What's The Buzz About?

Two Sundays ago, my furry friend and I were taking our daily sunrise walk.  About a block from the house, we passed several large basswood trees on our right.  The buzzing sound from those trees was so loud, I paused looking for an immense hive.  There was nothing.  Near the end of our walk, coming down our home street from the other direction, we walked by another large basswood tree.  It sounded like there were thousands of bees there, but there was no nest.  At home, we slowly strolled past the large basswood tree in our yard.  The buzzing was loud, but I could not find any kind of nest or hive.  A single word popped into my mind---migration.

To the best of my knowledge though, honeybees don't migrate like monarch butterflies or birds.  The next day chatting with a friend helped me to recall something about honeybees needing to relocate.  Honeybee Rescue: A Backyard Drama (Charlesbridge, May 10, 2022) written by Loree Griffin Burns with photography by Ellen Harasimowicz offers an intriguing explanation to the sounds heard on that Sunday morning.  It is the best kind of adventure into the natural world.

This is Mr. Connery, and that is his

ramshackle barn.  The window with no glass opens into a garage with a badly leaking roof.  A few days ago, on the way to his vegetable garden, Mr. Connery noticed that the rickety old structure

was buzzing.

When he peeked through the window with no glass, he saw a honeybee colony.  Mr. Connery is a beekeeper with hive boxes for his bees.  Seeing the colony in the old barn led him to believe one of his hive boxes had become too small for the honeybee colony.  

Apparently the colony grew so fast, it swarmed.  The clever bees divide a colony in two with the original queen taking a group with her while a new queen grows at the original hive.  The bees swarm until a suitable new residence is located.  In their new home, the honeybees were making combs.  This place would not be suitable in the wetter and colder seasons.  

Mr. Connery reached out to Mr. Nelson.  Mr. Nelson is also a beekeeper.  His specialty is relocating honeybee colonies from precarious places for them and humans.  His goal is to preserve the precious honeybees.  

We next learn about the structure of a hive, a series of combs.  This structure makes it less tricky to move a hive.  Together Mr. Connery and Mr. Nelson devise a strategy to relocate the colony.  It involves a unique piece of equipment designed by Mr. Nelson. (You won't believe what it is.  Two pages are dedicated to its composition.) The honeybee-free combs are given to Mr. Connery for specific cutting.  Hours are dedicated to this strategy.  Eventually, thousands of bees are placed in a new and empty box with the combs from their garage hive placed on top.  Week by week, that hive box is moved to the area where the colony originated.  Success!

Author Loree Griffin Burns welcomes readers into this experience with conversational and informative sentences.  She sets the scene with her vivid descriptions.  As she explains how Mr. Connery and Mr. Nelson solve the problem of the honeybees in the old barn, she offers fascinating facts about honeybees, beekeeping, swarming, the design of hives, and relocating honeybees.  As the act of relocating the honeybees unfolds, we are completely captivated through her techniques of listing the strategy, asking questions and supplying answers.  It is as if we are side-by-side with the two men as they work for hours.  Here is the final sentence under Hive Structure.  

Wherever they make their home, honeybees prefer their sheets of comb to hang side by side, approximately one bee-body length apart.

In looking at the right side, front, of the open and matching dust jacket and book case, you cannot help but marvel at this view of a hive.  This honeybee's-eye view is fabulous!  Can you imagine the buzzing?  Can you smell the honey?  The first two words of the title text are slightly raised.  On the back, to the left of the spine, are photographs of Mr. Connery and Mr. Nelson, labeled with their prominent occupations in this narrative.  These images are placed on a rusty-colored background.

On the opening and closing endpapers, a color from the hive on the front of the jacket and case is used.  It is a muted orange hue.  On the initial title page, honeybees gather around the title text on a golden canvas.  For the formal title page, a two-page photograph shows Mr. Connery wearing his beekeeping suit lifting a comb from one of his hive boxes. A single bee flies away from the last letter in the title text on the right.  

These exquisite photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz take us directly into this rescue.  The sizes of the illustrations vary from one and one half pages, full-page pictures, white-framed smaller photographs and dramatic two-page visuals. The perspectives shift to enhance the narrative, bringing us intimately into the events shared by Mr. Connery and Mr. Nelson.  

