What do you think?
Rate this book
Nature Storybooks
Flight of the Honey Bee: Read and Wonder
“One of the most informative picture books about honey bees, this is surely among the most beautiful as well.” — Booklist (starred review)
Follow the flight of a honey bee as she searches for nectar to sustain her hive and, along the way, pollinates flowers to produce seeds and fruits. Nature lovers and scientists-to-be are invited to explore the fascinating life of a honey bee.
Follow the flight of a honey bee as she searches for nectar to sustain her hive and, along the way, pollinates flowers to produce seeds and fruits. Nature lovers and scientists-to-be are invited to explore the fascinating life of a honey bee.
32 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2013
5 people are currently reading
307 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
October 24, 2015
Informative with lovely illustrations; this is the kind of children's books that I approve of.
January 17, 2014
Review of Flight of the Honey Bee by Huber (2013). I’m always a little leery of informational texts that humanize or anthropomorphize animals or non-human animals/things, but Huber’s narrative of a honey bee named Scout out hunting for nectar is conservative on this aspect. Huber doesn’t attribute feelings or thoughts to Scout in a human-like way, but instead has clearly used research to describe Scout’s actions as she searches for nectar, seeks refuge from a hail storm, and communicates to her sister bees through dance-like movements. The captions for the illustrations are non-narrative stating related facts about the honey bees. Primary grade students would enjoy listening to Scout’s adventure. Huber’s text could also be a mentor for intermediate grade students. He has clearly used research to create this narrative – and this could make for an important discussion with students who are “applying” the research they have done to a creative, but still informational piece of writing.
There is one aspect of this book that bothered me. On the very first page of the text – just inside the book cover and before the title page, there is a note about how the honey bee “may be one of the most important (creatures) for life on earth” and then another about “a honey bee can’t live alone” – it’s part of a family and has many jobs in its lifetime. As I read this – I developed an expectation about what this book would be about, BUT that’s not at all what this book is about. The book is simply about Scout’s journey to find nectar and return to the hive. The only mention of pollen is the pollen that sticks to her body when she visits a flower and she spreads the pollen as she “zigs and zags from flower to flower,” but there is no explanation of why this is vital. Perhaps this is why these notes were on the first page of the text – even before the title page. But then at the end of the text, there is a “save the bees” note focused on the critical role bee pollination plays in the world with tips for helping bees. In addition, the author’s info includes a note about how he wanted to write this book when he “realized how humans and bees are partners.” The main text does not explain pollination (adequately), colony collapse disorder, or the partnership between humans and bees. As a result, I think these points may be lost on the reader.
That said – the gist (main idea at the text level) of the primary text is that a honey bee plays a vital role to the survival of the hive as she journeys alone to find nectar, spreading pollen, averting danger, and returning to the hive to communicate to the other bees about the location of the nectar. Like I wrote earlier – a good read aloud and mentor text for writing.
There is one aspect of this book that bothered me. On the very first page of the text – just inside the book cover and before the title page, there is a note about how the honey bee “may be one of the most important (creatures) for life on earth” and then another about “a honey bee can’t live alone” – it’s part of a family and has many jobs in its lifetime. As I read this – I developed an expectation about what this book would be about, BUT that’s not at all what this book is about. The book is simply about Scout’s journey to find nectar and return to the hive. The only mention of pollen is the pollen that sticks to her body when she visits a flower and she spreads the pollen as she “zigs and zags from flower to flower,” but there is no explanation of why this is vital. Perhaps this is why these notes were on the first page of the text – even before the title page. But then at the end of the text, there is a “save the bees” note focused on the critical role bee pollination plays in the world with tips for helping bees. In addition, the author’s info includes a note about how he wanted to write this book when he “realized how humans and bees are partners.” The main text does not explain pollination (adequately), colony collapse disorder, or the partnership between humans and bees. As a result, I think these points may be lost on the reader.
That said – the gist (main idea at the text level) of the primary text is that a honey bee plays a vital role to the survival of the hive as she journeys alone to find nectar, spreading pollen, averting danger, and returning to the hive to communicate to the other bees about the location of the nectar. Like I wrote earlier – a good read aloud and mentor text for writing.
