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They Work: Honey Bees, Nature's Pollinators
The newest addition to June Smalls’s nature series, They Work is a gorgeous nonfiction picture book about life for a hive of honeybees, complete with factoids
She is the queen. She fought for that position from the moment she broke out of her cell. Her job is important, but she is not the leader. A hive is only successful if many, many bees are working. But only the females are hard at work. Experience the life cycle of the honeybee up close and personal with this striking picture book from June Smalls (author of She Leads, He Leads, and They Lead) and illustrator Yukari Mishima. Told in a poetic style along with fun facts on each page for older readers wanting a deeper dive, They Work is a beautiful exploration of life inside a beehive, as well as the dangers and predators bees face out in the world—including humans.
She is the queen. She fought for that position from the moment she broke out of her cell. Her job is important, but she is not the leader. A hive is only successful if many, many bees are working. But only the females are hard at work. Experience the life cycle of the honeybee up close and personal with this striking picture book from June Smalls (author of She Leads, He Leads, and They Lead) and illustrator Yukari Mishima. Told in a poetic style along with fun facts on each page for older readers wanting a deeper dive, They Work is a beautiful exploration of life inside a beehive, as well as the dangers and predators bees face out in the world—including humans.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published March 11, 2025
1 person is currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
June Smalls
14 books31 followersJune Smalls has been making up stories since she only had pets and stuffed animals to share them with. She is the author of fiction and nonfiction books that are funny, educational, odd, and entertaining.
June loves going on adventures, for research of course, from falconry to digging up fossils; tracking wildlife to working with scientists and wildlife conservationists. Writing is always an adventure.
June is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and a lover of literature. She resides in Northern Virginia with her hubby, The Kid, and an ever-growing assortment of animals.
June loves going on adventures, for research of course, from falconry to digging up fossils; tracking wildlife to working with scientists and wildlife conservationists. Writing is always an adventure.
June is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and a lover of literature. She resides in Northern Virginia with her hubby, The Kid, and an ever-growing assortment of animals.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 16, 2025
Beautiful illustrations bring this informative book all about bees to life for children. 🐝
Straightforward in its approach this is a great resource for answering those thousands of bee related questions kids come up with. A great look at how complex nature can be and a reminder of how important pollinators are to humans. Protecting pollinators is critical to ensure food production worldwide. The illustrations will go a long way to help understand some of the more in depth explanations.
I’d recommend this one for school aged children.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Familius for providing an Advance Digital Reading Copy for review. All opinions are my own.
Straightforward in its approach this is a great resource for answering those thousands of bee related questions kids come up with. A great look at how complex nature can be and a reminder of how important pollinators are to humans. Protecting pollinators is critical to ensure food production worldwide. The illustrations will go a long way to help understand some of the more in depth explanations.
I’d recommend this one for school aged children.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Familius for providing an Advance Digital Reading Copy for review. All opinions are my own.
January 28, 2025
I'm so excited to have stumbled upon this while perusing NetGalley!
One of our neighbors is a beekeeper and has an entire garage dedicated to it! While he's a fantastic resource, his explanations will likely go right over my 2 year old's head if he only hears them on occasion. So, I'm going to get this book :)
The detail in both the illustrations and the information provided is wonderful! This is exactly what I'd be looking for when finding a book on bees for my little guy. Lucky me, I don't even have to look now!
Thank you bunches to June Smalls, Familius and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!
One of our neighbors is a beekeeper and has an entire garage dedicated to it! While he's a fantastic resource, his explanations will likely go right over my 2 year old's head if he only hears them on occasion. So, I'm going to get this book :)
The detail in both the illustrations and the information provided is wonderful! This is exactly what I'd be looking for when finding a book on bees for my little guy. Lucky me, I don't even have to look now!
Thank you bunches to June Smalls, Familius and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!
