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Pocket Nature: Beekeeping: Explore the Marvelous World of Honeybees
Step into the remarkable world of the honeybee in this illuminating and delightfully illustrated pocket guide.
For budding apiarists, this introductory book offers fascinating information about honeybees and everything you need to know to begin your own beekeeping journey. For example, did you know that from birth, female bees are promoted through roles such as nurse, baker, and guardian of the hive? Or that male bees’ primary purpose is simply to mate with a queen, but only 0.1% of them ever will?
In these pages, you’ll discover the inner workings of the beehive, the properties of honey, the basics of keeping bees, and the joys that come from this meditative hobby, including a thriving garden, environmental stewardship, and a supportive community (not to mention delicious honey!). A whole world awaits—and it’s just outside your door.
FOR BEEKEEPERS AND BEE This petite and brightly colored book will appeal to anyone interested in bees and beekeeping, whether they’re just starting their journey or well on their way. Don’t let the size fool you—this compact bee book is packed with insightful information and helpful tips for novices and experts alike.
WHY BEES We need bees. According to Greenpeace, bees are responsible for one in every three bites of food humans consume. Without them, Earth, and our daily existence, wouldn’t be the same. The active Save the Bees movement that has erupted in recent years shows that people are adamant about bee justice and committed to spreading awareness and knowledge about bees. This pocket guide is a practical and inspiring addition to the cause.
HIGHLY GIFTABLE NATURE Filled with appealing illustrations, calming meditations, and tidbits about honeybees that will make your jaw drop, this is a lovely gift for bee lovers, nature enthusiasts, and others who want to learn more about these incredible specimens. Pair with jars of honey or other books in the Pocket Nature series to delight a friend, colleague, parent, or sibling—anyone who loves learning about our amazing natural world.
Perfect
For budding apiarists, this introductory book offers fascinating information about honeybees and everything you need to know to begin your own beekeeping journey. For example, did you know that from birth, female bees are promoted through roles such as nurse, baker, and guardian of the hive? Or that male bees’ primary purpose is simply to mate with a queen, but only 0.1% of them ever will?
In these pages, you’ll discover the inner workings of the beehive, the properties of honey, the basics of keeping bees, and the joys that come from this meditative hobby, including a thriving garden, environmental stewardship, and a supportive community (not to mention delicious honey!). A whole world awaits—and it’s just outside your door.
FOR BEEKEEPERS AND BEE This petite and brightly colored book will appeal to anyone interested in bees and beekeeping, whether they’re just starting their journey or well on their way. Don’t let the size fool you—this compact bee book is packed with insightful information and helpful tips for novices and experts alike.
WHY BEES We need bees. According to Greenpeace, bees are responsible for one in every three bites of food humans consume. Without them, Earth, and our daily existence, wouldn’t be the same. The active Save the Bees movement that has erupted in recent years shows that people are adamant about bee justice and committed to spreading awareness and knowledge about bees. This pocket guide is a practical and inspiring addition to the cause.
HIGHLY GIFTABLE NATURE Filled with appealing illustrations, calming meditations, and tidbits about honeybees that will make your jaw drop, this is a lovely gift for bee lovers, nature enthusiasts, and others who want to learn more about these incredible specimens. Pair with jars of honey or other books in the Pocket Nature series to delight a friend, colleague, parent, or sibling—anyone who loves learning about our amazing natural world.
Perfect
- GenresNonfiction
128 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 19, 2024
This book was super cool!!! I got an ARC on Netgalley, before the actual date of publication. I am interested in bees, as I took a class partially about honey in college! I have been wearing a bee ring for the past few years, to remind me of that experience and my connection to bees! I've always been interested in learning more, and I'm so glad I found this book here on Netgalley, because I wouldn't have known about it otherwise! Silva gives great descriptions of roles that all bees have within the hive! He also details types of hives that are available for purchase, as well as hives that you can make yourself! I think it's so fascinating to read about how the beginning of the connection between flowers and bees came to be!
On top of that, the illustrations are absolutely beautiful! I sat staring at them for several seconds at a time before turning the page. The illustrations go along with the following section, so it gives you a sneak-peak on what you're about to learn about once you turn the page! Also a super easy read! I read this in just a few hours, and I learned so much information!! I hope to one day involve myself more with nature's wonderful art of bees, when the time is right for me!
