We were outside playing last week when I saw about 5 honeybees all looking for drops of water to drink. My five year old is a little scared of bees so I was making a plan to teach her more about bees and find some childrens books about bees when I stumbled upon this book. It was a great education for me with loads of bee information that was new to me. I look forward to making some bee boxes to hang up in the woods next to our home for the solitary bees to make homes in!

While educational, this book was a bit on the dry side. Given the topic I wasn't surprised, just something to note. The author begins saying how little she knew about bees but later in the books she talks about her childhood and all the plants and herbs she loved and used. I think she is already starting with a great love and appreciation for nature. I do love books like this though, that remind me how important the natural world is for all of us. This was a perfect late winter book to read because I am so excited for all our spring flowers and spring planting that lies just around the corner!

The author was first driven to learn more about her native pollinators after the realization that she had been taught more about history than about the tiny insects we rely on for our survival. As she learned more about her bees, she realized that she knew little about any of the flora and fauna that she shared a patch of land, and a planet with. What follows is her delightful introduction to the wild, to the plants, animals and insects that she knew and loved as a child, but somehow lost touch with as she grew into an adult. The author’s joyful reunion with the wild is both beautiful and humbling