January 15, 2025
I find Honey Bees so fascinating. Each Bee has a Special Role. They make Delicious Honey, but also Pollinate Flowers and are so Vital to our Ecosystem. For young children to learn this complex system and know about the honey they eat and how it got there, I think most would really enjoy reading this. I also thought the Illustrations were especially great. This would be a book that I would recommend for schools, libraries, and individuals.
Thank you NetGalkey, June Smalls, and Familius for granting me a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.
Thank you NetGalkey, June Smalls, and Familius for granting me a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.
February 15, 2025
What a beautifully illustrated book celebrating and informing about one of our most precious natural treasures: honey bees. Not only are the illustrations gorgeous, the page-by-page facts help us grow an appreciation for just how valuable bees are for the world.
While They Work: Honey Bees, Nature's Pollinators is a children's book, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone younger than, say, 8 years old because the information is very detailed and more serious than entertaining, like a younger child might want. As an adult, I found it fascinating and learned quite a bit about how "they work", feeling a bit exhausted just thinking about how nonstop and hard their jobs are from birth to death.
We should be thankful the bees work so hard, because in here we find out that "humans rely on pollination for one third of their food". That is not just important. That's vital.
Wonderfully done. Thank you for such an uplifting and interesting view of honey bee life.
While They Work: Honey Bees, Nature's Pollinators is a children's book, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone younger than, say, 8 years old because the information is very detailed and more serious than entertaining, like a younger child might want. As an adult, I found it fascinating and learned quite a bit about how "they work", feeling a bit exhausted just thinking about how nonstop and hard their jobs are from birth to death.
We should be thankful the bees work so hard, because in here we find out that "humans rely on pollination for one third of their food". That is not just important. That's vital.
Wonderfully done. Thank you for such an uplifting and interesting view of honey bee life.
November 11, 2024
A fantastic book for children to understand honey bees, how they live, and how they help the environment we live in. There is a lot of great information to go with the beautiful artwork in this book. 10/10
November 25, 2024
The artwork in this book is absolutely beautiful. The text is too small for the page sizes. I felt the imagery to be geared towards kids but the text was a bit too advanced and reads clinically, like a textbook. It would be so sweet to have the information presented in a way that appealed towards a younger crowd. My kids loved the photos and learning how honey is made, but I’m not sure how much they grasped.
October 20, 2024
Cute book! The information and focus point of this book is highly specific, and this will make the book appear to a highly specific audience. In other words, the audience interested in this book might be narrow. Bees aren't everyone's cup of tea. However, this book still does have a lot of potential. I personally am not a "bee person", but I still found myself learning a lot of genuinely interesting things by reading this book. Due to how great this book was overall, I think that the audience range should not be a concern because this book can both enhance and enlighten. What I mean by this is people who are already interested in bees can feed their interests with this book. Others can learn many new things, and maybe even discover that they really like bees. This is awesome! Lastly, the illustrations were wildly impressive. I am pretty sure each image was made by an artist, but some looked so realistic they might have been photographs.
All around, bravo!
All around, bravo!
October 10, 2024
I will be purchasing this book immediately for my preschool class when it becomes available for our unit about bees and pollination!
The pictures are lovely and so descriptive of what the book is explaining.
My favorite part is the duel narrative, with a short story segment on each page, but then also a longer more descriptive and informative explanation. It gives the best of both worlds. There are days my class is only going to sit through a short story, but the pages are engaging enough that they will still be learning the basic concepts. But then if we have some questions or a class that is really engaged, we can go deeper and read the longer descriptions as well. It really adapts well for classroom use and multiple needs. And I always love a good bee book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Familius for allowing me to read and review this copy!
The pictures are lovely and so descriptive of what the book is explaining.
My favorite part is the duel narrative, with a short story segment on each page, but then also a longer more descriptive and informative explanation. It gives the best of both worlds. There are days my class is only going to sit through a short story, but the pages are engaging enough that they will still be learning the basic concepts. But then if we have some questions or a class that is really engaged, we can go deeper and read the longer descriptions as well. It really adapts well for classroom use and multiple needs. And I always love a good bee book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Familius for allowing me to read and review this copy!
