Bees,by Joyce Markovics, presents basic information about bees suitable for children in grades 3-4. It covers topics from life cycle, pollination, and honey production, to communication in the hive, threats to the future survival of bees, and ways we can help them. Although the focus is on honeybees, several other bees are introduced.
Although the scope of the book is on narrow, it delivers essential information about honeybees and their role in the environment. The factual information in the book is presented in a clear simple style and complex ideas are simplified. The colorful illustrations are well chosen and and many are exceptional. When comparing the world’s smallest and largest bees, for example, a photograph shows Perdita minima (smallest) on the head of a carpenter bee! Other close ups shows a worker bee’s body covered with pollen, individual larvae in honeycomb cells, and a parasitic mite on the head of a bee pupa. A glossary, resource page, index, and directions for an activity round out the book.
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