When I first introduced the idea of beekeeping to my kids, Kiwi put on her grouchiest frowny face. “Me no like bees,” she said. “Bees sting me!” I tried to explain to her that honeybees are, in fact, mostly docile and that it’s wasps and hornets that aggressively sting, but the distinction was lost on my toddler. Yet I was determined to get the whole family on board with backyard beekeeping—and these wonderful children’s books about bees helped us get there!
We’ve had these children’s books about bees in our rotation for about a month now, and the girls have gone from going “eek!” whenever anyone said “bee” to asking to read these, playing bees (complete with waggle dances!) and asking to make our own mason bee houses.
With beekeeping season upon us—and with us about to set up our brand-new beehive—the timing for their enthusiasm about pollinators couldn’t be better.
Whether you’re interested in family beekeeping or you just want your kids to learn about these crucial pollinators, these children’s books about bees are a wonderful starting point!
I am so sick of “X is for xylophone.”