I really like Orca Footprints, but sadly they don't circulate much for us. However, I have high hopes for this title.

The book is divided into four chapters. The first explains different types of bees, their habitat and behavior. The second chapter, "Bees at Work", explains their vital contribution to pollination and how they fit into the various life cycles of their habitats. The third chapter talks about how bees function and how beekeepers work with them. Finally, "Keeping the Bees in Flight" discusses the perils facing bees and how kids and adults alike can get involved and help.

Resources include books and websites, acknowledgements, glossary, and index. The book throughout is illustrated with photographs and some drawings.

Beekeeping is a hot topic in our town right now - the city recently gave permission for people to keep bees within city limits (no chickens yet though) and we've had several very well-attended programs on keeping bees. I was looking for more updated information to add to our pet section for kids on keeping bees and this is the best I found. It includes more information on how bees work than on how to keep them, but my understanding is that beekeeping is more of a hands-on thing, not something you learn from books.

Verdict: If you're looking for updated resources on bees and beekeeping with a children's perspective, this is the best recent title I've found so far. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781459809604; Published 2015 by Orca; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

This book would work best for intermediate kids. The book had personal pictures which made it special. It teaches the kids not only about bees, but also what it's like to be a beekeeper. This job makes bees look helpful and friendly, which is how they really are, instead of mean and scary. It is pretty long and has several chapters, so younger kids might get bored after a while. ( )