You Are a Honey Bee!

by Laurie Ann Thompson, Jay Fleck (Illustrator)

The first in an adorable, STEM nonfiction picture book series that encourages very young readers to learn—through gentle interactivity and play—about the animals who share their world

Swish, swoosh, fly! You might have heard the words “busy as a bee," but what do bees actually do each day? Did you know bees clean their rooms, help feed baby bees, and build the hive they live in? From birth to first flight and beyond, discover all that goes into being a bee in this charming picture book, the first in the Meet Your World series.

This playful and informative series invites you to take a closer look at the amazing animals that live right alongside you in rural, suburban, and urban landscapes across North America. In each book, words and art inspire you to act out animal actions that are not so different from your own habits. And robust backmatter offers even more facts and fun. From the animals’ families and foods to their environments and behaviors, let’s meet your world!

"Of great value . . . Useful . . . Wonderful." —SLJ

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Childrens, Animals, Nature, Science

32 pages, Hardcover

Published April 11, 2023

About the author

Laurie writes for children of all ages. She is dedicated to inspiring and empowering young readers through nonfiction and fiction that educates as well as entertains.

Reviews

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

What a cute way to learn about honey bees! You are a Honey Bee! is a great resource for home libraries and classrooms, sure to please children and grown-ups alike. The endearing illustrations, bright colors, and interactive text frame a honey bee’s busy day so kiddos can have fun learning about these fascinating workers! In easy-to-understand words that are complemented by Fleck’s illustrations, Thompson explains how bees clean their cells, make honey, build the hive, guard the hive, search for food, sip up nectar, and tell other bees how to find the best flowers. She also accommodates the 7 different learning styles in creative ways, like encouraging movement that engages the imagination and reinforces the active words in the text. (Sip! Fly! Look! Dance! Sniff!)

How can you not love that little bee on the cover? Well, the rest of the illustrations are just as adorable and encompass not only the bees, the hive, and nature with vibrant colors and perceived motion… but also a variety of children. A child in a wheelchair. A child with hearing aids. A child with glasses. Black children. Asian children. Middle Eastern children. Children with blond hair. Children with red hair. Children with black hair and brown hair. Children with straight hair. Children with curly hair. I loved all the precious little ones represented so cutely on these pages.

Another favorite part for me is the back matter which provides for further learning and application. Along with a glossary and facts about why honey bees are important, there is a section with fun, guided activities for children to emulate the work of a honey bee. But as the daughter of a father who raised honey bees as a child, I most loved the list of ways we can all help honey bees survive and thrive.

Bottom Line: You Are a Honey Bee! by Laurie Ann Thompson (illustrated by Jay Fleck) is just as endearing on the inside as the cover would suggest. Appealing to a wide variety of learning styles, this picture book makes facts fun and encourages children – and adults – to apply what they learn from nature into their daily lives. The illustrations are adorable and diverse, the text is active and educational, and the back matter is informative and reflective. Fantastic choice for teachers, parents, and even cool aunts like me to add to their bookshelves.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully illustrated picture book informing young readers of all that a bee does to care for the young ones, tend to the hive, collect nectar and pollinate flowers. Vivid verbs are bolded and an insert of children acting out those words is positioned on the page encouraging vocabulary development and physical movement making this an interactive book for kids and their caregivers. Backmatter includes fun facts about bees, ways to help bees survive and thrive, and activities that children can do that mimic the work of the honeybee. Excellent new series for PK-grade 2 readers.

Thanks for sending me a pdf for review, Laurie Ann Thompson.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great interactive book about honeybees! There's more information at the back, too.

[Mary Copp · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Are a Honey Bee! by Laurie Ann Thompson and illustrated by Jay Fleck is a charming and informative book. Readers follow a honeybee’s life - emerging from its cramped cell “Chomp! Wiggle! Stretch!” - into a big, bustling family and ending with a well-deserved rest….until another new and busy day begins! In an engaging and delightful way, Thompson offers young children an insight into what keeps bees so busy. Highlighted active verbs emphasize the full life of a honeybee and round out a very informative and engaging text. Jay Fleck’s bright and delightful illustrations add life to each page. Back matter, including a glossary, offers more information on honeybees and how to help them. A perfect introduction to life around us and how we can do our part to nurture it.

[Marie Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Are a Honey Bee is a sweet informational book about honey bees. I enjoyed looking at the colorful illustrations while learning about the different jobs a honey bees does. The fun movement bubbles throughout encourage readers to move like a bee and “swish,” “waggle,” and “dance” before settling down to “rest.” I plan to read this book to my kids before bed, but it would also be a terrific choice for classes studying pollinators. The back matter includes a glossary and information about why honey bees are important and how to help them. As a parent I love how it includes information about how readers can “be a honey bee” as my kids enjoy pretending to be different animals while doing daily tasks.

[Heather Kinser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book (and bee) are so charming and cute…who wouldn’t want to be a honey bee!? With delightful verbs on each page, describing the life and daily work of a bee, this active-participation book invites young readers to get up and twitch, swoosh, and sip like a bee. Kids will relate to the fun actions, and also to the life of this young bee as she grows older day-by-day and is given new jobs to perform for her colony. Finally, she’s old enough and experienced enough to leave the hive and fly, and it’s an exhilarating feeling for the reader to zoom along with her. There’s great back matter here as well, including fun suggestions for how to mimic honey-bee jobs at home, in playful ways.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will be a wonderful addition to the pollinator shelf at my preschool library! Laurie Ann Thompson’s clear, engaging text encourages children to “put on a honey bee’s wings” and imagine filling her many roles. Jay Fleck’s fun art cleverly illustrates each step in the honey bee’s life cycle, while comparing bee movements with those of people—“chew!” “pull! “lift!” “carry.” As an active read-aloud, these guided movement cues help make the book—and its content—accessible to even the youngest readers. The back matter continues with more suggestions for child hands-on learning and engagement!

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an exceptionally wonderful book for children! The illustrations are superior! The way the words are put together are, too! The special creativity shown in how the author combines movement to make the book interactive is so impressive! I learned a lot about bees in this fun and educational book. Children and all the rest of us will, too! This "Meet Your World Series" is the second book I have read and both are so impressive! They would make outstanding gifts, too!
I have read this book as a result of a giveaway, and the thoughts expressed are my own.

[Rina Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You are a Honeybee" by Laurie Ann Thompson and illustrated by Jay Fleck is a charming picture book that buzzes with joy! I liked the use of sounds in bold throughout the book. I feel it was the sounds that made it a page turner. Little readers will have fun discovering the world of honeybees and reading aloud especially the sound words like: tap, tap, tap and twitch, touch, turn. The "bright like honey" illustrations and engaging storytelling with all the fun sounds had me reading along!
Rina Singh

[Luciana Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids will absolutely love this series. It's a fun read aloud told in second person, which is a very engaging way of story telling, especially when actions are one of the main features. The adorable illustrations help to enforce the learning by showing kids performing the same actions as the Bees. There are many books about Bees - but I have never seen such cute Bees! I love that this series shows animals you can find almost anywhere, including urban settings. A great choice for home, school and library!

[Aimee Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an adorable book for young readers to learn about honeybees! I love books written in second person and this one is no exception. Children will learn about the first moments in a honeybee's life and follow along as they experience leaving the hive for the first time. Crisp colorful illustrations and FUN interactive movements will make this one an excellent read aloud. Backmatter includes a glossary, more honeybee facts, and ways humans can help these important insects.

[Laura Salas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm amazed at how much information is packed into such a brief text. This adorable and unusual (written in second-person point of view) nonfiction picture book invites readers to pretend to be a honey bee and to take care of all their daily responsibilities. An interactive element emphasizes the action words so kids can act out their honey bee tasks. This is adorable, short, yet jam-packed with fun information. Woohoo! A terrific introduction to this important insect.

[Heather Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you know that bees squeeze royal jelly from their heads? This book is sure to astound young and old alike with fun bee facts. But its not just a list of facts. There's tons of action and even spot illustrations demonstrating how young readers can re-enact the bee's actions (twitch, touch, turn!) to take the learning and fun to a whole new dimension. Perfect for a read-aloud with active, eager little ones!

[Erin Dealey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am amazed (and exhausted) just thinking about all of the things honey bees accomplish as they contribute to our environment! I can just see young readers adding fun motions to the highlighted words in this interactive, informative book. What a fantastic intro to this incredible insect. I am officially a HONEY BEE fan.

[Christine Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes! Yes! Yes! This book is exactly what I was hoping for. Each page shows how the honey bees move and explains what they are doing. The animal facts are paired with illustrations of kids doing similar movements. This book is perfect for kinesthetic learners, wigglers, tappers, foot shakers, and get-out-of-your-seaters!

[Susan]

Laurie Ann Thompson’s playful active text uses the second-person, present tense, giving it a sense of immediacy as young readers experience a day in the life of a young honey bee. Jay Fleck’s colorful, larger-than-life illustrations bring the text to life. Back matter offers more context on honey bees and their important role in our ecosystem.

[Marsha Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adorable book, packed with information. I am excited to share this with my grandchildren. They will learn so much about honey bees and be delighted to "become" one, as the book invites them to. The story, written in second person, invites the reader to be a honey bee and follow along doing the same movements as a honey bee. I love this quick-paced story with colorful illustrations!

[Cherish Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3☆ Got something out of, but wouldn’t read again)
The idea of this book is cute, but the fact that it doesn't encompass rhyme makes it a difficult read to a younger audience. I like how it explains what a bee does & I like how it has movements for kids to do to mimic what the bees do. The movement & onomatopoeia within the book are fantastic. However, the lack of rhyme ruined the book for me.

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fun, interactive way for kids to learn about bees. Both of my kids love getting up and doing all the actions one each page. Don’t worry about getting the kids too riled up before bedtime, though, because the last part has the bees settle, rest, and drift off to sleep. Even at that part, my kids get excited to take a deep breath, lie down, and close their eyes!

[Leslie Barnard Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and accessible introduction to honey bees. With energetic language and vibrant art, this book explores the honey bee life cycle in a captivating and kid-friendly way. Great for classroom and home!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joyful and informative! So much to love and share in this eye-poppingly beautiful picture book! The text speaks directly to the reader and celebrates the wonders of a honey bee's world. Bright and engaging artwork perfectly enhance the simple but fact-filled narrative. Just wonderful!

[June Smalls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simplified for the youngest readers, You Are a Honey Bee gives a lot of interesting facts about these busy little ladies.
The art is adorable as well as the little sidebars that show children doing the same, or similar, actions as the bees.
A great intro into the working lives of honey bees.

[Rayne Cam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book encourages interactions and has activities listed that listeners can do to mimic the behaviors of the bee. It's an excellent book for young learners first learning about bees. The physical activities mixed into the story may be a a fun story time experience.

[Ashlee Vogelsang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute! The life of a honey bee with such cute illustrations. The book is interactive in the sense the kiddos can slurp, spin and dance with the honey bee as she grows older and takes on new responsibilities.

[Annette Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet book with fun bee facts. Kids and I really enjoyed this!

[Brittany Eaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute book with great illustrations. It is a STEM nonfiction picture book that deeps a little deep into the life of a bee. It would be a good read a long for kindergarten or first graders.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable illustrations and good information!

[DiAnne Warfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holt-Delhi library Preschool story time 08-15-2023

[Roxanne Troup · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun, interactive series for the youngest readers. Reminds me of rebus poems.

[Sarah Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the Imagination Library. Teaches about pollination and Bees.