Through the pictures of Ellen Harasimowicz, we stand inside the ramshackle barn looking up at the newly formed colony after the swarm.  We are near a swarm, watching scout bees come and go and the old queen surrounded by the honeybees who followed her.  We watch in amazement as Mr. Nelson works with his particular piece of equipment.  We hardly dare to breathe as Mr. Nelson releases the thousands of bees into their new hive box.

One of my many favorite photographs spans a page and a portion of the previous page.  It is a close up of combs inside a hive.  Here we can see spacing between the combs and the golden colors of each of them.  These combs are covered with bees busily at work.  In looking at this photograph, we have to wonder at the accomplishments of such tiny creatures that give extraordinary meaning to the term teamwork.

The intentional, dedicated and meticulous work of author Loree Griffin Burns and photographer Ellen Harasimowicz is evident with every page turn in the title Honeybee Rescue: A Backyard Drama.  Many of the photographs within the narrative are labeled.  At the close of the book is An interview with Mr. Jon Nelson, bee rescuer.  It is done in a Q & A format.  This is followed by a glossary and an Author's Note on the next two pages.  Sources, Further Reading and Acknowledgments provide readers with more information prior to the dedication and publication information page.  I know you will want to include this stellar title in both your personal and professional collections.  We need honeybees and they need us.

To learn more about Loree Griffin Burns and Ellen Harasimowicz and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Loree Griffin Burns has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Ellen Harasimowicz has an account on Instagram.  At Penguin Random House, you can view interior illustrations.  At the publisher's website, you can download a seven-page activity kit.

Embracing The Night And Its Creatures

One of the numerous benefits of having a canine companion is the late-night jaunts.  Depending on the weather and phases of the moon, gazing at the sky reveals wondrous marvels, patterns of stars and the sighting of a planet.  In stillness there are sights and sounds in each of the four seasons; spring peppers singing a chorus, fireflies signaling in a series of affectionate blinks, the crackling of fallen leaves beneath walking feet or paws and the sharp crack as sap freezes in tree branches.  In the darkness coyotes howl and owls hoot.

Other creatures of the night drawn out by darkness flutter fondly toward light.  You're Invited To A Moth Ball: A Nighttime Insect Celebration (Charlesbridge, April 7, 2020) written by Loree Griffin Burns with photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz is a doorway into an exceptional experience.  Through words and pictures we travel into the magic this special night reveals to all participants.

What's that?  You don't know what a moth ball is?
Please come anyway!  You can learn as we go.

A moth ball is an event designed to attract and enjoy moths.  You'll be astonished to know--

There are more than 150,000 different moth species, and hundreds of them---possibly thousands live where you do.

When a party presents an opportunity to meet more moths than you normally see, it is a special situation.

There is necessary equipment to host this unique party.  You'll want to have a source of light so you can navigate, a notebook, a pencil, a means to capture moments digitally or on film, and perhaps a magnifying glass so you can look closely at a moth's characteristics.  To attract moths, you'll need something on which they can rest, a light to bring them to you, and a sweet treat they'll love.

The more you know about moths, the more you can appreciate them.  Did you know moths tend to like ultraviolet light the best?  Some moths, like other insects and birds, love to sip on nectar.  Did you know the main difference between butterflies and moths is their antennae?  What feature is never seen on moth antennae?  By studying each physical attribute and the habitat of your moths, you can more easily identify them.

Once darkness descends moths gather near your light source and your enticing snack.  Approach them with respect.  Write down what you see.  Carefully capture them with pictures.  Express gratitude to all the attendees.  When will you arrange for this summer sensation?


Through engaging conversation author Loree Griffin Burns presents to children, actually readers of all ages, the step by step process for an entertaining and educational evening.  Her inclusion of materials and setup is easily understood.  She then allows for a pause in the process explaining more about the insects to be observed at the moth ball.  Her factual paragraphs have specific headings.

We then find ourselves in the midst of the moth ball.  Loreen Griffin Burns guides us through the excitement.  Then in another series of paragraphs we are presented with further details about moth balls, moths, supplies and setup.  Here is a passage from one of the additional paragraphs and the main narrative.

IDENTIFYING MOTHS
. . .
There are other clues, too.  Different moth
species live in different habitats.  A moth's life
cycle, particularly the caterpillar stage, depends
on the plants available in its environment.  So
noting the habitat in which you found your moth
(woodland? wetland? meadow?) and the types
of plants and trees in that habitat can sometimes
help you identify your moth.

Some people never, not once in their
whole lives, connect with moths this
way.  So take your time.  Soak it all in.


The full color nighttime scene on the front of the open jacket, a real photograph, has the quality of a watercolor painting, full of soft texture.  The lighting at the hanging sheet for the moths and in the nearby tent create an air of mystery and enchantment.  To the left, on the back, on a black background, are eight different moths.  They form a circle around the words:

Let's go mothing!

Those same moths with one more appear on the left side of the open book case.  On the front of the book case a large moth, wings spread is placed.  All of them look as though they could fly away within the blink of an eye.

On the opening and closing endpapers is a velvety black.  On the initial title page two moths hover over what appears to be the heading of an invitation.  With a page turn seven moths spread over two pages are shown to the left of a formal invitation designed for the title page.

Each photograph by Ellen Harasimowicz is an enlightening visual feast.  The image sizes vary to accentuate the text.  They are full-page pictures, one-and-one-half-page photographs to create a column, small insets with labels, two page horizontal illustrations with labels, a gallery of three grouped on a single page and two-page photographs, page edge to page edge.  Each one, usually featuring children, brings readers into the day of preparations and the evening of enjoyment.  We are shown a variety of points of view, too.

One of my many, many favorite photographs is a full-page picture.  It's at night.  A child wearing a headlamp is standing on the bottom railing of a wooden fence.  She's looking at an area where a treat was left for moths.  In the background, to the right, the lamp inside the rounded tent is glowing.  You can feel the warmth of the summer night.  You can hear the crickets chirping.  And for one brief moment, you're that child hardly daring to breathe as you watch the moths on the fence post.


For those longing for a new adventure and respect of insects who love the dark, You're Invited To A Moth Ball: A Nighttime Insect Celebration written by Loree Griffin Burns with photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz is a stellar selection.  At the close of the book is an Author's Note, a Photographer's Note, a Glossary and Resources for Further Reading, Bibliography, and Websites.  This book is a welcome resource for your personal and professional collections.  It's a chance and a challenge to become a better citizen scientist.

To learn more about Loree Griffin Burns and Ellen Harasimowicz and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  At Loree Griffin Burns website there are resources for teachers.  Loree Griffin Burns has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Ellen Harasimowicz has accounts on Facebook and Instagram. Maria Marshall interviews STEAM authors on her blog, including Loree Griffin Burns and showcases this title.  At the publisher's website you can view an interior image and there are resources to download.  Here is a link to a chance to win a Moth Ball Starter Pack sponsored by the publisher.  At Penguin Random House you can view additional images.  At Teachers Books Readers Loree Griffin Burns is interviewed.  Please take a few moments to watch this video.



Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to see the other titles selected this week by participants in the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Inside A Package

It's still somewhat of a miracle to me, not having grown up with computers and the Internet, how quickly information spreads and expands in content on almost any topic imaginable.  Toward the beginning of this month author Kate Messner (Over and Under the Snow,  Capture the Flag, Wake Up Missing) posted the following tweet on Twitter.

On my blog: Cold-but-lovely photos of Lake Champlain, a gorgeous new book, & the equine version of my author photo. http://t.co/ln7T7Wt9wy
— Kate Messner (@KateMessner) January 7, 2014

This led me to her blog post, Happy 2014!, discussing, among other things, the title of a new book by one of her critique partners.  On a wind-howling, frigid-temperature, snowy afternoon  a few days ago, it was delivered to my doorstep.

