February 13, 2017
Barton (I’m Trying to Love Spiders) continues her campaign on behalf of creatures that send some people into a panic. Edgar has a scribble of curly hair and a nervous look—he’s the one with the bee problem. The unseen narrator’s enthusiastic, in-your-face lobbying on behalf of bees and what they are capable of is a big part of the book’s charm: “Maybe I just need to remind you how weird and cool a honeybee’s anatomy is.” Why doesn’t Edgar like bees? “Mostly because of their ‘stingers and attached venom sacs, which are the cause of painful bee stings,’ ” he confesses. Barton’s illustrations range from loose, cartoon-style sketches of bee encounters (Edgar got stung recently, and the image recapping the incident features labels that include “the ouch,” “brave tears,” “super mean bee”) to careful close-ups of different kinds of bees and their anatomical characteristics. Much like its predecessor, it’s an endearing mix of comedy and exuberantly delivered insider information: “A single bee can visit 1,000 flowers a day, making bee pollination powers unparalleled!” Ages 4–8. Agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House. (Apr.)■
March 1, 2017
Following much the same format as in I'm Trying to Love Spiders (2015), Barton makes a strong case for the value of bees. Edgar, a torpedo-shaped white kid with googly eyes and a scribble of hair, loves everything the narrator does, including dinosaurs, strawberries, and honey, but he's not so sure about bees. The narrator proceeds to persuade him to "give bees a chance," telling him there are "about 25,000 different kinds of bees to love" (a sampling of which are introduced on front and rear endpapers), describing the composition of a honeybee colony and honeybee anatomy, and regaling him with cool bee facts. Edgar's still not sure, because, he says, "they're all gonna sting me!" Since many readers likely share Edgar's apprehension, Barton's counter to this is delightfully kidcentric: "most bees lose their stinger after attacking," she says, "which would be like your hand disappearing if you pinched your sister!" Edgar remains unconvinced, so Barton drills down on the importance of bee pollination to the world's food supply, illustrating it with a strawberry plant that says, "throw me some pollen! I don't have arms." Barton's digital mix of scribbly cartoons and comics-style panels, splashy, watercolor-effect backgrounds, and exuberant hand-lettering makes for a high-energy celebration of all things Apis. Even the most bee-phobic readers will have a hard time resisting this swarm of humor and fact. (author's note) (Informational picture book. 4-8)
COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
February 1, 2017
Gr 2-5-Barton employs the same style as in her award-winning book I'm Trying To Love Spiders, but this time bees are the topic. Readers are introduced to Edgar, a slightly thumb-shaped boy with a curlicue of hair. Edgar doesn't like bees, mainly because he doesn't want to be stung. The narrator tries to convince him of the insects' good qualities, yet Edgar continues to fret about their stingers and venom sacs. But facts about how long bees have lived on Earth and how they pollinate flowers and produce honey start to amaze Edgar. When he learns about dwindling bee populations, he decides that planting some bee-friendly flowers and keeping peace with them are pretty sweet alternatives to being frightened. The comical pen drawings with pastel-colored backgrounds, created using Adobe Photoshop, are visually pleasing. Childlike print in various sizes adds pizzazz, and the overall look is attractive. Barton explains that she has taken liberties with her bees, as they have only two legs in most of the illustrations instead of six. (The endpapers offer a more accurate depiction of different species.) Given the number of unloved animals and insects, Barton has an endless supply of subject matter to continue this refreshing, fun format.
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 1, 2017
Grades K-2 Barton conquered arachnophobia in I'm Trying to Love Spiders (2016), and here, she takes on bees. Edgar's deathly afraid of bees, but the narrator, in a peppy, enthusiastic tone, persistently tries to change his mind. In the process, readers learn about types of honeybees, their place in history, how they make honey ( Did you say barf? ), their role as pollinators, the recent bee disappearance, and how to cultivate a bee-friendly garden. Edgar, meanwhile, is still reluctant to love bees, but the narrator's advice on how to approach bees and what to do when they get too close for comfort help alleviate some of his fears, and little ones worried about the insects might be assuaged by those tips, too. Barton's cartoonish, big-eyed bees look more cute than threatening, and though they're not rendered accurately in the story, the endpapers include more realistic illustrations of several types of bees. With colorful artwork, plenty of facts, and an entertainingly irreverent approach, this playful take on nonfiction should find plenty of appeal.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)
May 1, 2017
The main character of this booka cartoon boy named Edgar, eyes opened wide in amusingly fearful and skeptical facial expressionsdefinitely doesn't like bees. This gives the (offstage) narrator an opportunity to make the case for bees' importance, turning facts and figures about the insect into a funny, approachable pro-bee argument. The topics covered range from anatomy basics and how honey is made to what beekeepers do and the critical role bees play in pollinating crops. Detailed attention to bee stingsEdgar's biggest fearmay not convince the bee-phobic to shed all their anxieties, but does explain why and how stings happen. The illustrations add to the casualness of the narrative, combining marker-like sketches of emotive bees and people with cheerful background splashes and scribbles of color, sometimes abstract, sometimes representing honeycombs and the flowers, fruits, and vegetables that depend so heavily on bees for their continued existence. The endpapers contain more-detailed and accurate images of many different bee species. danielle j. ford
(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)