Cover Image: OMFG, BEES!

OMFG, BEES!

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Member Reviews

I loved the two bird books previously published by this author, and this new entry does not disappoint. Educational and hilarious! Would make a great gift for any nature-lovers.

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Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was interesting, I had worked with bees before and didn't know so many of them. The author keeps the tone simple and funny, engaging the readers without making them sound bored. The illustrations are beautiful. I was not a fan of bees as I'm afraid of them but some of them looks so cute lol.

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In OMFG, Bees, Matt Kracht shares fascinating facts about bees and their behavior. Kracht’s enthusiasm for bees is infectious and his humourous writing style makes for an enjoyable read. Delightful illustrations complement the text well. The book is well-organized and easy to navigate. Overall, OMFG, Bees is an educational and entertaining book that will leave readers with a new appreciation for these important insects. Highly recommended, especially for classroom use!

***Many thanks to the Netgalley & Chronicle Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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This is a great, not child friendly, way to learn about bees. Bees get a bad rap but they are a vital part of nature. I have come to appreciate bees. This book gives a hilarious look at these amazing insects. Highly recommended for adult audiences who want a little laughter with their science lesson.

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Funny and whimsical but no less scientific despite the irreverent style. Honestly though, the author has some reverence for bees, just not nice language. I have been enjoying the new writing style of outlandishly rude delivery but still solid reporting. See: Rejected Princesses: Tales of History's Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath and Bad Manners cookbook (nee Thug Kitchen).
We need to do whatever we can to save the pollinators, especially bees. Our world will simply not be the same without bees, so let's make them cool! They are already cool... but if this book makes people plant more flowers and changes the stigma that bees just want to sting you, so be it.

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This book is informative and funny. Though it did not inspire the deep love this author has (for which they prob have something to say about that), have a larger respect for the bees. Some are actually cute, if horrifyingly large!

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OMFG, BEES!: Bees Are So Amazing and You're About to Find Out Why by Matt Kracht is currently scheduled for release on March 23 2023. Are you ready for the ultimate bee book? With lighthearted watercolor and ink drawings, humorous quips, lists, and musings, OMFG, BEES! will show you just how important these esteemed bee-list celebrities really are. (Hint: We can't live without them.) Delving into various bee topics, from distinguishing between bees and not bees (very crucial), to exploring the absolute wonder that is bee behavior (they do a coded dance directing their bee friends to food, for crying out loud!), to divulging the mind-blowing bee-magic behind honey making (within some extremely intricate and precisely constructed hexagonal honeycomb, no big deal), and more, Kracht's ode to bees paints a charming and enthusiastic picture of our favorite pollinators.

OMFG, BEES! is a well researched source of bee related information. I greatly appreciated the voice of the author and the amount of thought that went into the research and illustrations to match the text and intent of the book. I have read many books on bees, since I find the decline of insects in general, and bees specifically, to be very concerning and I simply love learning about how amazing they are. I have to say that this book included more light hearted humor and straight forward talk than any of the other books on the subject that I can remember. I enjoy that Kracht and I share the same thoughts on bees and several not bees (like that wasps are 'vicious little turds') and the writing made me smile quite a bit through out the read. I also appreciated that a complete list of references was included along with sources for further reading.

OMFG, BEES! is a engaging and interesting read that will both educate and entertain anyone vaguely interested in bees.

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I was a few pages into this book before I realized it was written by the same author as The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America. That explains a lot! I loved that book and this one is even better, in my opinion. You see, my husband and I are becoming beekeepers this year, and having recently taken classes on honeybees, my brain is buzzing with facts about these marvelous and mighty creatures. Simply put, bees are brilliant! Matt Kracht introduces readers to many species of bees both with facts and delightful drawings. He also helps us understand how vital they are to our own survival and provides ways that we can all help keep bees thriving.

Thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for a review copy of OMFG, BEES!

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I've rarely enjoyed a book more. The author Matt Kracht has written an informative, fascinating, hilarious book about bees, including how and why they are so important to every living thing on earth. I've rarely read a book where I learned so much, while laughing. I also read parts of it aloud to my biologist son.

The book covers the many different types of bees, and how they are similar and dissimilar. I learned so much about pollen, and the different types and how important it is. The explanation of how bees make those perfect identical hexagonal containers for honey - what we call a honeycomb - is remarkable. It is not a book for children (see the title, for example), but any adults who are interested in the natural world will probably love it.

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher Chronicle Books via NetGalley. It was my very great pleasure to voluntarily read and review this book.

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First off, thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this eARC.

I picked up this book because I am terrified of bees, but I know how much they help us, and I want to learn more about them. I will say I was a little - no scratch that a lot - hesitant about reading this, just because reading these informational books are kind of a bore. The second paragraph had a "curse" word (goddamn), and I was like, oh this will be good. This book was hilarious and knowledgeable at the same time, something I didn't think was possible (but apparently Matt Kracht is an expert at it)! The illustrations and little handwritten notes were adorable, and made the book that much better to read.

This book has convinced me that 1) I'm actually not afraid of bees, I'm afraid of the "not bees", and 2) I should plant some bee friendly flowers once the weather starts acting correctly again.

Thoroughly enjoyed this quick, NOT CHILD FRIENDLY, informational book!

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This is exactly what I have been looking for for YEARS! It presents a higher level of information in a fun and quirky way. I have a 12 year old who has been through every single book about insects and bees through high school level. The collegiate level books are too intimidating and boring. Kracht managed to introduce new information in an entertaining way that had my kiddo engaged and laughing and asking for more!! From a mom of a reluctant reader who knows more about bees than his school combined, THANK YOU.

Also thank you to NetGalley and the author and publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book and give my personal review.

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This book was an absolute blast! It's very entertaining and has a ton of useful information on bees. The lighthearted, informal tone makes it a fun read, but the humor doesn't distract from the importance of the subject. This is first and foremost a book on bees, how necessary they are to the world and what we can do to help them survive.

I'm a beekeeper so I've read a lot of books on the subject, but none of them have been this enjoyable. It's been quite a while since I laughed aloud while reading a book, and can't ever remember doing so with something educational. I found myself giggling often and really enjoy Matt Kracht's sense of humor. This was a fun, informative journey from beginning to end.

Huge thanks to Matt Kracht, Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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I would like to thank Chronicle Books for providing me with an ARC.

This was a great and humorous look at bees. There is some love of bees that is present in the book.
The illustrations of bees are all great. I enjoyed the humor that went along with them. There is also some educational content on the bees themselves. It's a bit silly, but an overall great book that I would recommend for a light reading about bees.

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Did you know that forager bees waggle their butts to other hive members to give them directions to food? Well I do after reading OMFG Bees!

Seriously, If Matt Kracht had been my science teacher in school I probably would have gone into a STEM field. This book was a great introduction to what bees are (and are not), why they're super cool, and why they're SUCH an important part of our ecosystem! The illustrations are beautiful, and the writing is a perfect balance of entertaining and informative. I also love that the book ended with a section of how to help bees that contains SO many great ideas that are accessible to a wide variety of people.

I also realized after I started this book that Matt Kracht has two other books (The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America and The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of the Whole Stupid World) which I am going to be ordering as soon as I post this review!

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I told myself I was done reading ARCs for awhile and then this popped up. I've read another Matt Kracht book which I had very mixed feelings about but I am going through a bee phase and couldn't resist. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for letting me get a sneak peek at this one.

Kracht has a very specific authorial voice. It is one that I often find amusing and then too much. If you feel the same way, give this one a try. I found it more informative, more interesting, more of the details I appreciate about Kracht's writing. The humor is still there but it feels in service to the book instead of the point of the book. I enjoyed the laughs although some did not land - for me. The illustrations are definitely a highlight. I enjoyed reading about bees and look forward to seeing the final product.

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As you may surmise from the title, this book is not for children or those sensitive to a bit more crude language. That said, it is very informative, shared with a sense of humor, and great illustrations.
I really enjoyed it.
I already thought I knew quite a good amount about bees but there is so much more to learn!

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Thanks to NetGalley for access to this advance copy for my honest review.

I absolutely adore the humor, watercolor illustrations, and bee information included in this book. People have a love/hate relationship with bees. Matt Kracht does a great job recognizing that yet still provides great information and interesting facts. This book covers various bees and not bees, bee jobs, bee families, honey, and other interesting bee topics. One section I found very humorous was the section titled; Great Paintings, If They Had Put Bees in Them. I couldn’t help but laugh at not only the reimagined famous paintings but also the author’s explanation for each. All laughing aside, the author also included a very important section on ways to help save the bee population. This book is a great addition to his books on dumb birds, which were equally as entertaining.

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I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard while reading a non-fiction book!

Indeed, the book contains many facts about many species of bees and related insects or ones which are frequently confused with bees – their classifications, their habits, their descriptions, as well as how they live, their role in maintaining the ecosystem. The wording is humorous, and some of the markings on the drawings or diagrams are hilarious. The book can be read over a few hours, and while full of facts is understandable by the general public – from middle schoolers through senior citizens who have at least a middle school education. It’s got enough new facts, and presented in a manner that held the interest and taught me some new things although I kept bees as a hobby years ago.

There is a section on "Murder Hornets", which we've all seen in the news about their invasion of the Pacific Northwest - both in the US and Canada. They are native to Asia. There were vivid descriptions of what they do, and some horrific descriptions of their actions - as well as one way to report observing them to appropriate authorities.

I especially liked the "F-BOM Matrix". It looks like something that belongs in The Journal for Irreproducible Results. Personally, I find myself near the bottom of the lower-left quadrant of the "F-BOM Matrix". There are some great puns throughout.

The book has a good reference section at the back. This includes books from which some of the information in this book was obtained, or if the reader wants more information. There are also a list of websites to which a user can go to find out more about bees, or get involved in something involving bees, their ecology, their protection, or keeping bees themselves - so long as they live near Puget Sound. I’m sure that someone with interest could find a local beekeeping society or club through the group in Puget Sound.

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Fun light read with interesting and educational information about bees. With the number of swear words throughout this is definitely an adult book (which is hinted at from the title). However, the light scatterbrained commentary felt more like a children’s book. Loved the imagery throughout.

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If every textbook or information book I had to read were like this, I would have problems acing every test. With colorful and consistently beautiful pictures, this book is easy to follow for anyone who wants to learn more about bees and have a good laugh at the same time.

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