The Broken Bees' Nest

January 15, 2019
This entry in the Makers Make It Work series elucidates bee biology and beekeeping within an easy-to-read multicultural story. While searching for the perfect tree to build their treehouse, Arun and his little sister, Keya, stumble upon a damaged feral bees' nest in an oak. They turn to Dr. Chen, a neighbor who has beehives in her backyard and sells honey at the farmers market. Arun, Keya, and Dr. Chen work together to relocate the bees to another hive and then to harvest and bottle the honey from the original comb. In the end, Arun reclaims the tree for their treehouse and crowns his sister "Queen Bee." The text is a bit heavy-handed here and there: "Arun checked with his parents first. When their dad said yes, they raced to Dr. Chen's house." While these didactic intrusions are well-meant, they weigh down the text, making the story less lively and zippy than the title and the illustrations by Ceolin would suggest. Still, the scientific information contained in both the narrative and supplementary inserts throughout, as well as the suggested "maker" activity in the backmatter (planting a bee-friendly garden), is top-notch. Notably, the feral hive is accurately depicted--a rarity. Arun and Keya's family seem to be South Asian, and Dr. Chen is probably Chinese. Simultaneously publishing are series companions The Lost and Found Weekend, about sewing; Rocket Rivals, about rocketry; and Slime King, about chemistry.A solid addition to any classroom library, with the added bonus of a cast that's wholly people of color. (Early reader. 6-9)

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March 1, 2019
Grades K-3 As Arun and his younger sister, Keya, walk through the woods looking for a place for their new treehouse, they spy the perfect tree?except it is abuzz with angry honeybees. Arun notices the beehive is damaged and suggests they ask Dr. Chen, the bee expert, to help fix it. She and the children return to the tree, don protective clothing, capture the queen bee in a special box, and relocate the colony to one of Dr. Chen's wooden hives. Part of the Makers Make It Work series, this early reader allows children to identify a problem, solve it (with adult assistance), and learn interesting information at the same time. Short sentences, generous dialogue, and plentiful colorful illustrations make this an attractive book for home or classroom.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2019
In each of these early-reader stories, the main character employs a makerspace skill--chemistry, rocketry, beekeeping, and sewing--to solve a problem. If the child's first effort fails, he or she persists to achieve success. The various illustrations (by different artists) are serviceable and the stories are fairly engaging, but kids will likely be more interested in the instructions for hands-on activities. Useful for early-elementary classrooms and makerspaces.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)