Gr 2-4Beatrice, a honeybee growing up in the Loire Valley of France, is carefully taught how to make the best honey, how to keep the honeycomb clean, and how to keep the beehive a "safe and sound" place to live. At first, the eager young bee enthusiastically follows her sisters' lead, but she soon grows tired of the tedious regiment and is curious about the wider world. When the bee-master's daughter takes a bicycle trip to the Chteau of Villandry, Bea follows the girl and is enthralled by the incredible beauty of the vast gardens. The weather changes abruptly, however, and the pleasant sojourn becomes a life-threatening experience. Fortunately, the bee-master comes to the rescue and carries Bea back to the hive. The young honey maker realizes how lucky she is to have survived and that rules are for her own good. While didactic in nature, the somewhat contrived plot does reinforce to children the need for rules to define acceptable behavior and to insure safety. The oversized, double-spread watercolors depict the French countryside and the busy work of the bees. Unfortunately, the pedestrian artwork does little to lighten the message. The endpapers add interesting trivia about France, pollination, and other related topics, but they are hardly enough to make this a priority purchase.Debra Gold, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma Heights, OH
