Synopsis
When Loretta dropped her armload of firewood on the hearth, a mysterious tube fell from between the logs. It was a leafcutter bee nest. Loretta took it back out to the woodpile and watched as holes appeared. But where were the bees?
She found more holes appearing in leaves on her rose bushes. And even some of the rose petals. But where were the bees?
Leafcutter bees are more efficient than honey bees for pollinating gardens. The book includes instructions for building a nest that may lure wild bees to your yard.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review
4 Star Review at IndieReader Upon discovering a nest of woodcutter bees in the winter woodpile, Loretta loses her bonnet to a gust of wind, but spring brings the promise of pollinated plants-and a surprise in a found bonnet. Living in the country has its perks for Loretta, a little girl with a big curiosity for nature. In BEES IN LORETTA'S BONNET, children's book author Lois Wickstrom appeals to children ages 4 to 7, with this gentle story about how Loretta finds an interesting "toy" in the family's woodpile, only to lose her bonnet when a gust of wind blows it from her head. In her excitement to show her mother the found item, she completely forgets about the bonnet. The toy turns out to be a nest of unhatched woodcutter bees, which her mother encourages her to place back in the woodpile so that the insects can hatch in the springtime and help pollinate their flowers. Loretta dutifully follows her mother's advice, and in late spring finds the bees have vacated their nest. But where did they go? Wickstrom teaches youngsters respect for nature in a sweet, simply written manner. The conversational text, accompanied by the stylistic illustrations of artist Francie Mion, flows from one season to another, winter to summer, with Loretta enjoying country life and learning from her parents, who patiently explain how important leafcutter bees are to the ecosystem. After the story, Wickstrom offers stepbystep instructions (including photographs) on how to construct a bee nest out of parchment paper, just like the one Loretta's father shows her how to make in the story. BEES IN LORETTA'S BONNET effectively instills a love for nature in kids and provides caregivers with the opportunity to teach youngsters about the importance of leaving wild creature alone to perform their intended duties in nature. - 5 star review Readers Favorite Reviewed by EmilyJane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite Loretta is a very inquisitive little girl. In the middle of winter, she bundles up against the cold to go outside to fetch some firewood from the woodpile. It's one of her chores. She doesn't mind. She loves to be active and moving about. She has some difficulty removing the logs from the pile as they're frozen together. She chops away and finally manages to release several logs which she then carries inside. While stoking the fire, a tube falls out and the learning begins. Her mother explains that it's a nest of Leaf Cutter Bees' eggs waiting for spring to hatch. Loretta is quite excited and, even though she lost her hat to the cold wind, she ventures outside to replace the tube so that the bees will hatch in the spring. Loretta searches all winter for the missing hat, but it's not until the bees' eggs hatch that she discovers it, in one of the branches in the woods near her home, full of bees. Lois J. Wickstrom's Bees in Loretta's Bonnet (Loretta's Insects) is a delightful story about a very inquisitive little girl, one who actually likes and is fascinated by insects. The story is educational, but also entertaining. Young readers follow Loretta's learning curve as she discovers new things about Leaf Cutter Bees. She even learns how to construct her own nest for the bees to lay their eggs in the fall. And the instructions are very clear so that the young reader can do the same thing. This is a great way to learn about insects, how they work to keep our gardens and forests alive and healthy, and how we can help them do their work. Super illustrations.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
