The Honey Makers [Hardcover]

Gail Gibbons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1997 | Age Level: 5 and up

An introduction to the busy life of honey bees which describes the three types of honey bee, the special tasks performed by each, their importance to our ecology and the honey that they produce. With full colour illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 1^-4. The author introduces young readers to honeybees and bee culture in this informative picture book. She explains the organization of a hive, the life cycle of these social insects, and typical beekeeping practices. Of particular note are the sections on making honey (nectar is passed by mouth back and forth until it becomes drier and thicker) and the functions of adult worker bees (whose job descriptions progress from housekeeper to nurse to wax maker to guard to forager)--details not often included in books for this age group. Gibbons' signature full-color artwork makes each page a visual delight, and numerous inset captions and labels add to the wealth of knowledge found in the text. Appended with a beekeeper's monthly diary and a list of additional facts, this will be welcomed by report writers and browsers alike. Kay Weisman

From Kirkus Reviews

Although most folks buy it in a simple jar, honey is nothing short of miraculous in the way it is manufactured--bees use nectar from over a million flowers just to make one pound of the stuff. It's that kind of fact that pops up frequently as Gibbons (Country Fair, 1994, etc.) investigates the lives of these industrious ``manufacturers'' and their relationship to humans through beekeeping. She follows a worker bee from birth through its many jobs: house bee, nurse, wax maker, guard, and forager. Queens, drones, and life within the hive are all covered in detail. Outside the hive, the beekeepers are busy, too, setting up the hive, maintaining it, and collecting and processing the honey. Gibbons includes sample pages for each month from a beekeeper's diary--even in the cold months of December and January, there is work to be done. Bright pictures back up the text in a slightly looser--still highly detailed--line than is Gibbons's typical style. She incorporates some of the clich‚s about bees into the book, giving real meaning to beeline and busy as a bee. A final page rounds up some random tidbits, covering everything from stings to honey flavors. Bee-utiful. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5+) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (March 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688113869
• ISBN-13: 978-0688113865
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,627,841 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gail Gibbons has published close to fifty distinguished nonfiction titles with Holiday House. According to "The Washington Post," "Gail Gibbons has taught more preschoolers and early readers about the world than any other children's writer-illustrator." She lives in Vermont. Her website is www.gailgibbons.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Honey Makers, January 6, 2008

By 

sharon "Queenbee" (ST JOSEPH, Macau) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Honey Makers (Paperback)

This is an excellent book reviewing the basics of bee anatomy and the honey making process, not only for children but also for novice beekeepers. Beautiful illustrations as well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, February 4, 2009

By 

Sunshine Rowley (New Fairfield, CT) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Honey Makers (Paperback)

I found a copy of this book in the Science museum in Sudbury--I was amazed by all the things I learned about bees. I highly recommend this book.

4.0 out of 5 stars a big help for a vacation bible school mission project, July 9, 2009

By 

Judith L. Harvey (West Newton, Pa USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Honey Makers (Hardcover)

The book was suggested as a good resource for honey bee information for children. A daily talk with the children using this book and other sources was very helpful. On the last day, I drew a name from all those attending and gave the book to a [...]. It was a big hit!