CONTENT:

The Beeman (2002) was written by Laurie Krebs and it was illustrated by Valeria Cis. This picturebook brings children closer to the world of bees by telling the story of a boy whose grandfather is a beekeeper. Through the pages of this picturebook, children will discover beekeeping clothing and tools, the work of the beekeeper and facts about bees. Children will also discover the slow process of honey production and at the end of the book, while the bees hibernate and rest, the boy and the grandfather enjoy some delicious honey muffin prepared by grandmother.

WHY USING THIS PICTUREBOOK:

Thanks to this picturebook, children can familiarize with the world of bees. The book can be a good starting point to develop activities about bees and beekeeping, raising children’s awareness on the importance of these insects. The written text contains rhyming words that make it enjoyable to listen to the story. There are also repetitions at the beginning and at the end of every double spread. The text presents technical terms about bees and beekeeping, however visual aid supports children’s comprehension:  the key terms are written in a larger font, in order to highlight them, and are supported by the illustrations. The written text and the illustrations complement each other: the illustrations can be used by storytellers in order to help children understanding key concepts and they can be used to expand some aspects presented in the written text through the use of read-aloud talk.