Beehive

Hurley’s signature style—single, carefully chosen words paired with illustrations notable for their sophisticated minimalist aesthetic—illuminates wild honeybees. Beginning with the “buzz” of a lone bee over a field of lilac-hued blooms, this spare story, told mostly in images, wends its way as the bees “swarm” and “explore,” “find” a tree to “build” a hive where the queen can “lay” eggs. After they “feed” the larvae, which become “grown,” and “fly,” the story shifts into “collect” and “pollinate” before the bees must “guard,” “sting,” and “keep” their ultimate creation: “honey.” Hurley’s author’s note cleverly uses these same words in a fuller narrative explaining their occurrences. Hurley’s clean-line pictures—egg-shaped dots in orange hexagonal cells; yellow-and-black bees perched in flowers’ centers, collecting orange pollen—clearly illustrate each concept, offering an appealingly simple introduction to a beloved insect. Ages 3–7. [em](Jan.) [/em]