The Honeybee Man: 03/02/13

May in Castro Valley means the start of the farmer's market. And that means fresh honey. Castro Valley is a mixture of urban and rural but honey can be produced anywhere there are flowers. The Honeybee Man by Lela Nargi is about a man who keeps bees in Brooklyn, New York.

Two and a half million people live in Brooklyn, Kings County. It's part of the massive urban area that is New York City, a city containing five boroughs. It's not a likely place for a beehive large enough to produce honey, but that's exactly what the honeybee man and his bees do on their rooftop hive.

The book follows both the bees and the man as they do their part to create the honey. The bees find nectar on flowers abloom all around the neighborhood. They also raise their babies, take care of the queen and build wax rooms.

Kyrsten Brooker's energetic illustrations capture the work the bees are doing and the enthusiasm the beekeeper has for his bees.

Four stars.

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