University of Cambridge: Secrets of Bees: A Kid's Guide to Hives, Pollination and Electro-Sense (Think Big)

Beautifully presented, Secrets of Bees is both informative and engaging. The role of bees and their importance is celebrated throughout the book, leaving readers with a deeper understanding of, and respect for, the brilliant creatures.

Fabulous illustrations accompany the text, visually supporting the information. A labelled diagram of a bee, for example, contributes to understanding its features, whilst other snippets of information are attractively presented alongside. These bite-sized sections of text make the information easy to absorb and a comprehensive glossary at the end of the book supports understanding of the 'technical' vocabulary used throughout.

Every page celebrates the importance of these tiny creatures, championing the role they play and encouraging readers to value their contributions and do everything they can to help them in return, from providing nest sites to planting more flowers. The book acknowledges that bees sting and it hurts when they do, explaining that this is their way of defending themselves and that they would much prefer to be left alone.

A fascinating read, Secrets of Bees would make an excellent addition to any school or class library, enriching the curriculum and sparking interest in these precious creatures.

32 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 7+

University of Cambridge: Secrets of Bees (Think Big) is a fantastic book. It is on trend both visually and topically at a time when pollinators are under threat, and Ben Hoare makes it very clear that bees are hugely important for human food production.

Moreover, he shows us how awesome these little creatures really are, explaining firstly what a bee is, how diverse a group they are, and what they eat, before moving onto a fascinating range of other topics related to their lifestyle and lifecycle, sensory powers, social structures, habitats and even why they have stings. By the end of the book, readers as young as five or six (if shown the book) would have no doubt why we need these charming insects.

The hope - of the author and his learned advisors (both named at the beginning) - is that they, and older children who can read the book independently, will be persuaded to help bees survive in one of the suggested ways, for example by offering sugary water to one that's sluggish, or nagging grown-ups not to use weedkiller.

World Bee Day is, we learn, on 20th May, an event which gives any primary school librarian, Science teacher or Eco School Lead a golden opportunity to read aloud some excerpts or do a display.

I shall certainly be recommending Secrets of Bees whole-heartedly. It is bright, it is colourful and it is important. It is also well bound and produced, and has a useful Index and Glossary.

32 pages / Reviewed by Jane Rew, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 7+