October 16, 2024
This is a beautiful children's picture book with realistic illustrations and factual information about honey bees. There is some larger text that portrays a simpler story for young children and smaller text that goes into more detail regarding the lives of honey bees. Even as an adult, I learned something new! I was especially impressed by the mention and illustration of pesticides causing bees harm as I believe this is such an important message to pass on to the youth. I also appreciated the illustration of how bees communicate their directions to others in the hive. There is evidently so much care and passion put into the production of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 4, 2025
I've picked up a few children's books about bees over the years. This book tops them all! The pictures are beautiful, and the written component is really, really well done. I especially like how the pages are broken up into larger and smaller text (with larger text presenting each new piece of information broadly and succinctly, and information in the smaller text elaborating upon the larger chunks). The book would work as a read-aloud for smaller children, with the parent, teacher, or librarian only reading those larger, broader chunks of information. It's a book that will grow with a child, as he or she becomes interested in learning more. Everything is clearly and thoughtfully explained. I really liked the book. Five stars!
October 17, 2024
4 Stars
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy of They Work in exchange for an honest review.**
They Work by June Smalls is a beautiful non fiction picture book full of facts and illustrations about Bees. There always seems to be something new to learn about bees, and at the very least a new way to portray it. I thought this little nature book was an excellent book for the homeschool library. It explains, in detail the work of the bees and uses diagrams and pictures for kids who like to look rather than read. I think it would make a great addition to any nature unit on the topic of bees and would definitely recommend it.
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy of They Work in exchange for an honest review.**
They Work by June Smalls is a beautiful non fiction picture book full of facts and illustrations about Bees. There always seems to be something new to learn about bees, and at the very least a new way to portray it. I thought this little nature book was an excellent book for the homeschool library. It explains, in detail the work of the bees and uses diagrams and pictures for kids who like to look rather than read. I think it would make a great addition to any nature unit on the topic of bees and would definitely recommend it.
March 10, 2025
They Work is an educational, entertaining, and colorful book. This book can teach children as well as adults about the life cycle of the honeybee! These beautiful creatures who do so much for us are endangered species. I love that this book highlights how special bees are and cultivates appreciation for these creatures. The illustrations are phenomenal! I highly recommend this wonderfully informative, delightful book about honeybees!
December 6, 2024
What a beautiful book! I was immediately captivated by the illustrations, and Smalls' descriptions enhanced the experience. Smalls describes the natural world with concision and precision, offering a snapshot of how animals function. Here, we meet the bees and explore their world. I love bees, I loved this book, and I will be getting hard copies for my friends with kids and for my own kids!
November 1, 2024
Such a sweet book. Read this to my 2 year old as she has a cold and she loved it. Informative but fun for a little one. We both loved the illustrations!
Thanks the NetGalley for the e-arc!
Thanks the NetGalley for the e-arc!
March 8, 2025
Buzzing with brilliance, They Work by June Smalls offers a captivating glimpse into the intricate world of the beehive. Through stunning, full-page illustrations, young readers are transported into the heart of a bustling bee colony, where the life cycle of bees unfolds with fascinating detail. Each page thoughtfully explores the distinct roles of worker bees, the queen, and the drones, making complex concepts easily digestible for children.
📌 Before I dive in, I really appreciate the digital ARC from Familius and Netgalley! Thank you for the chance to preview this beautifully illustrated work on lifecycle of bees. That said, I’m here to share my real thoughts, and all opinions and comments are my own.
The clever design of this book caters to a range of reading levels. Large, bold print introduces core facts, perfect for early readers, while smaller, supplementary text provides deeper insights for more advanced readers and parents. This dual approach ensures both engagement and educational depth, fostering a shared learning experience. Factoids sprinkled throughout the pages add an extra layer of intrigue, transforming each turn into a mini discovery. It amazed me how much of the actual workload is shouldered by the worker bees. At one point, the book brought to my notice that the male/drone bees are helped by the worker bees as they come out of their cells, are fed and helped out of their cells by them whereas the female worker bees' larvae does all of this on their own. Such contrast! I also realised that unlike the propagated stereotype that the queen bee only enjoys the luxuries of being attended to and waited on by the worker bees, the queen name is a slight misnomer in my opinion. She also works just equally hard, constantly laying eggs to keep the population of the hive stable and thriving. Reading this book was a big learning experience for me.