July 26, 2016
I’m drawn to this cover right away. The bees and all the confetti bits (pollen, I assume? or maybe just an artsy decision) make me think of Barbara Juster Esbensen’s book about teaching poetry: A Celebration of Bees. That’s what this looks like!
As soon as I open the book, it’s a little different. It has an introduction before I even get to the title page. It explains that this book will just cover a bee at one stage of its life: when it’s a scout.
I feel a little weird about the bee having a name. Even though the name is Scout, for the stage of life she’s at, it still makes it feel a little like fiction to me when you name a wild animal. But I do like learning about bees from the example of one specific, typical honeybee scout.
Each spread tells about one task/part of Scout’s day. It’s told in present tense, like it’s happening right now. And then a very short sidebar gives a related fact in italics. I like how short the sidebars are. That keeps them from overwhelming Scout’s story.
I love that there are page numbers! I wish every picture book had page numbers. It makes it so much easier to talk with a friend or a class about the book!
Some of the verbs bother me a little. “Scout remembers…” “She knows…” It implies to me that bees think about things the same way people do. And that makes me ask, “Do they?” I want to know. I want more information then.
The language is fun: “The wind buffets her, ruffling the fine hairs on her face, but she keeps on steadily and rides out the rapids.” Yes! Alliteration, metaphor, vivid words…
I love that there’s an index at the back and a few short tips on how we can save honey bees.
I hate that the author and illo info is on the end paper, because my library’s jacketflap and security patch cover up most of the text.
It would be great to use this book with The Hive Detectives, by Loree Griffin Burns and UnBEElievables, which is honey bee poems and paintings by Douglas Florian.
As soon as I open the book, it’s a little different. It has an introduction before I even get to the title page. It explains that this book will just cover a bee at one stage of its life: when it’s a scout.
I feel a little weird about the bee having a name. Even though the name is Scout, for the stage of life she’s at, it still makes it feel a little like fiction to me when you name a wild animal. But I do like learning about bees from the example of one specific, typical honeybee scout.
Each spread tells about one task/part of Scout’s day. It’s told in present tense, like it’s happening right now. And then a very short sidebar gives a related fact in italics. I like how short the sidebars are. That keeps them from overwhelming Scout’s story.
I love that there are page numbers! I wish every picture book had page numbers. It makes it so much easier to talk with a friend or a class about the book!
Some of the verbs bother me a little. “Scout remembers…” “She knows…” It implies to me that bees think about things the same way people do. And that makes me ask, “Do they?” I want to know. I want more information then.
The language is fun: “The wind buffets her, ruffling the fine hairs on her face, but she keeps on steadily and rides out the rapids.” Yes! Alliteration, metaphor, vivid words…
I love that there’s an index at the back and a few short tips on how we can save honey bees.
I hate that the author and illo info is on the end paper, because my library’s jacketflap and security patch cover up most of the text.
It would be great to use this book with The Hive Detectives, by Loree Griffin Burns and UnBEElievables, which is honey bee poems and paintings by Douglas Florian.
July 9, 2016
This book tells the story of Scout, a scout honey bee, and her journey to find a new source of nectar for her hive. The book shows the perils of being out of the hive (birds, rain and even wasps), as well as the unique communication between bees. Although this is set up as a narrative, it does stay within what science knows about bees, so it is catalogued as nonfiction. Each page also contains facts explaining more about what is happening to Scout in the narrative. This allows the book to be read and enjoyed at multiple levels.
September 14, 2013
Richie's Picks: FLIGHT OF THE HONEY BEE by Raymond Huber and Brian Lovelock, ill., Candlewick, September 2013, 32p., ISBN: 978-0-7636-6760-3
"You can read it in the papers, hear it on the news
The earth is going down, going down in pollution blues"
-- Manfred Mann's Earth Band, "Messin'"
"Bees have a powerful sense of smell. They use their antennae to pick up scents. Bees can smell in 'stereo,' each antenna smelling in a different direction."
"In its lifetime, a bee can travel more than 500 miles (800 km) on flower runs, until its wings eventually wear out."
