The Beeman - Hardcover

Krebs, Laurie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0792272242 ISBN 13: 9780792272243

Publisher: National Geographic Books, 2002

Synopsis

With a rhyming text and warm, cozy paintings, The Beeman shows all aspects of bee keeping, including what each type of bee does (Here is the queen bee/ who does her job well/ and lays tiny eggs/ in a six-sided cell); how the keeper and his young helper dress (Here is his jacket/ with zippered up hood/ that covers his face/ just they way that it should); how they care for the hive; and finally how they eat the honey (Here are the muffins/ all warm and delicious/ and dripping with honey/ on grandma's best dishes). It's quite clear by the end that the little girl is glad that her grandpa is the Beeman.

About this title

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)' --Kirkus reviews

'Starting with Grandpa's special Beeman outfit and gloves, this lifts the lid on the hive and makes his grandson realise why bees are so important ... This covers a lot of ground - drones "with big bulging eyes", a sinister-looking queen, rhyming text, plus a recipe for Grandma's apple and honey muffins, in a book to make children's minds and mouth water.' --The Independent

'Bees have been in the news with warnings about the disastrous impact of their decline. The Beeman... explains where honey comes from and exactly how it is made. Krebs got the idea from her husband who is a beeman and whose talks in schools fired the imaginations of children. A poem at the beginning of the nicely illustrated picture book puts the importance of bees in context and an illuminating section at the end offers more hard facts - including the revelation that bees dance. There's even a recipe for grandma's apple and honey muffins. It's another original idea from Barefoot' --Rosshire Journal

About the Author:

Laurie Krebs, an infant school teacher for twenty years, is drawn to projects that combine her love of children's literature with her love of travelling to distant places. After a visit to Africa, Laurie wrote the original version of We All Went on Safari as a way of introducing the world of Tanzania to her students and grandchildren. Laurie has written many books for Barefoot, which have received the highest critical acclaim. She has four children and five grandsons, and lives in Virginia, USA with her husband, Bill. Valeria Cis has been drawing for as long as she can remember. She is a full-time illustrator who lives in Rosario, Argentina with her husband, Sebastian, this son, Facundo and their little daughter, Olivia. Valeria immersed herself in the world of bees while working on The Beeman and is fascinated by beekeeping. This is her first project with Barefoot Books.

About this edition

• Publisher: National Geographic Books
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0792272242
• ISBN 13: 9780792272243
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 36
• Illustrator: Iwai Melissa