What’s the Buzz? Honey for a Sweet New Year

Ofanansky and Alpern offer a fresh take on Rosh Hashanah with this picture book tour of a bee farm. Readers follow a children’s class as students are shown how bees make honey. Color photographs and a running narrative combine to produce an easy-to-grasp book that is about science but also about culture; honey plays a part in celebrations of Rosh Hashanah, when apples or challah are dipped in the viscous liquid and eaten, symbolizing the wish for a sweet new year. Children who dislike insects may be put off by the pictures of swarms of bees, one of which is the main element on the cover. But young scientists and naturalists will appreciate the detail, and parents and educators will welcome a new way to talk about a familiar holiday. Ages 3–8. (Sept.)