The bee tree

Patricia Polacco

Book - 1993

To teach his daughter the value of books, a father leads a growing crowd in search of the tree where the bees keep all their honey.

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Location Call Number   Status
Children's Room jE/Polacco Checked In
Subjects
Genres
Picture books
Published
New York : Philomel Books c1993.
Language
English
Main Author
Patricia Polacco (-)
Physical Description
unpaged : ill
ISBN
9780399219658
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Ages 5-8. When Mary Ellen complains to Grampa that she's tired of reading her book, he proposes they hunt for a bee tree. Assorted eccentric neighbors join them as they chase bees across the countryside, find the tree, build a smoky fire, gather the honey, and celebrate the occasion. Back at home, Grampa spoons a drop of honey onto Mary Ellen's book and bids her, "Taste," saying, "There's such sweetness inside books too . . . adventure, knowledge, wisdom. But these things do not come easily. You must pursue them. Just like we ran after the bees to find their tree, so you must also chase these things through the pages of a book!" With a lively plot and a beautifully depicted backdrop of a rural Michigan community early in the twentieth century, this book delivers its lovely sentiment with originality and verve. (Reviewed Mar. 1, 1993)039921965XCarolyn Phelan

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

The newest gem from Polacco's treasure chest of family stories extolls the virtues of reading--and of taking a study break. Young Mary Ellen would rather be ``outdoors running and playing'' than indoors with a book. Sympathetic to her feelings, her grandfather suggests that they find a bee tree. The Michigan woods literally buzz with activity as Mary Ellen and Grampa chase a pollen-laden bee to its far-off hive, picking up curious neighbors and passers-by along the way. Before long the original pair becomes a ``thundering stampede of goats, buggies, people and bikes'' in search of honey. Polacco's rollicking text provides a bubbly, adventurous tone for her cumulative romp. Boisterous color brings to life the characters' old-fashioned garb and the unspoiled lushness of the rural 19th-century setting. Fine pencil detail highlights stray pieces of hair blown back by the breeze, and the joy and determination on the faces of the honey hunters. Like Mary Ellen, readers will emerge refreshed from this respite, ready to seek out new adventures. Ages 4-8. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 2-- Polacco has created another charming picture book featuring a child learning from a grandparent in an idyllic pastoral setting. Mary Ellen complains that she is tired of reading. Her grandfather replies that ``. . . this is just the right time to find a bee tree!'' They chase bees through the Michigan countryside, are soon joined, a la ``The Gingerbread Man,'' by a number of bystanders, and are finally led to the hive. At the end of the story, Grampa drops a bit of honey on a book's cover and tells Mary Ellen to compare its sweetness to that which is found inside: ``Just like we ran after the bees to find their tree, so you must also chase these things adventure, knowledge, and wisdom through the pages of a book!'' While the message may not be as emotionally resonant as the themes found in Thunder Cake (Philomel, 1990) or Babushka's Doll (S. and S., 1990), both the writing and artwork are fresh and inviting. There is a marvelous specificity to the names and places found within the story, and the pacing is appropriately reckless. The double-page spreads are done in Polacco's distinctive multimedium style and are beautifully composed. Her use of white space sets off the clear yet unusual colors. Well worth pursuing. --Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review

On the day that Mary Ellen announces she is tired of reading, Grampa carefully traps and then releases a series of bees so that he and his granddaughter can follow the insects back to their tree. The fast-paced adventure story, which contains a moral about the value of books and reading, features a generous amount of white space and large, brilliantly colored pictures. From HORN BOOK 1993, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

Surely Grampa, slouched cozily between bookcase and stove, isn't tired of reading, but Mary Ellen is--and Grampa has the perfect diversion: he catches a few bees in the garden, then frees them, one by one, so the two can trail them to their tree. In cumulative style, several colorful neighbors (``Einar Tundevold''; `' `Klondike' Bertha Fitchworth''; ``Feduciary Longdrop'' and his goats) join them; together, they smoke out the bees, wrap comb honey in the clean diapers of Baby Sylvester (who has come along with his mom), and go home for tea, biscuits, and honey, as well as ``tall tales and raucous laughter as they all buzzed about the sweet adventure of that day.'' The illustrations set these cheery goings-on back when some folks in Michigan still wore clothes from the old country (and diapers were routinely boiled!); as is her wont, Polacco uses bold areas of white, swatches of bright patterning, and creative perspectives with unusual energy and good humor. In the end, Grampa also has a unique way to sweeten Mary Ellen's book. Another charming piece of Americana from an artist of rare warmth and originality. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.