The Secret Life of Bees; Moira Butterfield, illustrated by Vivian Mineker

The unmistakable sound of buzzing in the air can only mean one thing…bees. But did you know the sound is not coming from the bees, it is actually their rapidly moving wings that can beat an incredible two-hundred-and-thirty times a second? This is just the first bee-rilliant fact of many that can be found inside this adorable non-fiction read about a rather misunderstood and incredibly important mini-beast.

Buzzwing the hard-working honey bee loves her life as a bee and she is buzzing with excitement to show you everything that makes being a bee so un-bee-lievably good fun. From living in a busy and happy home to exciting visits to different flowers. Doing the bee dance to making sweet honey. The life of a bee is busy, buzzy and is absolutely bee-rilliant…

The Secret Life of Bees is a delightful non-fiction read that covers everything that children could ever want to know about honey bees. It is bursting with wonderful information that explores and explains just how wonderful and incredible their ‘secret’ lives are. Buzzwing makes for the most adorable little guide as she welcomes readers into her world and shares her life beginning with the day she was born. From first page to last, readers are kept as busy as a bee as Buzzwing buzzes through the pages sharing facts and ancient tales.

Various sections feature throughout covering all sorts, including: bee anatomy, where bees live, how bees communicate via a fabulous bee dance, roles and responsibilities, special vision and how they see flowers, delicious honey and honeycomb, bee keepers and bees in the city. In addition to raising awareness about bees, there are tips for helping bees and a closing section titled ‘Be a Bee Friend’ encourages readers to help protect and support the bee community.

Whilst the focus is largely on the honey bee, references are made to many other types of bees that can be found around the world - there are approximately twenty-thousand different types of bees - including the minute Quasihesma bee and the largest bee in the world, Wallace’s giant bee - illustrations make for a great size comparison.

Learning should always be enjoyable for children and Moira Butterflied (author) and Vivian Mineker (illustrator) definitely hit the ‘sweet’ spot with a read that is fun, educational and very appealing. The inviting pages are beautifully presented featuring colourful and playful illustrations, diagrams and bite-sized chunks of accessible text. Breaking up the informative double page spreads are ancient tales that add a delightful sprinkling of fantasy and magic. There are even some additional challenges that ask readers to find other mini-beasts and animals.

The Secret Life of Bees will hold much appeal to readers of any age. Younger readers will definitely enjoy sharing the book with an adult or older sibling, confident readers will enjoy exploring it on their own.

Sure to leave readers buzzing about bees!

Recommended for 5+.