From the meticulous work of the foragers to the regal duties of the queen, this book beautifully illuminates the co-working harmony and organization within a beehive. It's a sure value addition for any nature enthusiast, young or seasoned, offering a sweet and informative journey into the remarkable world of bees.
📌 Before I dive in, I really appreciate the digital ARC from Familius and Netgalley! Thank you for the chance to preview this beautifully illustrated work on lifecycle of bees. That said, I’m here to share my real thoughts, and all opinions and comments are my own.
The clever design of this book caters to a range of reading levels. Large, bold print introduces core facts, perfect for early readers, while smaller, supplementary text provides deeper insights for more advanced readers and parents. This dual approach ensures both engagement and educational depth, fostering a shared learning experience. Factoids sprinkled throughout the pages add an extra layer of intrigue, transforming each turn into a mini discovery. It amazed me how much of the actual workload is shouldered by the worker bees. At one point, the book brought to my notice that the male/drone bees are helped by the worker bees as they come out of their cells, are fed and helped out of their cells by them whereas the female worker bees' larvae does all of this on their own. Such contrast! I also realised that unlike the propagated stereotype that the queen bee only enjoys the luxuries of being attended to and waited on by the worker bees, the queen name is a slight misnomer in my opinion. She also works just equally hard, constantly laying eggs to keep the population of the hive stable and thriving. Reading this book was a big learning experience for me.
From the meticulous work of the foragers to the regal duties of the queen, this book beautifully illuminates the co-working harmony and organization within a beehive. It's a sure value addition for any nature enthusiast, young or seasoned, offering a sweet and informative journey into the remarkable world of bees.
May 30, 2025
A Gentle Tribute to the Buzz That Keeps Us Going
They Work: Honey Bees, Nature’s Pollinators is a poetic tribute to the unseen labor of honey bees. June Smalls writes with rhythmic elegance, weaving scientific facts into lyrical language that flows with the quiet industry of the hive. Each line celebrates the hive’s collective power - the building, the buzzing, the gathering, the giving. It’s the kind of book that reads almost like a lullaby but lingers with deep meaning. The simplicity of the text makes it accessible for younger readers, while the layered vocabulary gives it range and richness for older children and adults to appreciate, too.
Yukari Mishima’s illustrations bring that same balance of clarity and wonder. Her artwork has a warm, organic feel - textured like nature itself. Delicate yellows, rich earth tones, and intricate botanical detail echo the complexity of the bees’ world while grounding it in beauty. As an illustrator myself, I was drawn to the way each image feels purposeful and calm, enhancing the message of industriousness without rushing it. There’s a real sense of reverence here - for the bees, yes, but also for the act of storytelling and learning.
This is a book that doesn’t shout; it hums. They Work gently teaches readers about pollination, teamwork, and the irreplaceable role bees play in sustaining life. It offers not only knowledge but gratitude. Reading it reminded me of how even the smallest creatures contribute to the biggest systems. It’s the perfect quiet moment in a busy day and a gentle reminder to look closer, listen more deeply, and honor the natural world around us.
They Work: Honey Bees, Nature’s Pollinators is a poetic tribute to the unseen labor of honey bees. June Smalls writes with rhythmic elegance, weaving scientific facts into lyrical language that flows with the quiet industry of the hive. Each line celebrates the hive’s collective power - the building, the buzzing, the gathering, the giving. It’s the kind of book that reads almost like a lullaby but lingers with deep meaning. The simplicity of the text makes it accessible for younger readers, while the layered vocabulary gives it range and richness for older children and adults to appreciate, too.
