Customer Reviews

Buzz Bumble to the Rescue

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lynn Hazen, a preschool director and recent graduate of Vermont College's prestigious MFA program for writing children and young adults books, is one of the cleverest phrase-turners in the bizzy field of picture books. Here she explores the rivalry between an insect (who's simply the bee's knees) and his honey of a newborn sister, who quickly and inadvertently wins the heart of the hive. Listen to Hazen's economical, humorous development of character and plot in the opening:

"Buzz Bumble was a medium sized bee, but he could fly fast, dance the bee dance, and buzz and tumble with gusto. All the bees admired his talents.
`Look at Buzz fly!' gasped Humble Bumble.
`That Buzz sure can bring home the nectar,' said Senor Sting.
`I hope Ansel Antennae features Buzz in the next National Bee-Graphic,' Ms. Bizzy said."

Hazen adds other memorable phrases that should appeal to both children and adults. For example, Buzz Bumble is not just a happy bee; rather, his "wings vibrated with joy." Little Baby Bumble isn't just a cuddle-bug; "She's sweeter than all the nectar in the garden." Alliterative phrases and a glancing reference to Buzz landing on his "bumble bum" add to the fun.

Buzz doesn't like all this fawning over his new little sister ("Why were they droning on and on about her?"), especially when it takes so much time to teach her the a, b, c' s of being a bee, and Ansel Antennae is about to land! Tears flow from Buzz's eyes: "'No one cares about me anymore,' he sighed." With ease and humor, Ms. Hazen portrays some of the deep feelings engendered by the arrival of a new brother or sister. She also shows a way out of these complicated feelings. When Baby Bumble falls into an insect-eating flower, Buzz heroically (ok, and maybe not very realistically) holds open the dangerous flower so that Baby can escape. Not only do the siblings share their newfound feelings by rubbing each other's antennae, but bearded, bald Ansel--looking like a BEEtnik at a freaky costume party--gets the action on film. When they both appear on the cover of National Bee-graphic, brother and sister share the spotlight together.

Jill Newton fills the pages with big petals of highlighted color and some subtle texture. You can almost smell the ripe sweet flowers in mauves and purples against a brilliantly blue rococo sky. The facial expressions are easily recognizable and don't minimize the hurt felt by Buzz. I did find the yellowish-green "skin" tone of one bee, "Humble Bumble" somewhat unpleasant, and the intense colors make the book somewhat more suitable for large room rather than intimate reading settings. There's also a puzzling discontinuity between one line of text and the illustrations. We're told that "when Buzz flew in for a dramatic finish...he got bumped out..." Bumped out of what? Perhaps the flower patch because Baby and her admirers were crowding it? It's difficult to say because the illustration doesn't show the action.

Hazen and Newton show the climactic rescue in a dramatic, potentially scary scene: We see "Baby" inside the hungry flower, and the text reads, "No one knew what to do. It was too horrible to watch." However, the happy resolution comes quickly and the outcome is never really in doubt. The rescue adds excitement and emotion to what could have been an overly sweet or preachy "lesson" about getting along with the family newBEE. (I should warn you that this book may inspire punning.) Overall, another excellent book by Ms. Hazen(http://www.lynnhazen.com), a talented and entertaining writer who respects the intelligence and psychology of her audience.

NOTE: As mentioned above, Ms. Hazen is among the students, alumnae, and faculty at Vermont College, a coterie that includes the outstanding work of such current students as Lynn Hazen, Karen Ehrhardt (her wonderful "This Jazz Man" is due out in April, 2006), Ed Briant, Jane Buchanan, Liza Donnelly, Hatsy McGraw, Barbara Santucci, Jennifer Gennari Shepherd; alumni Lynn Hazen, René Colato-Lainez, Mindy Hardwick, Helen Hemphill, Kim Justesen, Judith Kuns, Jane Legrow, Joann Early Macken, Carolyn Marsden, Carmela Martino, Lauren Myracle, Shenaaz Nanji, Candice Ransome, Anita Riggio, Mary Ann Rodman, April Pulley, Leda Schubert, Ann Teplick, Beckie Weinheimer, Deborah Wiles, and Gretchen Woelfle; and faculty members Tobin Anderson, Kathi Appelt, Marion Dane Bauer, Margaret Bechard, Ronald Koertge, Ellen Levine, Tim Wynne Jones, and Liza Ketchum.

Buzz Bumble is top dog. Or, more appropriately top bee. All the bees in the garden are awed by the speed he can fly, the amount of nectar he can bring home, his humdinger of a bee dance, and other talents.

To say that Buzz enjoys this attention is putting it mildly - he revels in it. Why, Ansel Antennae, a renowned photographer is coming to the garden, and Buzz's wings quiver at the thought of being photographed.

But suddenly Buzz is no longer the A-List bee, his position usurped by the arrival of Baby Bee. All the others hovered around the new arrival exclaiming how cute and sweet she is. A sulking Buzz wonders, "Why were they droning on and on about her?" He thought she should be sent right back to the Queen Bee. Then, to add insult to injury he was told to look after the little one.

Well, little bees aren't aware of all the dangers in a garden. Baby Bee fell right into a Venus Fly Trap. Buzz was the only one who saw this. The question is what will he do, if anything?

Young readers will enjoy the sunshine bright illustrations as well as discover that sibling rivalry isn't limited to humans.

My 4 1/2 year old son loves this book. His favorite part is when Buzz comes to the rescue. It is beautifully written and illustrated. What a wonderful story about sibling rivalry.

What a recognizable situation! You think you're the cutest thing on the block and then your little sister steals the show. It is a great book about sibling rivalry that kids relate to. Lynn Hazen's witty writing and humorous puns make this book funny and charming. Buzz shows his true character when he puts aside his pride and envy and risks all to save his little sister.
Jill Newton's illustrations are luminous. Her bright, vivid colors remind me of ice-cream cones and add to the summery, happy feeling this book gave me. The round bodies and little wings of the bees are adorable and reflect the images Lynn evokes with the text ("Baby fluttered her tiny wings").
I like Buzz and Baby and want to hear more about them!

This is a very nice book and pretty suitable for children from the age of 0-6. Especially the drawings are just lovable.

I loved this book, especially the delightful language and plays on words. For instance, a photographer is named Ansel Antennae. And it's nice to see a picture book with insect characters that's not just an excuse to teach about things like metamorphosis. Instead, Buzz Bumble to the Rescue has an exciting plot. The illustrations and words go together perfectly and both boys and girls will enjoy the story.