Our Favorite Children’s Books About Bees
When you think of bees, you probably think of a bee flying from flower to flower collecting pollen to make honey. While this is a huge part of their day, they do so much more than that.
Bees make life on earth possible.
Bees do some of the most important work on Earth, they pollinate plants. They are responsible for 1/3 of our food production and without them we wouldn’t have foods such as apples, cherries, watermelons, and even coffee. The plants they pollinate also need their help to produce new seeds which will grow to become new plants. These tiny, busy bees play a very important roll in in the survival of plants and human beings.
Did you know… there are around 20,000 different species of bees or that bees must visit two million flowers in order to make one pound of honey?! Incredible! Flying to that many flowers means they fly about 50,000 miles… the same as flying around the world one and a half times! We never knew these tiny creatures had such an impressive resume.
We were so blown away by all the new information we learned about bees that we have put together a list to share of some of our favorite children’s books about bees. Our list also includes a BONUS section full of hands-on, child approved, interactive resources like games, puzzles, and craft supplies.
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PERHAPS some of these books about bees will help you have a better understanding of bees and how important they are to life on this planet. And always remember…
“Bee yourself!”
Genie, Disney’s Aladdin Movie
Children’s Books About Bees
Non-Fiction
- Hardcover Book
- Socha, Piotr (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 80 Pages – 03/28/2017 (Publication Date) – Abrams Books for Young Readers (Publisher)
Bees: A Honeyed History by Piotr Socha
- Hardcover Book
- Milner, Charlotte (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 48 Pages – 02/06/2018 (Publication Date) – DK Children (Publisher)
The Bee Book by Charlotte Milner
- Hardcover Book
- DK (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 224 Pages – 03/01/2016 (Publication Date) – DK (Publisher)
The Bee Book: Discover the Wonder of Bees and How to Protect Them for Generations to Come by DK
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Slade, Suzanne (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 24 Pages – 08/01/2010 (Publication Date) – Picture Window Books (Publisher)
What If There Were No Bees? A book about the grassland ecosystem. by Suzanne Slade
- Gail Gibbons (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- WILLIAM MORROW (Publisher)
The Honey Makers by Gail Gibbons
- Micucci, Charles (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 08/25/1997 (Publication Date) – Clarion Books (Publisher)
The Life and Times of the Honeybee by Charles Micucci
- Marsh, Laura (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 01/12/2016 (Publication Date) – National Geographic Kids (Publisher)
Bees: National Geographic Kids by Laura Marsh
- Esbaum, Jill (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 03/07/2017 (Publication Date) – National Geographic Kids (Publisher)
Explore My World: Honey Bees by Jill Esbaum
- Rockwell, Anne (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 05/03/2005 (Publication Date) – HarperCollins (Publisher)
Honey in a Hive (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) by Anne Rockwell
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Hardcover Book
- Huber, Raymond (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 09/10/2013 (Publication Date) – Candlewick (Publisher)
Flight of the Honey Bee by Raymond Huber
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Markle, Sandra (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 48 Pages – 01/01/2014 (Publication Date) – Millbrook Press (Publisher)
The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees: A Scientific Mystery by Sandra Markle
- Hardcover Book
- Quigley, Andrea (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 64 Pages – 06/06/2017 (Publication Date) – words & pictures (Publisher)
What On Earth? Bees by Andrea Quigley
- Wilson, Joseph S. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 288 Pages – 11/24/2015 (Publication Date) – Princeton University Press (Publisher)
The Bees In Your Backyard: A Guide to North American’s Bees by Joseph S. Wilson & Olivia Messinger Carril
- Buchmann, Stephen (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 228 Pages – 07/12/2011 (Publication Date) – Random House Children’s Books (Publisher)
Honey Bees: Letters from the Hive by Stephen Buchmann
- Patrick Perish (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 24 Pages – 08/01/2018 (Publication Date) – Bellwether Media (Publisher)
Bumblebees (Insects Up Close: Blastoff! Readers by Patrick Perish
- Hardcover Book
- Daniels, Jaret C. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 56 Pages – 05/28/2019 (Publication Date) – Adventure Publications (Publisher)
Our Love Of Bees by Jaret C. Daniels
- Woolf, Alex (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 09/01/2016 (Publication Date) – Franklin Watts (Publisher)
You Wouldn’t Want to Live Without Bees! by Alex Woolf
- Griffin Burns, Loree (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 80 Pages – 04/16/2013 (Publication Date) – Clarion Books (Publisher)
The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe by Loree Griffin Burns
- Hardcover Book
- Wilcox, Merrie-Ellen (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 48 Pages – 09/22/2015 (Publication Date) – Orca Book Publishers (Publisher)
What’s the Buzz?: Keeping Bees In Flight by Merrie-Ellen Wilcox
- Rockwood, Leigh (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 24 Pages – 01/30/2013 (Publication Date) – Powerkids Pr (Publisher)
Tell Me the Difference Between a Bee and a Wasp by Leigh Rockwood
- Hirsch, Rebecca E. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 104 Pages – 02/04/2020 (Publication Date) – Twenty-First Century Books ™ (Publisher)
Where Have All The Bees Gone? by Rebecca E. Hirsch
Picture Books
- Hardcover Book
- Fleming, Candace (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 02/04/2020 (Publication Date) – Neal Porter Books (Publisher)
Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming
- Hardcover Book
- Chrustowski, Rick (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 06/16/2015 (Publication Date) – Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (Publisher)
Bee Dance by Rick Chrustowski
- Polacco, Patricia (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 05/04/1998 (Publication Date) – Puffin Books (Publisher)
The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco
- Hardcover Book
- Nargi, Lela (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 03/08/2011 (Publication Date) – Schwartz & Wade (Publisher)
The Honeybee Man by Lela Nargi
- McGuinness, Elle J. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 14 Pages – 03/04/2014 (Publication Date) – Accord Publishing, a division of Andrews McMeel (Publisher)
Bee & Me by Elle J. McGuiness
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Hardcover Book
- Wilson, J. V. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 08/23/2011 (Publication Date) – Frances Lincoln Children’s Books (Publisher)
Bumblebee by J.V. Wilson
- Sayre, April Pulley (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 07/01/2006 (Publication Date) – Charlesbridge (Publisher)
The Bumblebee Queen by April Pulley Sayre
Poetry & Art
- Hardcover Book
- Florian, Douglas (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 03/06/2012 (Publication Date) – Beach Lane Books (Publisher)
UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian
Honeybee: Poems & Short Prose by Naomi Shihab Nye
Interactive Resources
- Complete Lifecycle: This set includes detailed figures representing each stage of a honey bee’s life cycle – egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
- Scientifically Accurate: Based on the Apis mellifera species, this set showcases the rapid transition of honeybees from eggs to hardworking adults within 21 days.
