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Summary
Summary
Told from the viewpoint of a young boy whose grandpa keeps bees, The Beeman explains how bees live and how they make honey! Includes notes on bees and a recipe for muffins. Ages: 4-10 ILLUSTRATIONS: Colour
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4-This charming book is visually enticing and just plain fun to read. In simple, gentle "This Is the House That Jack Built" verse, a grandson affectionately delineates all of the tasks that his grandfather, the town beeman, performs as he cares for his hives. The child assists him, adding a nice intergenerational touch. The text conveys facts, but at the same time captures a larger understanding of and appreciation for nature: "Here is the queen bee,/who does her job well,/and lays tiny eggs/in a six-sided cell. `She's the heart of the hive,'/says the Beeman." The acrylic illustrations are done in predominantly muted, pastel shades with occasional touches of bright colors. The slightly skewed perspectives keep readers' eyes traveling across the spreads. This is a newly illustrated version of an older title (National Geographic, 2002), with eight pages of additional information appended. This is a priority purchase for most collections as it works for beginning report writers and those with general interest, and also reads aloud well. It opens with a poem by Aileen Fisher, connecting an older poet to a new generation.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
The narrator's grandpa, also known as "the Beeman," carefully tends his backyard hives, the denizens of which readers meet throughout the course of the story. The text's verse follows a House-That-Jack-Built rhythm. Extensive back matter describes in detail the information introduced more generally in the main text. Cheerful acrylic illustrations provide additional energy and help demonstrate the story's facts. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
A patterned rhyme introduces a beekeeper and his work. On double-page spreads, the acrylic paintings with a slightly distorted, oddly appealing perspective clearly illustrate the process of caring for honeybees, evidence of illustrator Cis's research for the project. Suited up like his beekeeping grandfather, the small boy telling the story helps quiet the hive with a smoker. When it is opened, he sees the queen, drones and workers inside. He watches his grandfather remove the frames, extract the honey and prepare the hives for winter. Finally, Grandmother's apple-and-honey muffins (recipe included) make the effort worthwhile. Dedicating her story to her beekeeping husband, Krebs describes the process simply for young listeners, highlighting important vocabulary which is defined in more detail in exposition for older readers at the end. The text was previously published by National Geographic with illustrations by Melissa Iwai in 2002. Libraries that don't own that version will welcome this attractive reissue. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
First published as The Beeman (2002) with illustrations by Melissa Iwai, this picture book reappears with nearly the same text but a new look and several added features. Featuring a beekeeper who introduces his grandson to bees and honey production, the book now opens with Aileen Fisher's fine, short poem Bees and concludes with six nicely illustrated pages of information about these distinctive insects, their development from egg to adult, bee colonies, aspects of beekeeping techniques and equipment, honey, pollination, and bee dancing. There is also a recipe for the muffins mentioned in the story. Argentine artist Cis contributes a series of large-scale paintings using pleasing colors in a folk-art style that suits the simplicity of the verse. Although not a necessary purchase for libraries with the first version on their shelves, this is an attractive choice for those that don't own it or want both.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2008 Booklist