The Honeybee Man by Lela Nargi

Here's a sweet -- no pun intended -- and lovely blend of fiction and informational text… Fred's a New Yorker who resides in Brooklyn AND he's also a beekeeper. If you've never considered the possibility of bees performing their magic in an urban environment, pick up this book for an engaging, enlightening read. Fred's bees zip around their city neighborhood and beyond, sampling the nectar of diverse plants, helping to pollinate and gathering up the different flavors that make a perfect blend of honey. The inside covers and overleaf have excellent illustrations and captions that offer additional information on the life cycle and habits of bees and the author includes two pages of "amazing facts" that enhance the fictional story. This book would be perfect to enhance the study of insects at the early elementary level.

Illustrations by Kyrsten Brooker.  Published by Schwartz & Wade Book, a Random House imprint, 2011.

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