Overall, highly recommend for anyone who is interested in learning a bit about bees, and I think this would make such a cute present! Sweet, simple little book!
On top of that, the illustrations are absolutely beautiful! I sat staring at them for several seconds at a time before turning the page. The illustrations go along with the following section, so it gives you a sneak-peak on what you're about to learn about once you turn the page! Also a super easy read! I read this in just a few hours, and I learned so much information!! I hope to one day involve myself more with nature's wonderful art of bees, when the time is right for me!
Overall, highly recommend for anyone who is interested in learning a bit about bees, and I think this would make such a cute present! Sweet, simple little book!
March 12, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.
If you enjoy nature and flowers you will enjoy this book. This book will help any beginner beekeeper who is looking to pursue the hobby to become a novice beekeeper in no time. This is the ultimate book you need if you want to pursue beekeeping and it will tell you all you need to know to be successful.
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If you enjoy nature and flowers you will enjoy this book. This book will help any beginner beekeeper who is looking to pursue the hobby to become a novice beekeeper in no time. This is the ultimate book you need if you want to pursue beekeeping and it will tell you all you need to know to be successful.
–
Connect with Me <3
My blog is https://bookreviewsbyjules.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4... (follow me and/or send a friend request!)
Instagram/bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookreviews... (I follow back all Book accounts)
Substack: https://bookreviewsbyjules.substack.com/ (feel free to subscribe!)
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bookreviewsby...
StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile...
August 22, 2024
4.5 rounded up. This is a great little pocket book for anyone to begin their beekeeping journey or general fascination with these industrious creatures. The prose is both informative and heart-felt, though I would have liked greater details and depth in a few places. To be clear, this is certainly an introduction to the world of beekeeping and not a complete how-to manual. That said, I found some bee facts completely sobering and bittersweet (one bee only creates about 1/12th a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime, really? Incredible!), thus gaining an even deeper respect for these marvelous critters. I think someday I'd like to become a beekeeper, and I will point to this book and @bowserbees on tik tok as stoking the flames in my hive smoker. Yay, bees!
March 18, 2024
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Pocket Nature: Beekeeping is an accessible and attractive pocket guide to bees and beekeeping by Ariel Silva. Due out 26th March 2024 from Chronicle Books, it's 128 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
This is a layman accessible and appealing book. It has a very retro vibe, with simple monochrome line drawn interior art (not as detailed as the cover art, which is gorgeous). It's a bit scattered and the information is not very rigidly organized. The author covers general (*very* general) info on bees, pollination, getting started with beekeeping (parts of a hive), honey, and some of the appeal of the craft. There are several activity prompts scattered throughout which will help readers get outdoors, observe, and *learn* about the more philosophical aspects of beekeeping and appreciation for our vital pollinators.
Three and a half stars. It's *not*, strictly speaking, a primer for actually getting started beekeeping (although it does give some tips); it's mostly a general short guide to getting out in nature and finding help to get started and some of the author's own background journey. There are also companion volumes in the series with the same format and graphic vibes on foraging, learning to identify wildflowers, and more.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Pocket Nature: Beekeeping is an accessible and attractive pocket guide to bees and beekeeping by Ariel Silva. Due out 26th March 2024 from Chronicle Books, it's 128 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
This is a layman accessible and appealing book. It has a very retro vibe, with simple monochrome line drawn interior art (not as detailed as the cover art, which is gorgeous). It's a bit scattered and the information is not very rigidly organized. The author covers general (*very* general) info on bees, pollination, getting started with beekeeping (parts of a hive), honey, and some of the appeal of the craft. There are several activity prompts scattered throughout which will help readers get outdoors, observe, and *learn* about the more philosophical aspects of beekeeping and appreciation for our vital pollinators.
Three and a half stars. It's *not*, strictly speaking, a primer for actually getting started beekeeping (although it does give some tips); it's mostly a general short guide to getting out in nature and finding help to get started and some of the author's own background journey. There are also companion volumes in the series with the same format and graphic vibes on foraging, learning to identify wildflowers, and more.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
March 12, 2024
Received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review through Netgallery.
Written very well. I appreciate anything that is simple but informative. I learned so much about honeybees and beekeeping. I will say, I’m not an expert in either so I have no knowledge to compare it to. But she does use her own expertise and published scientific works to back up her words. Even the facts backed up by scientific articles did not bog down the work. Every section or piece was easily understood without dumbing the information down too much. For giving the information promised, I think this book did the job. There are also illustrations which some are informative and some are cute. I loved both styles. I found they were placed very well in the book, to both break up chapters or sections and to give the reader a little visual aid. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to go into beekeeping, enjoys insects, or wants a light read to keep their mind engaged.
I don’t want my own environmentalist opinion to be reflected into the review, which is why it’s going down here. As mentioned in the book, honeybees aren’t native. When you add honeybees to the environment, they can outcompete and “push out” native pollinators who tend to be solitary or in small groups. I do acknowledge that honeybees do have benefits to the environment, mental heath, and economically as mentioned, but for the people reading this and are inspired to take action, I hope they also check on how they came help native bees.
Written very well. I appreciate anything that is simple but informative. I learned so much about honeybees and beekeeping. I will say, I’m not an expert in either so I have no knowledge to compare it to. But she does use her own expertise and published scientific works to back up her words. Even the facts backed up by scientific articles did not bog down the work. Every section or piece was easily understood without dumbing the information down too much. For giving the information promised, I think this book did the job. There are also illustrations which some are informative and some are cute. I loved both styles. I found they were placed very well in the book, to both break up chapters or sections and to give the reader a little visual aid. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to go into beekeeping, enjoys insects, or wants a light read to keep their mind engaged.
I don’t want my own environmentalist opinion to be reflected into the review, which is why it’s going down here. As mentioned in the book, honeybees aren’t native. When you add honeybees to the environment, they can outcompete and “push out” native pollinators who tend to be solitary or in small groups. I do acknowledge that honeybees do have benefits to the environment, mental heath, and economically as mentioned, but for the people reading this and are inspired to take action, I hope they also check on how they came help native bees.
June 15, 2025
This is the first ever book I had intended to read for starting my beekeeping journey. What I was surprised about learning in this book, is that it's more theory, and understanding of bee behaviour and psychology more than anything. Lot's of funny and visual language was used very well, making me quite giddy of how funny these small creatures are. The illustrations in the book, as well, are incredible, keeping me engaged, as this was quite an informative pocket-book. It's a quick-read, and I've already filled my hard-back book full of sticky notes.
July 23, 2025
This is a very well-written and detailed book about the life and roles of various honeybees. I hope the author considers reading Chapter An-Nahl (The Bee) in the Qur'an. In verses 16:68-69, feminine pronouns are used, indicating that the entire process of honey production and hive duties is carried out by female honeybees. While the Qur'an is not a book o science, it is a book of Guidance, encouraging us to reflect on our natural surroundings.
February 22, 2025
Read in a sitting. Great pocketbook for beginner beekeeping/creating a pollinator friendly environment. Fun illustrations and beautiful poetry interspersed - Thoreau, Shakespeare, Gibran, Hugo. Will keep this little book with me while out at the hives.
La vie est une FLEUR,
L’AMOUR en est le MIEL.
Life is the FLOWER,
of which LOVE is the HONEY. - Victor Hugo, Le roi s’amuse
La vie est une FLEUR,
L’AMOUR en est le MIEL.
Life is the FLOWER,
of which LOVE is the HONEY. - Victor Hugo, Le roi s’amuse
May 7, 2025
A delightful little read and wonderful introduction to the world of beekeeping and honey bees. Absolutely love the illustrations, and the mindfulness prompts throughout the text that encourage curiosity towards the natural world. I appreciate that it was written so accessibly, and encouraged the reader to consider their role in the seasonal cycle of pollinators!
September 2, 2024
A sweet little book 🍯 until winter. Then it's out the hive you go drones. Kicking and screaming with your wings unattached!
August 2, 2025
Great introductory guide to bee behavior and beekeeping, probably best for a younger audience or those who have absolutely no idea about the material. 🪻🐝
October 10, 2025
Written in very engaging yet fact-filled prose. As a backyard beekeeper, I even learned some new things!
December 23, 2025
Super cute little pocket guide, very basic information but perfect for a beginner to bees and bee keeping.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews