What a great book for teaching point of view! Seems that a great number of our young ones these days have a fear of bees so they will relate perfectly to the feelings of this young girl who has gone berry picking but is afraid of the bees. She wants to make jam and for jam there must be berries. Suddenly, she is face to face with a bee. Done in muted pastel colors, the book gently teaches that there is room for you and there is room for the bee. The second half of the story is about the bee who is headed out to find some nectar for the hive. Where there will be honey, there must be some nectar first so despite his fear of people, the bee is off to do his duty until suddenly, he is face to face with a girl. Yes, told from both points of view, and offering a sense of the other side of the story, this lightly told story can softly communicate to the most anxious of bee fearers. Ages 4-8 32 pages
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Melita Morales presents a delightful book in two parts. In the first half, a young girl, accompanied by her mother, is happily walking to a berry patch to pick sweet fruit to make into jam. She thinks about her one concern, running into bees, but remembers her mother’s advice about standing still as the bee is only concerned about collecting pollen for honey. As she picks her berries, she, of course, encounters a bee. The second half of the story is from the bee’s perspective, mirroring the little girl’s thoughts and concerns, this time about meeting up with a human. In addition to presenting an interesting literary form in a child’s book, there is the lesson of reacting to nature with respect.
The text is done in simple rhyme, and the pictures reflect the innocence and gentle nature of the story in soft colors and lines.
Recommended by Katherine Stehman, Librarian
