Happy Bees!

A lyrical, humorous tale of those creatures we love to hate-bees!

These bees are happy! They cause mischief at picnics, in the backyard, and just about everywhere else. Who can resist them when they have such a good time doing it? And here, of course, comes a silly old bear determined to get at their hive for honey. What is he thinking!? Yorinks and Armstrong-Ellis, highly praised for her popular Twelve Days of Kindergarten, have created a silly, poetic, and oh-so-fun look at everyone's favorite garden menace. Also included is a bonus CD of ten silly sing-along songs about these buzzy, fuzzy yellow fellows. AUTHOR BIO: Arthur Yorinks is the author of 25 books for children, including Hey, Al, which won a Caldecott Medal. He divides his time between New York City and Cambridge, New York. Carey Armstrong-Ellis's two previous books are The Twelve Days of Kindergarten and Prudy's Problem. She lives in Maine.

PreSchool-Grade 1–This tuneful paean to the carefree life of bees introduces a swarm of mischievous, jovial insects pursuing all sorts of fun while plaguing humans and animals in the process. Cavorting bees sting knees, sail across backyard pools, invade picnics, and sneeze without tissues; they live where they please and never have to worry about what to wear. Meanwhile, adults, children, the family dog, a honey-obsessed bear, and a local cow form a panic-driven parade as they try to escape the jolly fellows. A desperate blast from a garden hose soaks both the pursuers and the pursued but there are no hard feelings. The impromptu shower sends the damp and chuckling insects back to the hive, where a party is revving up and a conciliatory jar of honey is delivered to the bear. The nonsensical text doubles as the lyrics of the first tune on the accompanying CD, though there are some small discrepancies between the print and what is actually sung. The accompanying gouache-and-colored-pencil illustrations "bee-lie" the tale's basic premise, however, as the pesky critters create havoc in the neighborhood. In a gleeful visual subplot, the persistent bear can be observed trying his hardest to get his paws on some honey. The happy-go-lucky insects have loads of personality as they cover the sunny endpapers and frolic through the cheerful pages. Listeners will enjoy the romp, whether spoken or sung, and can discover more bee-guiling silliness in the other selections on the CD.–Carol Ann Wilson, formerly at Westfield Memorial Library, NJ
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