Bee Still: An Invitation to Meditation

by Frank J. Sileo, Claire Keay (Illustrator)

Bee Still is a child-friendly introduction to meditation.

Bentley the bee lives in a busy, bustling hive. One day, when the other bees rush out to make honey, Bentley decides to meditate first. The other animals are curious about what Bentley is doing—so he teaches them how he uses meditation to focus, feel calm, and soothe difficult feelings. Includes a Note to Parents and Caregivers with more ideas for introducing meditation into your child's life.

Bentley is a lovable, calm honeybee. He lives in a hive in a tall oak tree.
One day, the queen told the bees to get busy. This sent them scrambling into a tizzy.
But not Bentley. He chose to be patient and wait.
He decided to look for a place to meditate. 

Research has indicated that meditation can assist with improving concentration and focus, calming anxiety, and reducing impulsivity. Just like adults, children can benefit from turning off electronic devices and being present to what is happening to them in the moment. 

Collect all of the books featuring beloved Bentley the Bee,  Bee The Buzz on Yoga, Bee An Invitation to Meditation,  and Bee Spread Loving Kindness.  All are great reads alongside books such as  Breathe Like a 30 Mindful Moments for Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere, I Am Yoga,  Calm Ninja,  and other mindfulness books.  National Parenting Product Award Winner (NAPPA)



Meditation is a practice for calming one’s mind and body. Research has indicated that meditation can assist with improving concentration and focus, calming anxiety, and reducing impulsivity, among other benefits. Meditation takes time, commitment, and practice; it is not an exercise that should be applied only when your child is stressed out, worried, or lacking focus

Genres: Picture Books, Meditation, Childrens, Animals, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

Published August 13, 2018

Reviews

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this little tale of Bentley, the honeybee who meditates! Sweet illustrations show how this wise bee handles the buzz and stress of the hive by finding a quiet place to bee still. He teaches other garden creatures too and soon, everyone is practicing stillness. “So,” he advises, “when life is hard or you just need to chill, think of Bentley and try to “bee still.” A fun way to introduce children to meditation, this helpful guide offers a short “Note to Parents and Caregivers” on mindfulness and how to teach it to children. Another wonderful entry from the American Psychological Associations’ Magination Press. 5/5

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

#BeeStill #NetGalley

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is interesting how this book is written. It shares between the adult and the child. The bee in the story is anxious so it flies off to find some peace. The bee finds peace and tranquility but then animals and birds and such want to know what he is doing and gather around to learn meditation. The illustrations are cute and the writing is easy for little ones to understand and enjoy The next part of the book teaches adults how to teach meditation---several methods. These are easy to learn and I think many kids (and adults) would benefit from it.
Thank you, NetGalley, and Frank Sileo for sharing this book Bee Still in exchange for a free and fair review.

[Etienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple, but good enough book for kid, that is more or less an introduction to meditation, with a bee for main character. Like I said a bit too simple, but it keep track and achieved is purpose so it still work!

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful rhyming book has a message of calm and serenity to pass onto today's overbusy child. Bentley, an adorable honeybee, lives in a hive that is tucked in a tall oak tree. It is crowded, busy and noisy inside with no wing-room or place to stop and rest. One day the Queen Bee orders the swarm to get busy and...

"This sent them scrambling in a tizzy." All except Bentley who took a totally different path. "He chose to be patient and wait. He decided to look for a place to meditate."

Bentley flies to the shelter of the garden and selects a beautiful bright daffodil to be his landing pad. Once settled on the petals he closes his eyes and rests his feet. He then begins to drain his mind from all his stress and worry and searches for inner peace within.

The other forest animals are curious and wonder what Bentley is doing. He explains that he is meditating and quieting his mind. They too want to join in and learn how to relax and be calm. Everyone sits down, breaths in deeply and focuses on letting go of their negative emotions and thoughts. They learn how to find peace and tranquility within themselves just like their friend Bentley.

This book includes a Note to Parents and Caregivers with more ideas to help with the introduction of meditation in a child's life. The illustrations are spot on and well done and they greatly enrich the positive message of the book. I highly recommend it.

[Mortisha Cassavetes · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I must Thank Netgalley for this advanced digital copy. This book is very cute. I loved the sweet illustrations and the informative story about learning to calm down and meditate. I would definitely recommend this little book to everyone of all ages.

[Michal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so cute!

[Rebecca]

The art was so cute and I loved some of the descriptions.

