The Top Books All Bee Lovers Should Have On Their Shelf

Published on October 13, 2020

When does a love for bees or beekeeping begin? Many of us first learn about bees through the school nursery rhyme I’m Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee. The tune seems harmless at first but ends with a child squishing the bee after being stung. Not exactly the sort of thing to start ingraining in a child’s head when it comes to our trusty pollinators. Bees are often painted as villains in movies and on tv, except for Buzzbee from Honey Nut Cheerios and Barry B. Benson from the Bee Movie. The portrayal of bees doesn’t get much better as kids get older.

Luckily, we live in a world in which there are *drumroll please* BOOKS! While nursery rhymes and movies tend to paint bees as villains, there is a whole arsenal of books at our fingertips all about the benefits of bees.

At Beepods, we are all about bee education for people of all ages, so we’ve compiled a list of books to help kids, bee enthusiasts, and beekeepers understand and appreciate our pollinator friends.

The Little Beekeeper

These colorful and creative books are for kids ages 4-9 and are an informative and friendly way for youngins to learn about bees and their impact on our environment.

The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall
This beautifully written and illustrated book takes kids on a pollinator adventure. They’ll follow a gorgeous honey bee on her daily routine to collect pollen and nectar for the hive. Kids will learn about different plants, honey bee roles, changing seasons, and the environment.
Please Please the Bees by Gerald Kelley

This fun picture book is about a bear named Benedict who gets three jars of honey delivered by his bee neighbors everyday. But one day, the bees stop bringing honey and go on strike! They aren’t happy about their living conditions and the lack of forage around their home. This book has a clever way of showing how we can take bees for granted. If we don’t provide them with a healthy environment to live in then we won’t get our honey, among all the other benefits they provide!
The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive by Joanna Cole
Who remembers The Magic School Bus?!? These are engaging and educational books to show your kids. Hop on the bus with Ms. Frizzle and fly into the world of the honey bee. Kids will learn about how the workers, drones, and the queen bee work together as a colony. They’ll also learn how the bees make honey, beeswax, and propolis!
Give Bees a Chance by Bethany BartonThis wonderfully crafted book does an excellent job of explaining why bees and other insects aren’t something to be afraid of. The author explains how bees help our food grow and our environment thrive. This is a great chance for kids to learn more about the pollinators around them.
Honorable mention:Earlier this year we wrote a blog about a teenager in Louisville who wrote a book about how beekeeping benefitted his mental health. His book, Honey bees and Beekeeping: A Mental Health Miracle is a great starting point for kids who are interested in beekeeping.

Beekeeping Bookshelf

These are our top picks for beekeeping guides, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned beek.

The Backyard Beekeeper by Kim Flottum

Beginners, this one’s for you! This book goes in-depth about everything you will need to start beekeeping. The author provides excellent advice on what to wear, where to site your hive, and how to harvest honey. Speaking of honey, this book has a honey recipe guide attached making it the perfect tool for someone looking to live a sweet and healthy life.
The Beekeepers Bible by Richard Jones and Sharon Sweeney-Lynch

Go to any beekeeper’s house and you will most likely see this on their shelf. Whether they picked it up themselves or it was gifted to them, most beekeepers have flipped through its pages at one point or another. Besides being beautifully written, this book has the tips and tricks to help make you a better beekeeper but it also contains beekeeping history and a cookbook, making it the ultimate guide for beekeepers everywhere.
The Practical Beekeeper by Michael Bush

If you’re a treatment-free, all-natural beekeeper, this is the guide for you! The author gives his best advice and hands-on knowledge so that your bees can live the most natural life possible. Taken from his years of experience, this is the ultimate guide for natural beekeeping!

The Bee Lovers

Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings by Helen Jukes

This book centers around author Helen Jukes as she becomes tired of her mundane office job and constant fatigue of frequent moves. When she moves to Oxford, a friend gifts hers a bee colony and she dives headfirst into the world of beekeeping. Although her personal and professional life are chaotic, she finds peace and solace with her bees.
Dr. Jamoke’s Little Book of Hitherto Uncompiled Facts and Curiosities about Bees by Hezekiah Jamoke and Glenn Alan Cheney

This book isn’t very long but it is packed full of odd bee facts and tips every bee enthusiast should know! You’ll learn about bee myths and legends and have great, quirky bee anecdotes to tell at parties.
Bee Quest by Dave Goulson
Goulson goes on a hunt for an elusive bee, from the UK all the way to South America. Along the way he has an adventure of a lifetime and learns about the world around him. Strap in for a fun and humorous adventure that may inspire you to grab your passport.
Buzz by Thor Hanson
This is another great book about bee adventures. Join author Thor Hanson as he travels all over North and South America to research and understand all things that buzz. From the US-Mexico border down to the Amazon Rainforest, Hanson paints a vivid tale of his adventures and educates his readers on the history of bees and their overall importance to the natural world.

Final Thoughts

Books are magical and important, much like bees. These books help us understand our pollinator friends and demonstrate why they aren’t something to be feared or squished. Have you read any of these books? Do you have any suggestions? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at info@beepods.com with the subject line Bee Books. Keep reading, keep learning, and keep beekeeping for the bees.

Looking for the perfect recipe book to sweeten up your kitchen? Check out Beepods’ own recipe ebook! It’s full to the brim with sweet recipes and fun crafts!

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