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Begin with a Bee

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A Chicago Public Library’s Best Informational Books for Younger Readers selection

Begin with a Bee and its story of the life of one queen bee, a rusty-patched bumblebee, teaches us not only about bees but also about our own responsibilities in the natural world

By looking closely at the life cycle of one bee, Begin with a Bee helps readers of all ages understand and appreciate the contributions and significance of all bees. The life cycle of the rusty-patched bumblebee is a tale of wonder, the adventure of one queen bee who carries an entire colony of bees inside her tiny body. Her story begins in the spring when she emerges from a hole in the ground to search for pollen. She finds a nest, “underground best,” lays a few eggs, and seals them in pollen. All summer this single queen lays more eggs, and more worker bees hatch. They gather pollen and maintain the colony until next year’s queen hatches in the fall.

The queen bee’s life unfolds through Claudia McGehee’s captivating illustrations. The authors—three beloved and prolific writers of award-winning children’s books—impart the poetry and basic science of the rusty-patched bumblebee, the first bee to appear on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species list. 

Extensive commentary at the end of the book offers suggestions for being a friend to bees as well as a good citizen of the natural world. It also introduces the native plants that bumblebees need for survival. Begin with a Bee might inspire a child (or any of us) to seek out, identify, even cultivate these essential flowers—and participate in the next chapter in the story of all bumblebees.

40 pages, Hardcover

First published May 25, 2021

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About the author

Liza Ketchum

21 books19 followers
Also writes under the name Liza Ketchum Murrow.

Virginia Jefferson Cup Honor Book, Virginia Library Association, 1988, for West against the Wind; Children's Choice selection, 1989, for Good-bye, Sammy; best young-adult novel designation, American Library Association, 1990, and Mark Twain Award listee, 1991-92, both for Fire in the Heart; Mark Twain Award listee, and Sequoyah Award listee, both 1993-94, both for The Ghost of Lost Island; Lambda Literary Award, 1998, for Blue Coyote.

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5 stars
55 (39%)
4 stars
60 (42%)
3 stars
22 (15%)
2 stars
3 (2%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Profile Image for Kathryn.
4,499 reviews
January 13, 2023
"What's inside this hole in the ground? One bee. One queen rusty-patched bumble bee, waiting all winter long. And here's the wonder: her tiny body (not even an inch) holds everything she needs to create a whole colony of bees -- this year's bees." Stunning illustrations and engaging text tell the remarkable story of the queen rusty-patched bumble-bee, from overwintering to starting a new colony that thrives over the summer, only to return to her solitary overwintering at the end of the season, ready to start the cycle again the next year. Back matter provides more information about the rusty-patched bumblebee, the plight of bees in general, and ways you can help bees and other pollinators. I would have given it four stars but there is no bibliography. My children really enjoyed this one, too.
Profile Image for Abby Johnson.
3,373 reviews343 followers
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July 21, 2021
This is an excellent and beautiful science picture book that looks at the life of a bee colony, starting with a lone queen who wakes from hibernation in spring and produces an entire colony herself. The scratchboard illustrations are striking and bold and the simple, yet poetic text will educate children about pollination and bees. Notes at the end provide additional information about the endangered rusty-patched bumblebee and suggestions for what kids and families can do to help bees.
Profile Image for The Library Lady.
3,733 reviews600 followers
February 16, 2022
I would love to know the backstory of how three well known authors combined to make this picture book. That said, they did a great job. The writing is fluid as we learn about the rusty-patch bumblebee, whose queen emerges from hibernation to create an entire bee colony--these bees build a nest, not a hive. And while I am not always fond of scratchboard style art, it works beautifully here with the prose. Another example of the wonders of non-fiction picture books.
Profile Image for Erin.
4,023 reviews54 followers
January 11, 2022
I lived in blissful ignorance for many years, unaware that there were so many different kinds of bees and that the rusty-patched bumble bee was even a thing.

But it is.

And they are amazing. The queen bee carries an entire colony within her over the winter (how cool!) and then lays her eggs ladies first (to do some work) and then the men. While I was still left with plenty questions about these intrepid bees, their cyclical nature and heavy responsibilities were fascinating. In the end, these bumblebees left me happier for having learned about them and more concerned about the status of bees in general.
Profile Image for Tasha.
4,117 reviews128 followers
June 26, 2021
On a winter day, take a look in a small hole and you will find a solitary rusty-patched queen bee. She waits all winter long, her body holding everything needed to create a new colony of bees that year. As the sun shines and spring comes, the bee awakens and travels from flower to flower, eating and eating. Now she must find where she will build her nest. Once she finds the right spot, she builds a pot of wax from her body and fills it with nectar to help her survive the rainy days and the long days of caring for her eggs. She carries pollen to the nest until she lays her eggs and sits with them, shivering to keep them warm. The eggs hatch into grubs who them make cocoons and weeks later the pupae are finally bees! The queen continues to lay eggs through the summer as the other worker bees gather pollen. That fall, the new queens mate with male bees from neighboring colonies and then must find their own hole to survive the winter.

This picture book celebrates the life of the rusty-patched bee by focusing on how they survive the winter and how one lone queen bee carries the future of an entire colony in her body. Throughout the book, the authors show their own marveling at the way that nature works and the incredible burden and hard work this little queen bee must accomplish to allow her offspring to survive. The text is simple and poetic, letting even the smallest children learn about bees and life cycles.

The illustrations are done in scratchboard art that richly mimics woodcut prints. The thick black lines are accompanied by natural colors that evoke the nature around the bee habitat, including a wide variety of the native plants and flowers that keep them alive. Detailed images of the bee lifecycle are shared, often embraced by oval shapes.

A gorgeous and informative look at the bee lifecycle. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
3,867 reviews24 followers
October 26, 2021
As fascinating as it is gorgeous, this nonfiction picture book introduces young readers to a native species, the rusty-patched bumblebee. Three veteran writes work together in lyrical prose, relating the life cycle of this tiny bee. A single queen winters over and in the spring, begins the colony by laying eggs, feeding the grubs and caring for the pupae. Eventually laying up to 500 eggs, the workers are all female until the fall when males and queens are born to fly off, mate and begin the cycle again.
The book is packed with information about this endangered native species, the types of flowers it needs and how to support them.

The illustrations by Claudia McGehee are created in what seems to be scratchboard with watercolor washes and they are stunningly beautiful. I would happily frame ANY of these to hang in my house to see every day.

Back matter provides more information about the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee and lists 10 practical and kid friendly things to do to help this struggling species.

This is an extraordinary nonfiction picture book and shouldn't be missed!!!
Profile Image for Mandy.
1,530 reviews20 followers
June 30, 2021
Children's narrative nonfiction. The plight of bees and other pollinators has been discussed in many sources, but many of them have focused on the honeybee that lives in hives managed by beekeepers. This book focuses on the native rusty-patched bumble bee, where the queen lives underground in the winter and creates a whole colony herself with the arrival of spring. Seeing this process step by step is very cool- she finds pollen, lays eggs, feeds the larvae, and finally gets female worker bees who can help find her food. At the end of the season, the eggs are males and future queens, ready to start the whole process again. The illustrations in this are stunning-- the illustrator says that it is scratchboard. Back matter includes more information on bumble bees, the rusty-patched bumble bee in particular, information on pollination, a list of things readers can do to help, and a a list of websites.
Profile Image for Edward Sullivan.
Author 5 books214 followers
August 2, 2021
A wondrous close-up look at the life cycle of the rusty-patched bumblebee queen who carries an entire colony of bees inside her tiny body. Her story begins in the spring when she emerges from a hole in the ground to search for pollen. She finds a nest, lays a few eggs, and seals them in pollen. All summer this single queen lays more eggs, and more worker bees hatch. They gather pollen and maintain the colony until next year's queen hatches in the fall. The queen bee’s life unfolds through Claudia McGehee's exquisite woodcut illustrations. Commentary at the end of the book offers suggestions for being a friend to bees as well as a good citizen of the natural world. It also introduces the native plants that bumblebees need for survival. The authors note that the rusty-patched bumblebee was one of the first bee species in the continental U.S. to be placed on the endangered species list.
Profile Image for Rachel Greening.
Author 1 book11 followers
October 30, 2021
My little ones LOVE learning about bees. That is why i picked this one up from my local bookshop. It follows the life cycle of a queen bee and her rusty-patched bumble bee colony. The cool thing about bees is that there are so many varieties! I loved learning about the rusty-patched bee and how they live and work. The illustrations are bold and distinct with deep black outlines. I liked how this artwork is different from most other books in our home library. I feel like because it is darker, my kids had to work harder at being observant to see what was going on. Taking time with each page, your kids will find something new upon each reading. The last page is filled with bee facts and ways humans can help them thrive.
Profile Image for Mary.
1,396 reviews15 followers
January 5, 2022
The life cycle of the rusty patched bumble bee is beautifully described in this narrative nonfiction picture book. Amazingly, a queen bee overwinters in a hole in the ground with all that is needed to begin a new colony contained in her tiny body. The lyrical prose goes on to explain what happens when the queen emerges in the spring and throughout the summer. The book also describes what habitat is beneficial for this endangered species.
I wished that in addition to the gorgeous art work there had been a photograph of an actual rusty-patched bumble bee. Students could be assigned to find one.
Tie-in:
-Bible/devotions: the marvels of creation.
-Science: life cycles of insects.
-Earth Day, conservation.
-RP Farm: insect-friendly gardens.
-Art: scratchboard technique.

Profile Image for Teresa.
149 reviews1 follower
July 26, 2021
This is a wonderful introduction to the life cycle of a honeybee, and pollination. I absolutely adored the illustrations. I think this would be great for storytime, especially for teachers that can take time and ask questions like "what are the bees doing right now, it's (blank) time of year" and inspire questions from kids like "how can we help the bees," etc. Love, love, love this book -- it'll definitely be a go-to for me.
Profile Image for Catherine Woodman.
5,333 reviews112 followers
August 1, 2021
Beautifully illustrated, this children's picture book is very oriented towards nature, the earth, and doing what is right and good for the planet, all the while talking about bees. All pollinators should be highly valued because they help feed us--I used to see my mint bed as a weed, but now I see that it is full of bees and butterflies and I know that it has a role that is greater than providing herbs for us. A lovely book.
Profile Image for Tori Rumschlag.
210 reviews1 follower
February 28, 2022
Begin with a Bee by Liza Ketchum, Jacqueline Briggs Martin, and Phyllis Root is a highly stylized book with spare, easy-to-read prose. The focus is on the life cycle of the queen bee and how bee hives interact with the world around them. It is comparable to The Bumblebee Queen, but with a more dramatic illustration style. This book begs to be closely examined, making it a better personal reading book than story time tale.
Profile Image for Tina Hoggatt.
1,076 reviews7 followers
July 20, 2023
What a team effort! Illustrator Claudia McGehee's familiar woodcut inspired illustrations are beautifully colored and her bees lead the way through the narrative, the life cycle of the rusty-patched bumblebee. The refrain "all by herself" emphasizes the solitary nature of this bee, and accrues to full-on admiration of her feats. Terrific back matter includes more facts about this bee and ten things we can all do to help. Lovely endpapers, too.
Profile Image for Sheri.
2,282 reviews6 followers
August 25, 2021
Story of the life of one queen bee, a rusty patched bee. Non-fiction about habitats and types of bees and what they need and where to locate them. Life cycle, colonies, underground nests as opposed to the ones hanging from trees. Good resource book on insects and bees.
Profile Image for charlene.librarian.
570 reviews1 follower
December 9, 2021
This is another amazing non-fiction picturebook for this year. Not only is the account of the journey/life cycle of the bee fascinating, but the illustrator's use of scratchboard is quite unique. One of my favorite books this year.
Profile Image for Hannah Jane.
762 reviews25 followers
December 29, 2021
What a wonderful way to get kids (and adults too) excited about bees! Begin with a Bee is truly a work of art. The illustrations, which use the scratchboard art technique, are phenomenal, radiating an electricity that buzzes. My favorite spread is the transformation of grubs to pupae. I can feel my heart and enthusiasm growing with each little change. There’s so much depth and movement in these pages! The language is equally rich, includes many flower names, and yet it’s not too dense. My favorite line is “Flowers drop seeds, seeds that started when bumble bees buzzed the pollen loose from the flowers…” Spanning the course of an entire year, beginning and ending with a small hole in a ground, and following the life of a queen rust-patched bee, this book is an outstanding journey into the life of bees.
Profile Image for Cara.
27 reviews1 follower
March 9, 2022
A narrative non-fiction book about the rusty-patched bumblebee. This book describes the life cycle of this bee as the queen bee creates an entire colony of bees. At the end there are more facts about bees and ten ways to be activists for this endangered bee species.
Profile Image for Caroline.
1,368 reviews3 followers
February 28, 2023
I had no idea a single queen bee hibernates to make a whole colony! I loved how informative this book was and that it describes something different than most "bee" books. The illustrations were really cool and the information in the back would be great to use for lesson planning or discussions.
Profile Image for Jenny.
2,916 reviews31 followers
March 6, 2023
Great for our unit on pollinators and on the life cycles of animals.

The illustrations in this book about the life cycle of a queen rusty-patched bumble bee are gorgeous! My students and I loved this book!
Profile Image for Landra Jennings.
Author 2 books61 followers
June 1, 2021
Sweet and melodic, with gorgeous illustrations. All the informative backmatter seems to make this one that would be great for the elementary and middle grade classroom. Loved it.
Profile Image for Michelle.
2,941 reviews27 followers
August 7, 2021
BEAUTIFUL art and very thoroughly explains the lifecycle of a bumblebee. The humans look weird, but it is a very stylized book.
Profile Image for Abby.
1,111 reviews7 followers
October 12, 2021
Another beautifully illustrated, informative and poetic title from the author of Creekfinding and collaborators
Profile Image for Jessica.
Author 7 books14 followers
March 6, 2022
Outstanding and visually appealing book connecting seasonal change, pollination, a bee’s life cycle, and the value of native species. A must-add to my classroom!
Profile Image for Lynn.
3,256 reviews60 followers
April 1, 2022
Great picture book. I never knew one queen could create a colony of bees. So great. Illustrations too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

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