Bee & Me

PreS-Gr 2—A wordless story about a girl who befriends a bee and gains new insight into its world. When a bee flies into her room, the girl captures it under a glass. She researches its needs, feeds it sugar water, and sends it on its way, only for it to return wet and exhausted after a thunderstorm. Bee remains and grows under the girl's care until girl and insect fly away to collect seeds, scatter them across the city, and return to the apartment. Although the bee then leaves, a young boy who has witnessed the girl-bee interactions from his upstairs apartment becomes her companion over the following months. Spring brings new flowers, insects, and a final page surprise. Jay's lovely oil paintings include spreads, panels, and a double-page image filled with humorous vignettes of girl and bee enjoying music, bicycle rides, picnics, and more as marks on the wall record the bee's continued growth. The contrast between the dull view of the city at the outset and its depiction under a barrage of flower seeds against a brilliant blue sky with smiling sun looking on is striking. Many viewings will reward youngsters with ever more things to discover in the city and in the lives of its apartment dwellers.