These are two of the amazing facts I learned about bees from FLIGHT OF THE HONEY BEE, a stunning picture book about the life and times of a honey bee named Scout.
"A flash of feathers!
"A hungry blackbird swoops for the kill. But Scout zips down and escapes into the trees, weaving between tangled twigs.
"When the coast is clear, Scout is drawn to the sea of flowers again. She settles on a velvety petal and plunges her head into the flower. Here is sunken treasure: a cup of sweet nectar. The tip of her tongue, shaped like a miniature spoon, sips the syrup.
"Scout zips and zags from flower to flower, spreading pollen around. The pollen clings to her fuzzy body -- a sprinkle of sun-powder."
With each book he illustrates, I am becoming a bigger and bigger fan of Brian Lovelock. Here, in illustrations done in watercolor, acrylic ink, and colored pencil, there is such power to his many close-ups of the bees: Scout and the blue flowers; Scout, about to reach the hive, being attacked by a wasp and having her hive mates come to her aid; Scout doing her complex dance to tell the others where those blue flowers are located; Scout passing her nectar to the house bees.
Besides all of the great facts (that are positioned on the pages like footnotes so as not to detract from the action of the story itself), I really like how author Raymond Huber points out up front how honey bees may be the most important creature for life on earth and then lists, afterward in his author's note, some concrete steps readers can take to help save the bees.
We've got big trouble in America with bees dying off. This is a great book to enlighten young readers about the importance of these creatures.
Remember, as Joni sang, "Give me spots on my apples, but leave me the birds and the bees. Please!"
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
https://www.facebook.com/richie.parti...
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
"You can read it in the papers, hear it on the news
The earth is going down, going down in pollution blues"
-- Manfred Mann's Earth Band, "Messin'"
"Bees have a powerful sense of smell. They use their antennae to pick up scents. Bees can smell in 'stereo,' each antenna smelling in a different direction."
"In its lifetime, a bee can travel more than 500 miles (800 km) on flower runs, until its wings eventually wear out."
These are two of the amazing facts I learned about bees from FLIGHT OF THE HONEY BEE, a stunning picture book about the life and times of a honey bee named Scout.
"A flash of feathers!
"A hungry blackbird swoops for the kill. But Scout zips down and escapes into the trees, weaving between tangled twigs.
"When the coast is clear, Scout is drawn to the sea of flowers again. She settles on a velvety petal and plunges her head into the flower. Here is sunken treasure: a cup of sweet nectar. The tip of her tongue, shaped like a miniature spoon, sips the syrup.
"Scout zips and zags from flower to flower, spreading pollen around. The pollen clings to her fuzzy body -- a sprinkle of sun-powder."
With each book he illustrates, I am becoming a bigger and bigger fan of Brian Lovelock. Here, in illustrations done in watercolor, acrylic ink, and colored pencil, there is such power to his many close-ups of the bees: Scout and the blue flowers; Scout, about to reach the hive, being attacked by a wasp and having her hive mates come to her aid; Scout doing her complex dance to tell the others where those blue flowers are located; Scout passing her nectar to the house bees.
Besides all of the great facts (that are positioned on the pages like footnotes so as not to detract from the action of the story itself), I really like how author Raymond Huber points out up front how honey bees may be the most important creature for life on earth and then lists, afterward in his author's note, some concrete steps readers can take to help save the bees.
We've got big trouble in America with bees dying off. This is a great book to enlighten young readers about the importance of these creatures.
Remember, as Joni sang, "Give me spots on my apples, but leave me the birds and the bees. Please!"
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
https://www.facebook.com/richie.parti...
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
May 25, 2015
A delightful nonfiction picture book about the importance of honeybees. Full review soon!
July 6, 2015
Great book to learn about bees. Surprised my kids didn't rate this 4 stars.
November 28, 2018
This informational book follows the day of a female honey bee named Scout. Scout's role in the beehive is to find flowers and go back to the hive to tell her sister bees where to go and find more pollen and nectar. While in the field, she encounters several obstacles but overcomes them with her quick skills.