- THE HONEYBEE PUZZLE COMES WITH UNIQUE DESIGN YOU WILL LOVE – Be proud to display your assembled Honeybee 3D model decor & share the love for insects & puzzles with your loved ones. Ideal for kids & adults with a passion for bees and model building. This educational Honeybee 3D wooden puzzle is part of our Insects collection. It features realistic looking details & formidable design to help kids & teens learn more about this fascinating & important creature in a safe, fun, and entertaining way.
- FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY – Spend quality time playing The Bears and The Bees, a strategic tile laying card game perfect for 2-5 players. It’s easy to learn, making it the perfect game for kids, teens, and adults to play together.
- LEARN COLORS – Separate each bee from its hive and invite your child to use the tongs to bring each bee back to its correct home!
- ENCOURAGE COGNITIVE AND FINE MOTOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT – Grab and sort the bees to each corresponding hive and learn about color and bees!
- Wooden Ride-On: A bee-autiful and smiley ride-on toy made with natural wood!
- No Assembly: There’s no assembly required to ride – simply hop on, hold on to the handle, push with your feet, and go!
- Rotating Wheels: Ride wherever, however – the wheels rotate in 360 degrees!
- Made using the highest quality materials
- Award winning design
- Great fun for toddlers and children
- Easily animate the antics of this engaging Honey Bee plush hand puppet
- Ideal for stage and puppet theater, storytelling, teaching, daycare, pre-school, pretend play, role-playing, presentations, games, parties and gifts
- [SMOOTH FINISH] – Enjoy the joy of coloring with this box of crayons! Brilliant Bee Crayons feature vibrant colors that glide smoothly on paper and even on black paper, making them ideal for all your kids’ art supplies and creative projects
- [ERGONOMIC DESIGN] – Crafted with a triangle shape, these crayons for kids ages 4-8 provide a comfortable grip, ensuring young artists can focus on their creativity without strain. Plus, they’re designed to stay put and not roll off tables, making them perfect for school supplies
- Safe Alternative to Clay: Experience art through all senses with Stockmar Modelling Beeswax. Perfect for clay modeling, this product allows kids to engage with texture, color, and scent. Create with beeswax sheets or beeswax crayons for a full sensory experience.
- Use and Reuse: Modeling beeswax for kids stores nicely in the included cardboard sliding storage container and never dries out
- The insect nest box provide a safe environment where garden creatures can shelter, hibernate and lay their eggs, the insect house can also keep insects from entering your warm room.
- The insect hotel makes it easy to find and observe fascinating creatures. the butterfly, bees and ladybugs can use this product as habitat.
14 Comments
Jenn
Interesting information about bees! My brother just recently acquired some hives and I can’t believe the amount of honey he gets from them!
Trisha
Wow! We’ve looked into getting a hive because it sounds like a great learning opportunity, and possibly, a new business venture.
Amanda | Toddling Traveler
These are great books about bees! My son has been really into honey bees lately- I need to get him one!
Trisha
My son loves to watch them fly from flower to flower. It’s amazing he can slow down long enough to see it! 🙂 I hope you’re son enjoys reading these with you.
Beth
I’m interested in bees, plus finding a birthday gift for my grandson, who turns 1 next month, so this article is a win-win! I love the simple layout and great range of types of books. Will subscribe, too!
Trisha
Thank you so much, Beth! Right after my son turned one, we got him the Wheely Bee. He loved to ride around the house on it! Hope your son has a wonderful first birthday!
Hannah
Wow, that’s a really thorough list! Bees really are fascinating, and I don’t really know much about them – I definitely didn’t know there were so many species of bees! It’s never too young to start teaching kids the importance of nature and our beautiful planet, so I definitely want to read a few of these to my little one!
Trisha
We couldn’t agree with you more! It is important for parents to teach children the importance of nature and our planet. (We only have one Earth!) It’s amazing how much good it does for children, and adults, to be out in nature. We hope you and your family enjoy some of the books!
Heather
I LOVE this list! We’re huge bee lovers and this is such a comprehensive list of books that I’ve bookmarked it for future reference!
Trisha
Thank you so much, Heather! We are glad you enjoyed them! 🐝🍯
Jean C Williams
Love the post! I used to be the principal of a school where the Bee is the mascot. This would have been a great display to welcome all back to school and to get inspired for the year!
Charlene
Thank you! That is a great idea for a “welcome back” display! YAY for bees!
Beatrice
My son will enjoy all these books. We are going to see how many we can add to his reading list before the years out. Thank you for the information.
Trisha
You’re very welcome! We hope you find some books that you both will enjoy!