Whether you see them flitting past in your very own backyard, when out trekking through the countryside or walking through a place of wonder like The Butterflies in the Garden at the 4-H Children's Gardens at Michigan State University, your viewpoint will be positively changed after reading this book.  Author Loree Griffin Burns and photographer Ellen Harasimowicz collaborate again in their new release, Handle With Care:  An Unusual Butterfly Journey (Millbrook Press).  Thousands of miles away from the United States, a unique farm exists.

A mysterious package has arrived at the museum.  It's shiny and has traveled a long, long way.  

This package carries precious cargo from Costa Rica.  When opened there are rows of butterfly pupa placed in foam.  If you are unaware of the term pupa, it is defined succinctly as being a stage of insect life.

As a reader you might at this point be wondering why a box of pupa have been shipped from Central America to Boston, Massachusetts.  We begin...at the beginning.  Eggs are being laid by a mother butterfly.

The difference between this butterfly, and others you and I may have seen, is it lives inside a screened greenhouse.  On this particular farm, El Bosque Nuevo, three structures serve as residences for the butterflies.  When the eggs hatch, caterpillars eat, molt and grow over and over until they are ready to become pupae.

Farmers work tirelessly to make sure the caterpillars have plenty of leaves to eat as well as making crushed fruit and sugar water available for the adult butterflies.  Endless hours are spent each day making sure no enemies of these herds...yes, herds...of larvae enter the enclosures.  Watching and waiting, the farmers move elder caterpillars to the final home, the puparium.

Here they will hang until their departure.  Some go back into the forest, others to the screened greenhouses and many arrive in places far away wrapped carefully in layers for their journey.   How fortunate for all of us there are people, farmers, tending these gardens in order to preserve their land and to bring beauty to those who wish to see.


As I gaze out upon a snowy landscape, snug inside my home, it's a joy to be able to read about something I never knew existed due to the efforts of author, Loree Griffin Burns.  In sentences the youngest of readers can understand, she takes us on a circular tour from museum to forest and back to the museum.  Each portion of the journey, interesting details about the insect stages and the farmers who care for them, is expressed in a conversational manner.  It's as if we are there with her at El Bosque Nuevo.  Here is a sample passage.

This is a butterfly pupa.  Some people call it
a chrysalis.  Really, though, it's an ingenious
package.  Inside its sturdy skin, a butterfly
larva---you might call it a caterpillar---is
quietly changing into an adult.


The matching jacket and cover is only a welcoming preface to what can only be described as a stunning photographic display within the pages of this title.  Opening and closing endpapers feature panels of various grouped pupae and breathtaking adult butterflies.  Opposite the title page is a colorful collage composition of insect, handbook and flower.  Stretching from right to left, leaving space for the dedication and publication panel, pupae hanging in rows are pictured.

Ellen Harasimowicz has masterfully documented the narrative with her visuals.  Using accent colors of celery green to frame pictures and purple to feature captions, readers are treated to a seamless layout and design.  Photographs range in size and perspective; a close-up of an adult laying her eggs, a landscape view of the farm, farmers working among the leaves inside the greenhouse or the step-by-step opening of a single pupa.

One of the most fascinating photographs is of the puparium.  Seeing those white screened cabinets housing thousands of caterpillars, is a marvel.  A farmer is placing fresh leaves inside one of the homes for those larvae still eating.


Handle with Care:  An Unusual Butterfly Journey written by Loree Griffin Burns with photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz is a captivating read about a topic of which many students will be unaware.  After reading this book, I guarantee their appreciation for their world and those caretakers in it will increase.  The closing pages of the title include Insects and their Life Cycles, Insect Words, a Glossary, Further Reading, a Selected Bibliography, an Index and an Author's Note.  

Please follow the links embedded in the author's and photographer's names to access their websites.  Here is a link to the publisher's website allowing you to view more pages from the book.  I think you might be interested in this tweet which I received from author, Loree Griffin Burns.

The photographer, Ellen Harasimowicz, watched that pupa for about six hours to catch that cover shot! @mselke01 @readerroberts @Loveofxena
— Loree Griffin Burns (@LoreeGBurns) January 30, 2014

I am excited to be participating in Alyson Beecher's 2014 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge hosted at her blog Kid Lit Frenzy.  Make sure you stop over there to see all the other nonfiction picture books showcased by other bloggers.