The Boy Who Lost His Bumble

PreS-Gr 1—In this tender introduction to the cycles of nature, a boy loves his garden, particularly the bees. He joyfully observes and journals their preferences and habits. Then one day, it rains. "And the clouds began to rumble….It was so wet, even the bees lost their bumble." The accompanying illustration shows them flying away. It continues to rain, then snow, and still the bees do not return. The boy unsuccessfully tries to lure them back by singing "Rain rain go away" in a bee costume and erecting a "bee hotel" with free Wi-Fi. Eventually he retreats to his room which is covered in drawings of the bees. Then spring arrives. Flowers bud. The boy starts to feel better and on a wordless page, viewers see the bees return. The story finishes with a cartwheeling boy and the words "…he got his bumble back. Perhaps bumbles always come back." An appendix provides simple information about bees; where they winter, why they are important, how they are in trouble, and how humans can help. The story doesn't define what a "bumble" is and it's potentially confusing that rainfall equates to winter. Otherwise, the book is lovely and effective. The words are spare and sometimes lyrical. Text dances on the page in a clear and cheerful way. Illustrations are whimsically childlike and slip in sly humor. The sunny colors of the summer contrast effectively with the dull grays of winter.