Milk Without Honey

Through elegant yellow and black illustrations, Harms’s powerful English-language debut traces the ecosystems that pollinators inhabit—and exposes the dangers that threaten their existence. A series of overlapping geometric panels shows a single bee’s voyage from a small flower petal to a thriving hive, charting a “mental map of signposts” along the way. Harms contrasts this micro view with the larger systems that bees help sustain, which have been decimated by human behaviors. For example, global travel has spread bee-killing mites across the world, climate change has created dry spells that stall nectar production, and pesticides—no matter how they’re regulated—eliminate colonies in droves. Suddenly, Harms’s bursting yellow panels disappear and a colorless, desolate landscape demonstrates a gray future without pollinators. The solution, according to Harms, is no less than “a new world” where humans collectively respect and commit to a holistic, ecological mindset. Like the bee’s journey, that new world starts with a small step: planting a few seeds. Readers will be convinced by this firm and vibrantly drawn warning call. (Sept.)