The Bumblebee Queen [Paperback]

250 Species of Bumblebees in the World.

Award-winning author April Pulley Sayre introduces young readers to the bumblebee queen in simple, captivating language. From her underground nest as spring warms the ground, to her efforts to build and care for her colony, all aspects of the bumble- bee queen's lifecycle are fully explained, with fascinating details even young children will understand.

Patricia Wynne’s scientifically accurate illustrations detail hive life so beautifully, you can almost hear the constant buzz and smell the flowers. Young readers will look at bumblebees in a whole new light.

Includes ideas for good bee-havior, suggested reading, and Web sites for further study.In the spring, a queen bee digs her way out of the ground and flies off to drink nectar and search for a home for her colony. She settles into an old mouse nest, makes a waxy cup for storing nectar, lays eggs, tends them, and hatches them. After going through the larval stage, the new bees become workers, drones, and queens. In the fall, the new queens mate with drones before burrowing underground for the winter. A dual text conveys the main facts in large-type words, carefully chosen for sound as well as meaning. In a smaller font, another paragraph on each page or double-page spread offers related information in greater detail. Precise ink drawings with watercolor washes illustrate the text with clarity, simplicity, and skill. An appended spread includes a circular illustration of the bee's life cycle as well as more facts about U.S. bees and pollination, suggested activities, tips on observing bees, and short lists of recommended books and Web sites. Informative and attractive.
—Booklist

We join a queen bee as she emerges in spring and begins the process of colony building and reproduction. She carefully chooses a nesting site, builds her hive, lays eggs, and cares for the drones,l#-