The Bee-Man of Orn: and Other Fanciful Tales [Paperback]

Frank Richard Stockton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 2007

In the ancient country of Orn, there lived an old man who was called the Bee-man, because his whole time was spent in the company of bees. He lived in a small hut, which was nothing more than an immense bee-hive, for these little creatures had built their honeycombs in every corner of the one room it contained, on the shelves, under the little table, all about the rough bench on which the old man sat, and even about the head-board and along the sides of his low bed.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-5--An aged Bee-man lives contentedly among his insect friends, surviving on honey and the occasional piece of meat, until the day an itinerant Junior Sorcerer informs him he's been transformed and encourages him to discover his "original form." On hearing this disturbing news, the Bee-man sets off. On his quest for his true nature, he rescues a baby from a dragon. His powerful attraction to the infant convinces him that this may be his original form and with the help of senior sorcerers he returns to his babyhood. The final scene describes a now-mature sorcerer, arriving at a small hut swarming with bees and finding, to his amazement, the once-again adult Bee-man. This delightful story about destiny, which first appeared in print in 1883, is illustrated primarily in earth tones. Sweeping vistas suffused with a long-ago-and-faraway atmosphere alternate with expressive spot art set against white backgrounds. Lynch has a talent for creating mysterious landscapes and capturing character: the befuddled, ragamuffin of a Bee-man and the "languid youth" he encounters in his travels, as well as the puerile sorcerer. The story has also been illustrated by Maurice Sendak (HarperCollins, 2003). His art, done in pastel colors and featuring a portly, heavily jowled Bee-man, highlights the humor of the tale. While readers with a philosophical bent may prefer Lynch's version, there is room on library shelves for both.--Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 1-3. Stockton's classic story, memorably and rather comically illustrated by Maurice Sendak in 1964, now appears in a large-format picture book with Lynch's dramatic illustrations. The unlikely hero is Bee-man, an old, "ugly, untidy, shriveled, and sun-burnt" figure who is contented with his life as a beekeeper until a young sorcerer informs him that he has been "transformed from something else." Seized with a determination to discover and recover his previous form, the Bee-man goes on a quest that takes him to a stately palace where he learns that noblemen sometimes act ignobly, into a cavern where he rescues a baby from a monstrous dragon, and to a village where he restores the infant to its mother and decides upon his own future. Lynch's spirited artwork, richly detailed and darkly atmospheric, provides a series of imaginative settings and creates a romantic and broadly appealing vision of this original fairy tale. Large in scale and epically cinematic in effect, the beautiful watercolor-and-gouache paintings create a mysterious "otherworld" that will remain part of children's imaginations long after they have graduated to novel-length fantasies. With pictures large enough for sharing with groups, this edition is a read-aloud treasure for good listeners. A DVD giving a behind-the-scenes look at the artist at work is included in the book. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 154 pages
• Publisher: BiblioBazaar (October 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0554135264
• ISBN-13: 978-0554135267
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Do you know that You have been Transformed?", March 16, 2004

By 

R. M. Fisher "Raye" (New Zealand = Middle Earth!) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Bee-Man of Orn (Hardcover)

Frank R. Stockton first wrote "The Bee-Man of Orn", a strange blend of folktale and original fairy story back in 1964, with illustrations by Maurice Sendak. Although good, Sendak's illustrations were bright and kooky, high-lighting the comic aspects of the story, rather than the deeper more thoughtful elements. On the whole, I prefer this new edition, with new illustrations by P. J. Lynch that create a more realistic and folktale-like setting.

The Bee-Man lives in a small hut in the countryside that has been so covered over by the honeycomb of his friends the bees that it resembles more of a hive. He's happy there, but is instantly alarmed by the arrival of a young Sorcerer, who informs him that his strange way of living has come about due to the fact that he's been *transformed*. Transformed from what? The Sorcerer doesn't know, but now the Bee-Man is determined to find out. Gathering a small hive of bees that he wears on his back, he begins his journey to find out what he once was, eventually coming to the mountains that hold the caves of dragons...

Meeting up with a Languid Youth who wants to be more energetic, the two enter the caves and find something there that will solve *both* their problems. The story ends on not one but two notes of the laughable actions of Fate and inevitabilty, leaving the story with a satisfying ending and a topic open for more discussion. How many children's books do you know that do *that*?

The story is charming and P. J. Lynch's illustrations are fantastic. His watercolours brilliantly convey the glorious green world of Orn and the expressive lined faces of the people within it. The pages of the book are large and glossy - giving his work their best chance to shine, and do so to their full effect in the scenes of open country and lofty caverns. If anyone has seen his illustrations in "Catkin", they'll know how good he is at underground scenes, and here they're even better: misty depths, fiery walls and rocky textures all seen real enough to touch.

Although the Languid Youth looks a bit too droopy to me, the Bee-Man is perfect in both his incarnations, and on the whole, Lynch's work better matches the text. Together, the story and the illustrations have an almost Tolkien flavour to them: the story could easily belong to "Tales from the Perilous Realm" or one of Middle-Earth's folktales, and I always recommend people to P. J. Lynch if they like the art of Alan Lee and John Howe. A big, beautiful book that has pictures that match the text perfectly - what more could you want?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Astoundingly Beautiful Illustrations & Story, July 14, 2006

By 

J. Wallace "aerojeenie" (Provo, UT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bee-Man of Orn (Hardcover)

Stockton outdid himself with this amazing story of the Bee Man - my all-time favorite picture book character.

Exquisitely illustrated by P.J. Lynch, the story comes to life to tell of the Bee Man, aptly named for the swarms of bees he keeps as company. A sorcerer comes to reveal a life-changing secret to him, so he sets out on a journey to confirm its truth, and therefore his own origin.

The living watercolor illustrations are positively luminous and as visually enchanting as any I've had the pleasure of witnessing. Impressive work by Lynch once again...he's truly one of the best in the business. The big bonus is the accompanying DVD highlighting Lynch's work in progress on this project. If you want to be awed, check it out.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bee Man of Orn, September 22, 2006

By 

Hope Formore (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bee-Man of Orn (Hardcover)

I agree with the above reviews completely! As an aspiring children's book writer and illustrator I can not praise JP Lynch's masterful ability to weave his illustrated visions with verse. I was so deeply taken by the detail of the illustrations of the book, that I was even more spellbound when I watched him share his process in the DVD. His journey into the illustrations is a wonderful accompaniment to the story, and not only that but the music that (he?) chose for the background make the adventure into his 'medievil world' all the more breath taking. I felt like I was there in the world of the story all the more as I watched the DVD & artwork unfold. I highly reccomend both the book and the DVD for aspiring artists and story lovers! As for children, or the child within any adult, it is a precious story of being true to who you already are!