Bee-Loving Stories: The Best Picture Books About Bees
If you purchase through affiliate links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only link to products I recommend, from companies I trust.
Updated: November 9, 2023
While it may not be the coolest fun fact, I’ve dedicated hours to researching children’s books about bees. From over 40 titles, I’ve chosen my top 12 absolute favorite bee books.
Categories
As a nature lover, I worry about pollinators’ well-being. I hope we can raise a generation of bee savers through these books. For more bee-related learning, check out my list of play-based bee activities.
Bee Stories
Bee & Me by Alison Jay
Wordless books are a must-have for every child’s bookshelf. They offer a new experience with each reading and encourage children to use their imagination. Bee & Me is a tall tale with action-packed illustrations to spark conversations between you and your child.
Swarm of Bees by Lemony Snicket & Rilla Alexander
Swarm of Bees is a relatable story featuring a mischievous main character, reminiscent of No David! books. I recommend displaying this book in your classroom’s art center to inspire bingo-dobber artwork.
The Bee by Becky Han, illustrated by Tindur Peturs
Based on the author’s award-winning Inuit song, this story follows a child’s adventure to escape a bee. Eventually, she discovers a new perspective on her buzzing companion, making this a great story to talk about prejudice. Embrace diverse characters and communities by including this book in your child’s library or classroom.
Please Please the Bees by Gerald Kelley
A bear is living the honey-sweet life until the bees go on strike. Soon, he learns that he needs to give and not just take. Please Please the Bees is a longer-text book, so you can always adjust to your audience by “picture reading.” Its action-packed illustrations are ideal for narrating a simpler version based on the pictures. The story and illustrations are also an opportunity to discuss the concept before and after.
Omar, the Bees and Me by Helen Mortimer, illustrated by Katie Cottle
Omar, the Bees, and Me is just an adorable book all around, from the charming illustrations to the empowering storyline. It features diverse families, friendship themes, and the relationship between humans and the bee population. For bee-loving kids, this book shares new topics not found in many bee-themed books. Watch the illustrator demonstrate painting flowers from the book here.
The Thing About Bees: A Love Letter by Shabazz Larkin
The Thing about Bees is a unique board book celebrating the wonders of bees and their impact on the world. This book is a heartwarming, poetic “love letter” from a father to his children.
Shop the Book List
Bookshop.org is an incredible online bookseller supporting small, local bookstores. Grow your library and feel good about it.
Check it out >
Books to Learn about Bees
Bee: A Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup
Explore the special connection between bees and flowers in this vibrant picture book. The “peekaboo holes” create an interactive reading experience where you can invite children to guess about the next page. With its bold, colorful illustrations, this book is a delightful read for kids.
The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
From the flower hunt to honey, this bee picture book takes readers through a hive’s entire process. Ideal for preschoolers, The Honeybee offers an informative introduction. With Toddlers, I prefer to focus on the book’s fun action words (tap tap tap, zoooom, buzz buzz, waggle wiggle) to enhance language skills.
Bee Dance by Rick Chrustowski
This interactive bee book is perfect for young readers. After enjoying the story, invite children to move like bees for a hands-on learning experience. Bee Dance is a great companion to the book The Honeybee (also on this list).
Explore My World: Honey Bees by Jill Esbaum
Enhance your bee-themed book list with real photographs that bring the natural world to life. The Explore My World series by National Geographic offers captivating images and less text-heavy content suitable for early readers.
Beehive by Jorey Hurley
Beehive is a perfect bee book for infants and toddlers. Each page is a single bee-related word against minimalist illustrations. I enjoy the simplicity of this book, but it can also be used for counting, naming colors, or starting conversations about bee behavior.
The Beeman by Laurie Krebs & Valeria Cis
I’ve chosen The Beeman over other beekeeping children’s books because it beautifully portrays a multigenerational relationship between a child and their grandfather, skillfully narrated in rhyme. This book not only provides valuable bee-related vocabulary but also offers insights into the world of beekeeping and bee behavior, making it a must-have addition to my book list.
I recommend BookShop.org as an alternative to amazon. Each purchase on BookShop.org supports local and independent bookstores.
