bursting with yellows, pinks, and reds. Lizzies activity is mirrored in visually busy illustrations, and readers will enjoy discovering plenty of bee-related puns in the details. Peppered with alliterative bs and zs, the lighthearted text delivers a message that everyone can appreciate: even busy bees need to stop and smell the roses. julie hakim azzam (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
An overextended bee learns to stop and smell the flowers, literally. Lizzie is a good student at school, takes dance, acting, art, and music lessons (this last shows her playing the piano with one set of hands and violin with another), plays Bee League baseball, and is part of the Junior Honey Scouts. While she looks happy doing all her activities, when asked why she does so many, her answer may trouble: when she someday meets the Queen, she wants to be able to say that she's the best bee she can be. Meanwhile, her best friend, Lazy Mizz Daisy, enjoys nothing so much as to loll in a flower in the Garden, but Lizzie's always too busy to accompany her. She's even busier when she gets the chance to compete in the Spelling Contest: the prize is to meet the Queen! But will all her studying help her or push her over the edge? In the end, Lizzie's new appreciation of downtime is validated by a new friend who says that "doing nothinghelps me be the best bee I can be." Shannon's artwork is heavy on black, white, and yellow, with pops of red and pink, Lizzie's pigtails making her stand out among the anthropomorphized bees. A powerful message in this time of overscheduling and de-emphasis of play. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