Each page is filled with information about bees. The way they communicate, their predators, how they fight back, their anatomy, and how they make and store their honey. Students will be interested in this book because of how the story is told as well as the illustrations. The beautiful cover offers a close up of bees and each page captivates readers with colorful displays of nature. The index in the back of the book helps students quickly find information they are looking for. There is also a small paragraph in the back of the book that tells how important bees are for human as well as how humans can help save bees.
Recommended for ages 4-6.
Each page is filled with information about bees. The way they communicate, their predators, how they fight back, their anatomy, and how they make and store their honey. Students will be interested in this book because of how the story is told as well as the illustrations. The beautiful cover offers a close up of bees and each page captivates readers with colorful displays of nature. The index in the back of the book helps students quickly find information they are looking for. There is also a small paragraph in the back of the book that tells how important bees are for human as well as how humans can help save bees.
Recommended for ages 4-6.
March 7, 2021
Flight of the Honey Bee told the story about a bee namely Scout and her journey to get nectar as she flew to check the place where the flower field was and finally told the other bees to harvest the nectar. Not only contained story, this book also presented some insight and fact about bees that will adding our knowledge.
The last page of this book warned us to take care our environmnet so that bees and other creatures can run their function as they gave many advantages for us as human being.
Save the bees!
Pollination by bees gives us delicious apples, cherries, strawberries, nuts, and many vegetables. But honey bees are in danger of dying out. You can help bees by giving them food and clean places to live.
Plan a variety of flowers, herbs, and flowering trees.
Don't use toxic chemicals in gardens.
Don't pollute the air or water
These steps will also helps other pollinators, such as bumblebees, butterflies, small native bees, and other insects.
The last page of this book warned us to take care our environmnet so that bees and other creatures can run their function as they gave many advantages for us as human being.
Save the bees!
Pollination by bees gives us delicious apples, cherries, strawberries, nuts, and many vegetables. But honey bees are in danger of dying out. You can help bees by giving them food and clean places to live.
Plan a variety of flowers, herbs, and flowering trees.
Don't use toxic chemicals in gardens.
Don't pollute the air or water
These steps will also helps other pollinators, such as bumblebees, butterflies, small native bees, and other insects.
February 28, 2022
Flight of the Honey Bee by Raymond Huber is a narrative nonfiction tale from the perspective of a honeybee scout, going out to find nectar and bring the flying instructions back to her hive. The book is wordy but the prose is descriptive and more action-packed than many of the other nonfiction books. The illustrations are stylized and boldly colored, making this book visually attractive for young readers.
September 6, 2021
Read at:
https://archive.org/details/flightofh...
Good story about scout bee.
How a scout find flowers, avoid rain, avoid enemy.
How a bee help flower pollinated
How they collect nectar and make honey.
How they commute with others.
Bee helps us have cherry and apple!
And how we can help them too. Plant flowers, herb or at least don't pollute air.
https://archive.org/details/flightofh...
Good story about scout bee.
How a scout find flowers, avoid rain, avoid enemy.
How a bee help flower pollinated
How they collect nectar and make honey.
How they commute with others.
Bee helps us have cherry and apple!
And how we can help them too. Plant flowers, herb or at least don't pollute air.
February 17, 2021
Tells the story of Scout, a honey bee who is at the point in her life where she is a harvester. Leads the reader on a journey as she gathers pollen and encounters difficulties before returning to the hive.
November 10, 2021
Love love love! Follow Scout as she travels outside her hive to bring nectar and pollen home. Wonderfully illustrated and easy to comprehend. My oldest adored the fun facts on every page. Even I learned a thing or two. Very enjoyable.
July 15, 2017
Super informative educational read for kids and adults alike. Very factually accurate. I would recommend 6 plus in age. Very lovely illustrations as well.
August 28, 2017
Terrific introductory book about honey bees for middle readers.
September 18, 2017
This is a great informational children's book. It provides somewhat of a storyline with giving facts about honey bee's in smaller print below. This is creative and fun and a great pick!
March 11, 2018
Attractive, engaging book on the day in a life of a bee. I now have more respect for honey!
March 15, 2018
Great book for learning about bees and other pollinators and their importance to our food supply.
November 2, 2018
A wonderful story all about the amazing honey bee and its importance to us. Fabulous illustrations.
May 29, 2019
Beautifully illustrated, wonderful, informative narrative.
July 17, 2019
Lovely illustrations. Good non-fiction book for kids.
December 10, 2019
The life of the honey bee is told on two levels, one for young children and the other giving more information for older children. A lovely story with valuable information.
September 29, 2020
Wonderful illustrations and very interesting information. As a beekeeper I bought this book for my personal library
March 31, 2022
Excellent picture book with illustrations that teaches really great information that helps students learn solid information. My student loved it.
January 4, 2018
As a scientist myself, I really love picture books with a science element because I think the sooner we can introduce science to kids, the better. Flight of the Honey Bee by Raymond Huber and Brian Lovelock follows a honey bee, Scout, as she searches for nectar and returns to the hive. Not only is the art in this book beautiful, but it also contains lots of little pieces of science about honey bees. I gave this book to my friend who just had a baby, and I think it would make an excellent addition to a child's library.
November 2, 2017
This book will engage students to work hard and help out their classmates. The story line is very informational and interesting. It also has new vocabulary that will challenge young readers.
November 18, 2013
By now, we have all heard about how honey bees are disappearing and hives are collapsing at alarming rates and what a disaster that can be for mankind. After all, bees are the best pollinators in the world.
So it is not surprising that a number of books for young readers have come out recently about bees. Perhaps in the hope that if we educate young readers about the importance of bees, we, or really, they may be able to help reverse the trend and stop bee disappearance and death.
Flight of the Honey Bee is one of the new bee books to come out and it is a charming, informative look at the life of one honey bee named Scout.
Follow Scout as she flies out of the safety of the hive in search of pollen and nectar. As Scout searches for just the right flowers to gather what she needs to bring back to the hive for the winter, we discover all kinds of interesting facts about honey bees in general.
Did you know that are hairy all over so they can sense changes in wind? Or that a bee can travel as far as five hundred miles to find flowers? And while we may want to avoid a bee sting, honey bees only sting when they feel threatened.
These are just some of the interesting facts that you can learn about as you fly along with Scout on her mission. Raymond Huber has written a nonfiction book for the youngest readers that is both entertaining and informative. And he does include ways that we can help rejuvenate bees and pollination before they die out.
Flight of the Honey Bee is delightfully yet precisely illustrated in watercolor, acrylic ink and colored pencil and gives us an up close and personal view of a honey bee's life. Writer Raymond Huber, who is also a beekeeper, and illustrator Brian Lovelock are scientists as well, and their genuine interest and concern shine through this wonderful book. Together these two talented New Zealanders have created a book that can be enjoyed by everyone interested in our saving our world.
I loved this book and I learned a lot about bees and how they make honey. And the next time I stir a spoonful of honey into my tea, you can be I will remember that one jar of honey requires bees to harvest nectar from more than 2 million flowers.
This book is recommended for readers age 3+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
So it is not surprising that a number of books for young readers have come out recently about bees. Perhaps in the hope that if we educate young readers about the importance of bees, we, or really, they may be able to help reverse the trend and stop bee disappearance and death.
Flight of the Honey Bee is one of the new bee books to come out and it is a charming, informative look at the life of one honey bee named Scout.
Follow Scout as she flies out of the safety of the hive in search of pollen and nectar. As Scout searches for just the right flowers to gather what she needs to bring back to the hive for the winter, we discover all kinds of interesting facts about honey bees in general.
Did you know that are hairy all over so they can sense changes in wind? Or that a bee can travel as far as five hundred miles to find flowers? And while we may want to avoid a bee sting, honey bees only sting when they feel threatened.
These are just some of the interesting facts that you can learn about as you fly along with Scout on her mission. Raymond Huber has written a nonfiction book for the youngest readers that is both entertaining and informative. And he does include ways that we can help rejuvenate bees and pollination before they die out.
Flight of the Honey Bee is delightfully yet precisely illustrated in watercolor, acrylic ink and colored pencil and gives us an up close and personal view of a honey bee's life. Writer Raymond Huber, who is also a beekeeper, and illustrator Brian Lovelock are scientists as well, and their genuine interest and concern shine through this wonderful book. Together these two talented New Zealanders have created a book that can be enjoyed by everyone interested in our saving our world.
I loved this book and I learned a lot about bees and how they make honey. And the next time I stir a spoonful of honey into my tea, you can be I will remember that one jar of honey requires bees to harvest nectar from more than 2 million flowers.
This book is recommended for readers age 3+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
December 5, 2014
This was a great narrative about a scavenger bee named Scout. Huber uses his research on bees to describe Scout’s actions as she searches for nectar, hides from a hail storm, and communicates to her sister bees through dance-like movements. It seems like he tries to keep the story entertaining without giving Scout any Human-like features. I think that this is a good technique because it allows the reader to focus on the information at hand. There are captions on each page that give useful information.
one thing that i feel that this book lacked is that Huber did not emphasize WHY bees are so vital to pollination. He simply mentions in in passing when saying that it sticks to her body.
However, I did like how at the end of the book he included a section on saving the bees which focuses on how humans can help the bee population.
All in all I think it is a good book, just seemed to miss the mark on fully explaining why bees are so vital.
The illustrations in this book are beautiful! they appear to be a mixture of watercolor and colored pencil. they are bright and full of like with a dusting of pollen on every page.
one thing that i feel that this book lacked is that Huber did not emphasize WHY bees are so vital to pollination. He simply mentions in in passing when saying that it sticks to her body.
However, I did like how at the end of the book he included a section on saving the bees which focuses on how humans can help the bee population.
All in all I think it is a good book, just seemed to miss the mark on fully explaining why bees are so vital.
The illustrations in this book are beautiful! they appear to be a mixture of watercolor and colored pencil. they are bright and full of like with a dusting of pollen on every page.
December 28, 2013
Age/Lexile Level: 5-8 yrs / AD840L
Length: 30 pages
Summary: This book is about one day for a scout bee. The hive is preparing for winter and this honey bee is searching for nectar to sustain her hive. She has to survive several attacks to complete her mission. Story text is large with additional facts in a smaller font.
Recommendations or Comments: I was disappointed in this book. It's good, but the text is very flowery, pun intended, and I totally get why the lexile level says adult directed. I think many kids would get the gist, but an adult would need to help define and explain the vocabulary choices used. The book discusses how the pollen sticks to the bee and it goes back to the hive where it is used to feed the larva, but neglects to mention how it also pollinates flowers so they can produce seeds and fruits. Is it implied when you read "...spreading pollen around."? The artwork is gorgeous and the information given is correct, but the combination just misses the mark for me.
Stars: 3 of 5
Reviewed By: Emily K.
Length: 30 pages
Summary: This book is about one day for a scout bee. The hive is preparing for winter and this honey bee is searching for nectar to sustain her hive. She has to survive several attacks to complete her mission. Story text is large with additional facts in a smaller font.
Recommendations or Comments: I was disappointed in this book. It's good, but the text is very flowery, pun intended, and I totally get why the lexile level says adult directed. I think many kids would get the gist, but an adult would need to help define and explain the vocabulary choices used. The book discusses how the pollen sticks to the bee and it goes back to the hive where it is used to feed the larva, but neglects to mention how it also pollinates flowers so they can produce seeds and fruits. Is it implied when you read "...spreading pollen around."? The artwork is gorgeous and the information given is correct, but the combination just misses the mark for me.
Stars: 3 of 5
Reviewed By: Emily K.
December 1, 2013
This brief nonfiction takes readers along as a honey bee scouts for flowers whose nectar and pollen her hive mates can collect. As she fends off predators and bad weather, she eventually returns to the hive to inform the other bees of the food source she has located. The text contains interesting facts about how bees navigate, using an internal compass, and that they store nectar in an extra stomach. The illustrations, crafted as double-page spreads, have been created stunningly in watercolor, acrylic ink, and colored pencil. Even those who think they know quite a lot about bees can learn even more from this book, which even includes a handful of suggestions about how readers can help bees. The book actually begins and ends on bright yellow endpapers lightly peppered with plants and a couple of honey bees.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews