The Honeybee Man

In her children's book debut, Nargi presents a leisurely but diverting look at the life of a Brooklyn beekeeper. Readers join elderly Fred as he rises at dawn one July morning and heads to the roof to check his three bee houses. As summer progresses, Fred imagines the activity inside the hive, then carefully harvests jars of rich, sweet "Fred's Brooklyn Honey, Made by Tireless Brooklyn Bees" to share with his neighbors. Copious details are carefully woven into descriptions of Fred's day-to-day activities ("When the bees return to their hives, Fred notices that they are flying slooowly--heavy, now, with nectar"). In sunny, oil-and-collage compositions, Brooker (Math Attack!), inspired by her former Brooklyn neighborhood, captures the bustle of sidewalks and storefronts, as well as the serenity of Fred's rooftop and a green expanse of park. She also does a fine job demonstrating the steps of collecting honey--even the bees' "waggle dances." An endnote and the endpapers provide additional information about bees and beekeepers. Kids should find this easygoing blend of fiction and fact fascinating. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

PreS-Gr 3--Although most people probably associate honeybees with fields of flowers in the countryside, Fred tends his hives on the rooftop of his home in Brooklyn. From there the intrepid worker bees fly out to gather nectar from backyard flowers and blossoming bushes. Fred follows them in his imagination, creating pictures that allow readers to view scenes inside the hives and learn about how the bees work together. At the end of summer Fred collects and processes the honeycomb to produce jars of amber honey that he shares with his neighbors. His affection for his bees is evident in the warm tones of Brooker's collage and oil illustrations as well as in the words of the sweet, lyrical text. Nargi incorporates basic facts about honeybees and beekeeping into her narrative and supplies two additional pages of information following Fred's story. Pair this with Laurie Krebs's story about beekeeping in the country in The Beeman (Barefoot, 2008) or Lori Mortensen's look at wild bees in In the Trees, Honey Bees! (Dawn, 2009) for other views about how and where bees produce honey. However, Nargi's book can definitely stand on its own for its unusual glimpse of beekeeping in an urban setting.--Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato