When the Bees Fly Home

by Andrea Cheng, Joline McFadden (Illustrator)

The son of a beekeeper, Jonathan is not sturdy enough to do some of the work, but with the support of his mother he finds a way to help the family and form a bond with his father. Includes bee facts.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Nature, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2002

About the author

Andrea Cheng is a Hungarian-American children's author and illustrator. The child of Hungarian immigrants, she was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio in an extended family with three generations under one roof. Her family spoke Hungarian and English at home. After graduating with a BA in English from Cornell University, she went to Switzerland, where she apprenticed to a bookbinder, attended a school of bookbinding called The Centro del Bel Libro, and learned French. Upon her return, she returned to Cornell to study Chinese and earned an MS in linguistics. Now she teaches English as a Second Language at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. Her children’s books include Grandfather Counts, Marika, The Key Collection, Honeysuckle House, Where the Steps Were, The Bear Makers, and Brushing Mom’s Hair. With her husband, Jim Cheng, she has three children: Nicholas, Jane, and Ann.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to love this book, but it’s not among my favorites. As a mom and wife of a beekeeper, and a devoted fan of the Nicola Davies style mixed genre, the premise of this book appeals to me. The tone is well established, as it has a slow and heavy feeling that emulates the hot summer drought and worries it might bring. But the accompanying bee facts are dense and aren’t always well connected to the story itself, so they are actually distracting instead of enriching. The characters don’t feel fully developed, as it seems the Dad especially relies on stereotype. We don’t actually have opportunity to feel and see the family’s struggle in the drought, so we have to rely on narrator telling us...in all it just feels hard to connect with and root for the characters in the way I’d imagined and wanted.

[Mrugesh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to think about what this book could help children learn.

The father’s behaviour is problematic. It’s one thing to be burdened by one’s thoughts and circumstances; quite another to completely ignore the son’s injury just because he’s physically incapable of meeting your labour requirements and the corresponding expectations of him.

The fact that the son has to prove his worth to “earn” the father’s affection is even worse IMO. It’s quite.. materialistic? The situation, albeit different, reminded me of the scene in Rocketman when the adult Elton meets his father and sees the affection readily available to the other son. Not a good feeling for the kid.

Given the lack of any depth to the family’s portrayal or their hardships, it’s hard to take the father as anything but selfish.

So, my quandary in rating this book comes down to:

- Is the father supposed to be “bad”? Is that the intended portrayal? If yes, it is definitely worth explaining to the child why that is the case. It’s a valuable lesson.

- If, however, the father is supposed to be “normal” or “good”, we’re talking about complete ignorance of parental abuse (of the emotional kind) bestowed upon the kid and portrayed as something the kid has to work through.

The bee facts are completely irrelevant to the book or its story anyway, as are the bees themselves. It’s just their produce that’s valuable to the family. Again, materialistic. Is that intended? I don’t know. There’s absolutely nothing else in the book about bees that’s relevant to the story.

So, this comes down to me; as a parent; using this book to convey these possible problematic interpretations at the correct time (based on the child’s understanding and life experiences). So, that does render some value to this book, along with decent watercolour paintings.

[Lauren CharacterKidLit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The eldest son searches for acceptance and understanding from his father, and finds a way to help his family by using his strengths. Quiet, full of feeling, sensitively rendered illustrations. We read this while exploring the character strength of creativity.

[Katee McNeill · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Bees Fly Home is a darling little fiction children's book. The story does an incredible job encouraging this diverse family to love each other sons equally, despite their differences. At the beginning of the story it is obvious the father favors the rough-n-tough little brother who likes to show off his muscles. The family is struggling due to a drought, causing them to have less honey to sell. Jonathan helps his mother make beeswax candles by decorating them and making them more appealing. Jonathan not only sells all the candles he made but he came home with many orders to make more. Jonathan's father quickly recognizes his talent and learns to appreciate it. Not only does this book portray an amazing example of gender equality, it also educates the readers about honey bees. There are facts on each page. The parents are illustrated as a mixed-race couple. The illustrator did a phenomenal job on each page tying the pictures to the story. This is an excellent selection for a classroom library.

[Tdeese · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is all about a little boy trying to please his dad. It is extremely interesting because it provides the story as well as facts about bees on the bottom. This way when students have concerning questions about bees, they can read more information about what is going on in the story and specifically about bees. In the end, the father is proud of his son. This is related to my topic because it shows how a mother can help her son succeed. It does not always take a male to teach his son.

[Cal Fromm · Rating 5 out of 5]

With lush, beautifully-crafted illustrations and a story that defies stereotypical gender roles whilst simultaneously offering a well-researched, accessible look into an agricultural niche many U.S. students may not be aware of, "When The Bees Fly Home" is one of the loveliest apiculture/apiology-related books for young readers that I've encountered yet.

[Brandy Sharpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is terrific and educational and shows that just because you're the underdog doesn't mean you can't save the day. It also shows that all things, no matter how trifling they appear can be useful. Beautiful!

[CFAITC]

Jonathan learns how his family earns a living from beekeeping.

[Rose]

E Che

[Becky Bass · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores the differences between two brothers. One is favored by the father for being strong and rough. The other helps his mother make honey and candles from the beehives. The family experiences hardships during a drought, and Jonathan, the son who helps his mother, goes above and beyond to support his family by selling candles and collecting more orders for them. The father quickly learns to acknowledge the children for their differences but also for their roles in the family. Aside from the children, the parents are a mixed race couple. This is a common relationship that students see at home, so I think it would be a good addition to the library. It also shows how the mother can take control in business and raising sons. Often times, the father is seen as the dominant provider and dominant person for upbringing, but in this story the mother proves to work through the drought. The book reflects acknowledging the different aspects that any person can bring to the table.