[Marie Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a busy bee, Bentley practices mindfulness meditation to calm his mind and body. When his animal friends become curious, he teaches them how to practice, too. And through this simple story, children are introduced and invited to meditation as well. Included in the back pages of the book are fantastic notes for parents and caregivers with more information about meditation and how to teach the practice to their children. A sweet story and solid resource.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bee hive can be a very busy place, and making honey is stressful, so Bentley Bee seeks a quiet spot to meditate, and ends up teaching the other animals in the forest. This is a great choice for young ones who need a strategy to learn to relax. Notes for parents and educators are included in the backmatter.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story of a bee that is overwhelmed by the activity and crowd in his hive and decides to meditate before doing his work. All the animals and insects are curiously watching his stillness and breathing and ask him to teach them how he does this meditation.

Illustrations by Claire Keay are peaceful and sweet.

[OnceUponALibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a beekeeper, it really set the tone off by making the main character a boy bee. There are very few male bees in a beehive and it rubbed me the wrong way from the first page. However, for younger children, this is a cute introduction to sitting for mindful meditation to calm the mind.

[Rayjan Koehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good little introductory book to meditation for kids, and it even has a nice extra in the back for parents/caregivers of children to use for helping their kids meditate in one of the 3 listed styles of meditation.

I like Claire Keay's work of illustrating in this book as well.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rhyming story about a little bee who teaches his friends to meditate.

"Sometimes I have too many thoughts in my head. Meditation can help me stay focused instead."

"Some emotions can sting, like anger and frustration. I help soothe these feelings with meditation."

Nice illustrations too.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhyming couplets and an animal cast invite kids to try meditation to calm busy minds and temper whirling emotions.
“So when life is hard or you just need to chill,
think of Bentley and try to be still.”

[The Endless Unread · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very sweet little book with beautiful illustrations. Would definitely recommend this book. You would "bee" mad not to try it

[Kenna Coffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely perfect for gathering and centering a class. A great pre bed time story if necessary and wonderful for kids in lower elementary grades.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bee teaches the other animals in his area how to meditate and be more peaceful. A calming book that teaches good tricks for kids. Preschool and up

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free ARC from NetGalley inexchange for an honest review.

A cute book that is an introduction to meditation. Simple and easy for kids to follow.

[Tranquil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book to read to my daughter.

[Rolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great modeling of meditation for kids--super clear and accessible.

[Karen Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a speech language pathologist, I always search for new books to use with clients in a variety of ways. Bee Still is written about a very busy hive of bees that occasionally need to chill away from all the buzzing. One of the bees meditates and the other animals in the forest giggle at the thought, but then, Bentley the Bee soon wins them over and teaches the animals how to meditate and breathe. Added bonus, as it RHYMES! So helpful to my students who don't have those skills solidly in their repertoire. The illustrations are attractive and every child would love them, as most children adore animals.
I see my children with attention deficit and autism relating to this and perhaps giving yet another strategy to use to calm their minds and bodies. There is an extensive section on meditation after the story, which will help both students as well as their parents as they learn the art of meditation. I used yoga and meditation in my own practice and know how powerful both can be to settle young minds.

A solid five stars for this cute story. I'd give it more if I could.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for a pre-publication ebook in exchange for an honest review.

[Crystal]

Final copy via publisher

[Steven McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent book that I requested for my extremely energetic grandson. The book tells the story of a bee in a hectic hive that decides to take time out for a little peace and quite so that the can meditate. My grandson loved it and immediately requested a reread which is high praise indeed.

[Susan Underbrink · Rating 5 out of 5]

A big thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. First time reading this author. I found this to be a fun, interesting colorful story. Using creative characters to learn how to mediate. I think even if children don't understand the concept they will like the story.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book to teach children about meditation. The rhymes work, but the cadence can fall flat. The illustrations are appropriate and get the point across. Overall the book is successful, i’m just not feeling it.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple introduction to teach children about meditation. The story was easy to follow for young ones, and the artwork was beautiful. I can see this being a perfect book for parents to reach to their little ones when trying to introduce them to the positives of meditation and being calm.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I truly appreciate it!

[TheOtherJessyca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adorable book. My boys loved reading this, and looking at the beautiful pictures. I love how it introduces meditation, it’s a wonderful calm down book for evening time. Highly recommended.

[Brianna Stahly-Hale]

This book would be really good for children in the classroom with behavioral issues. It would discuss the ways that we can self regulate and begin to come to peace with our inner being. We should be aware that it may be hard for some students to focus while reading this book if they have ASD or ADD for example. I believe that this book is suitable for all elementary ages.