What's the Buzz?

July 15, 2015
Author and hobbyist beekeeper Wilcox presents a cheery introduction to honeybees and their wild cousins. Wilcox covers a lot of territory in a brief book, notably including quite a lot of information about bumblebees and other undomesticated bees as well as a healthy helping of facts about honeybees. From an overview that distinguishes between bees and wasps and then among types of bees and a bit of honeybee history, Wilcox moves on to bees as pollinators, both those used in commercial agriculture and specialist bees that focus on just certain types of blossoms, such as the squash bee. She covers bee behavior and roles, swarming, and what beekeepers do before moving on to cover threats to bees such as neonicotinoids and the varroa mite. The text is broken into brief chapters, which are then broken into short sections, and the design includes both bright, mostly stock photographs and sidebars. Specialized vocabulary ("nectar," "industrial agriculture," etc.) is italicized within the text and defined in a closing glossary. The resource list includes only two books, both aimed at adults, but the list of websites includes several that are kid-friendly. Wilcox's tone is upbeat, and though her use of the exclamation mark is perhaps overdone, her enthusiasm for her subject is both genuine and infectious. As comprehensive an introduction as can be found in 48 pages. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)

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July 1, 2015

Gr 4-6-"There's more to bees than honey," to quote the back cover of this thorough and fascinating look at these insects. It includes side trips into the greater world of why bees matter to world and local ecologies. Why might whole hives be dying? Why do we need bees? Why do fish need bees? How do bees differ from wasps? Do all bees make honey in hives? How can we help bees become healthy again? What are neonicotinoids? Wilcox, who describes her own foray into beekeeping in the introduction, raises and answers these and many more questions in easy prose. Great photos of kids, bees, and hives enhance the text. VERDICT A useful option for science teachers and students curious about bees and ecology.-Dorcas Hand, Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX

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