Bees: A Honeyed History

by Piotr Socha

Overview

One part science, one part cultural history, and countless parts fascination, Bees celebrates the important role that these intriguing insects have played in our ecosystem throughout the ages. From Athena to Alexander the Great and from Egypt to Ethiopia, Bees explores different methods of beekeeping and uncovers the debt that humans owe this vital species. With beautifully accessible illustrations depicting everything from bee anatomy to the essentials of honey making, readers will be captivated by the endless wonders of this seemingly small speck of the animal kingdom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419726156
Publisher:	ABRAMS
Publication date:	03/28/2017
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	187,362
Product dimensions:	10.80(w) x 14.60(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Piotr Socha studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. He has worked as an illustrator for many newspapers and magazines.

Editorial Reviews

**STARRED REVIEW**
"This book is also admirable in its scope, which goes beyond the scientific (anatomy,
pollination, communication, etc.) to include the bee’s place in history and culture...both whimsical and comprehensive; Socha has created what is quite possibly the sweetest resource on honey bees around."

Booklist

**STARRED REVIEW**
"This book is also admirable in its scope, which goes beyond the scientific (anatomy,
pollination, communication, etc.) to include the bee’s place in history and culture...both whimsical and comprehensive; Socha has created what is quite possibly the sweetest resource on honey bees around."—Booklist

From the Publisher

**STARRED REVIEW**
"This book is also admirable in its scope, which goes beyond the scientific (anatomy,
pollination, communication, etc.) to include the bee’s place in history and culture...both whimsical and comprehensive; Socha has created what is quite possibly the sweetest resource on honey bees around."

Booklist

06/01/2017
Gr 4–6—Comical and informative, this oversize, weighty compendium from Poland introduces an impressive array of bee and human history. Two-page topical entries are dominated by large, detailed illustrations with text running along the lower half of the pages. Bee bodies and behavior; hive building; social roles; the work of pollinating and honey production; the relationship between bees and prehistoric people, ancient Greeks, and Egyptians; and many, many other topics race along here. Illustrations of enlarged bees and humorous, stylized people are fun but also suggest that the work is meant to entertain more than inform. Some topics and explanations are sophisticated (biometrics, the Emperor Nero's wife Poppaea Sabina), and some are sketchy (how does pollen actually produce beets and cabbages?). Animal threats to bees are described, and the collapse of bee colonies in the United States in recent years is also mentioned. There's plentiful coverage of beekeeping throughout history and in today's world. Many topics nicely augment and complement other books on this familiar insect. However, the lack of typical nonfiction text features (table of contents, index, etc.) does limit the title's usefulness. VERDICT This big, browsable offering would be attractive where there's curriculum emphasis on bees or community interest in beekeeping.—Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston

School Library Journal