Yukari Mishima’s illustrations bring that same balance of clarity and wonder. Her artwork has a warm, organic feel - textured like nature itself. Delicate yellows, rich earth tones, and intricate botanical detail echo the complexity of the bees’ world while grounding it in beauty. As an illustrator myself, I was drawn to the way each image feels purposeful and calm, enhancing the message of industriousness without rushing it. There’s a real sense of reverence here - for the bees, yes, but also for the act of storytelling and learning.
This is a book that doesn’t shout; it hums. They Work gently teaches readers about pollination, teamwork, and the irreplaceable role bees play in sustaining life. It offers not only knowledge but gratitude. Reading it reminded me of how even the smallest creatures contribute to the biggest systems. It’s the perfect quiet moment in a busy day and a gentle reminder to look closer, listen more deeply, and honor the natural world around us.
February 24, 2025
This is a very informative book, with great illustrations for learning about Bees. I grabbed this book because my daughter (5) has started to develop a fear of Bees and I was hoping giving her more information would help her with that. She was very interested in the book and asked a lot of questions, particularly about Drones vs Workers and their genders. This book is one that we read a couple of times, the first time through we focused on the larger words and general story, the second time we read the smaller words for more information. My daughter even tried her version of a bee dance to show us where to find nectar. This is a great starting point and resource for kids who have an interest in Bees, but also to show that Bees aren't scary bugs and just want to be left alone to do their work. We also had a chat after the book about how we can help the Bees in their work with planting flowers in the garden. Definitely a book we will be getting in physical copy to add to our library. We read this e-book through NetGalley.
March 7, 2025
A look at how bees have a whole host of jobs to do, from cleaning the hive's nursery areas to being maid to the queen, to being defensive soldier, and then finally foraging – and dancing about that afterwards. It ends with the question "are you ready to do your part?", which is unusual – it seems to be an almost Soviet-styled call to action, and not just on the bees' behalf. For no, there is nothing here about how they are all carefully getting killed off, and how they need protecting. So "our part" seems to be life in general – well, if the bees can do ten jobs and do them well and in unison, we ought to too. Seeing as my review file had two different credits for the illustrator, and typos, it might be said we could all do our jobs better, yet on the whole this is perfectly fine. It's just the pro-bee care and need that I talked about isn't here, and it is in so many other bee books, meaning this is a bit further down the pecking order. Three and a half stars – the art (whoever it's by) is certainly a firm positive.
December 9, 2024
The story of the life cycle of the honeybee written at two levels of understanding on each frame. Good for interactive learning with each other. Loved it!
The illustrations by Yukari Mishima are very busy and quite accurate.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof on Adobe Digital Editions from Familius via NetGalley. Thank you!
Avail Mar 11, 2025 #TheyWork by @June_Smalls @Familius Yukari Mishima illustrator #AnimalLifeCyclesSeriesBk4 @CBCBook @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones ***** #Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org Ages 3 and up @bookshop_org_uk @childrensbookcouncil #Nature #Nonfiction
The illustrations by Yukari Mishima are very busy and quite accurate.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof on Adobe Digital Editions from Familius via NetGalley. Thank you!
Avail Mar 11, 2025 #TheyWork by @June_Smalls @Familius Yukari Mishima illustrator #AnimalLifeCyclesSeriesBk4 @CBCBook @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones ***** #Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org Ages 3 and up @bookshop_org_uk @childrensbookcouncil #Nature #Nonfiction
October 9, 2024
What a beautiful introduction to honeybees! The author does a wonderful job of explaining the many jobs that bees do, from feeding the larvae to gathering pollen to protecting their hive. The illustrations are simply stunning, with such a memorable, nostalgic feel to them.
All in all, this book is a great way to get kids interested in bees and create an awareness for just how much they do.
(Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.)
All in all, this book is a great way to get kids interested in bees and create an awareness for just how much they do.
(Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.)
October 22, 2024
They work is a beautiful nonfiction book by author June Smalls about the lives of honeybees.
I thought this book was beautifully illustrated. I love how the main story and small facts about honeybees on each page! Though the main audience for this book is children, I was able to learn some new things about honeybees as an adult. This book does a wonderful job of mixing educational and fun! I recommend this book if you or a child in your life are a bug or bee lover!
Thank you to Netgalley and Familius for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review!
I thought this book was beautifully illustrated. I love how the main story and small facts about honeybees on each page! Though the main audience for this book is children, I was able to learn some new things about honeybees as an adult. This book does a wonderful job of mixing educational and fun! I recommend this book if you or a child in your life are a bug or bee lover!
Thank you to Netgalley and Familius for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review!
November 13, 2024
Well written factual book.
This book goes through the lifecycle of bees and how they progress through jobs to keep the hive going. Illustrations help the story and are clear. There are simple sentences for each 2-page spread along with more detail that could be skipped with children who have a shorter attention span. Well written, factual, and beautifully illustrated.
Age: 1-4th grade
Audience: school library, home library, classroom independent reading
This honest review was given in exchange for a NetGalley advanced reader ebook copy.
This book goes through the lifecycle of bees and how they progress through jobs to keep the hive going. Illustrations help the story and are clear. There are simple sentences for each 2-page spread along with more detail that could be skipped with children who have a shorter attention span. Well written, factual, and beautifully illustrated.
Age: 1-4th grade
Audience: school library, home library, classroom independent reading
This honest review was given in exchange for a NetGalley advanced reader ebook copy.
October 27, 2024
I loved this picture book about the life of honeybees. I learned so much! There was a good balance between text and pictures. The illustrations throughout the book were absolutely beautiful. I'm not sure if there is a good way to end the book, but the ending felt sort of incomplete. That being said I would definitely buy this book and I hope that it will be available in libraries. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
October 27, 2024
They Work is a beautifully illustrated picture book about honeybees. Each two-page spread has a couple sentences of larger text, and a paragraph or so of smaller text. The larger text could easily be read alone for younger kids, while the smaller text provides more detail for older kids. My kids enjoyed the story and learned a lot! However, the ending made no sense and felt abrupt.
Thank you to Familius for gifting my family with an ARC to review! All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Familius for gifting my family with an ARC to review! All opinions are my own.
November 21, 2024
This is a beautiful publication. The artwork is stunning, a piece of art actually. It's a pity that at some places it is at the expense of legibility. Here and there the letters are too small, the copy is on the illustration or it is written in yellow.
This book gives a very detailed and interesting explanation on bees and how they live and work. It was a bit complex to my 6-year-old, but 7-8-year-old nature lover kids will definitely enjoy it.
This book gives a very detailed and interesting explanation on bees and how they live and work. It was a bit complex to my 6-year-old, but 7-8-year-old nature lover kids will definitely enjoy it.
May 9, 2025
A truly beautiful book about a honeybee's life cycle and the work that they do along the way. The text is good, and the illustrations are stunning. There is larger text that works more as a narrative and smaller text that is more detailed in terms of providing additional facts. The large text would likely work well in a pre-k or elementary school storytime, then if any of the kids want to dig deeper, you could read the smaller text with them.
April 20, 2025
In this book, it gets into the importance of bees and their lifestyle. It tells the different roles of the bees like the queens and the "regular" bees. It is a great informational book to help the students also learn more about pollination! This book is for more grades K-2 but is very interesting and full of facts!
August 13, 2025
This book is just so lovely. I appreciate how it has a simple but informative narrative in larger print, and adds more details in a slightly smaller print for higher reading levels. And the illustrations are stunning! I highly recommend it for and little science or nature lovers. It’s a great addition to my classroom library.
November 21, 2024
The artwork in this is fantastic! It so realistic looking and the bees are adorable. I also learned a few things while I was reading this book.
January 13, 2025
This is an informative book about the life of honey bees. There is great information and hope for the new generation to learn about these pollinators.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews