Bees. A Honeyed History by Wojciech Grajkowski

Bees A Honeyed History is an extraordinary book about all things pertaining to bees.The text was written by Wojciech Grajkowski who was once a researcher at the Institute of Experimental Biology and it is illustrated by Piotr Socha.

Bees A Honey History will answer every question you can possibly have about bees their history and their relationship with man and the natural world. Topics Grajkowski tackles include how the bee we know today evolved, the anatomy of the honey bee, the life cycle of the bee including information about the queen. Readers will learn how bees communicate with one another and why they swarm. The bee's role in pollinating plants so they can make seeds is presented along with other creatures who are pollinators.

There is a fascinating section on the relationship between bees and humans, beginning with evidence of man's earliest encounters with bees, to the Ancient Egyptians and the Ancient Greeks (who believed "honey was elixir of the gods") to the legend of St. Ambrose and to Napoleon and Josephine who replaced the gold fleur-de-lis of the Bourbon kings with embroidered bees on their garments.

As if this isn't enough there are two-page spreads, titled The Daily Buzz, which are filled with facts and trivia about bees. For example, did you know that the bees first trip out of the hive in spring is to go to the bathroom?

Grajkowski informs readers about bee keeping with detailed diagrams of a modern bee hive, types of beehives used throughout the world, information about the equipment of beekeepers and how bees make honey. Bees A Honeyed History concludes with a look at the bees most significant predators and touches briefly on how agricultural practices are impacting bees today.

Each page is gorgeously illustrated with the artwork of Piotr Socha in a style that will be appealing to younger readers. The depth of the information presented in this book is fantastic and makes it quite engaging. Bees A Honeyed History is a large book with an brilliant yellow cover, swarming with...bees!

Book Review:

Bees. A Honeyed History by Wojciech Grajkowski
New York: Abrams Books for Younger Readers     2017
80 pp.