Down the Road, Little Bee; Sarah Jane Lightfoot

Bee books are something of a thing at the moment and this is another one that will have young readers buzzing about insects and nature. Down the Road, Little Bee is one of the latest offerings from Affirm Press and it would be a bee-rilliant addition to any child’s bookshelf.

No matter the weather or the time of year, Little Bee is on the hunt for pollen. But where can it be found? Cicada knows that flowering gums are the place to go in January, beetle thinks that banksias will provide plenty of pollen on a frosty morning in May and mosquito suggests visiting the bright blooms of the waratah shrubs in balmy November. Pollen can can always be found if you know where to look for it and Little Bee has plenty of friends to point them in the right direction…

Down the Road, Little Bee is the picture book debut from Sarah Jane Lightfoot and it is a thing of beauty. Starring the most adorable bee, a very important insect in the eco-system and essential to human survival, this is a fabulous celebration of the nature, flowers and fauna that blossom and bloom throughout the year in Australia. Lightfoot’s book is bursting with charming critters and beautiful plants; from Tiny Spider and sunflowers in February, to Blow Fly and the white and pink satin petals on magnolia trees in August, to Mighty Moth and the violet flowers on the jacarandas in December.

Guided by friendly insects, Little Bee buzzes through the months on the hunt for pollen and joining them is so much fun as they and friends embrace the wonderful nature that can be found in suburban neighbourhoods across Australia. Spending time with Little Bee is magical and wonderful and will have readers of all ages exploring and appreciating the beauty that can be found where they live.

The whole thing is fabulous, the lovely front cover with smiling Little Bee draws readers in and the stunning artwork continues throughout with bright colours bursting from the pages and welcoming readers in to this fun and vibrant world. Even the end papers are glorious with Little Bee diving in and out of the flowers. Every page begs to be pored over and explored closely and a ‘Can you find’ challenge will have readers hunting for everything from garden gnomes to solar panels to bird baths to window art. There’s even some extra content in the form of bee-rilliant ‘Bee facts’ including roles, responsibilities and most importantly of all, dance moves - yes bees do actually dance!

An absolute delight!

With huge thanks to Affirm Press for this bee-autiful book.

Recommended for 3+.