The Book of Bees

A big, beautifully illustrated book on one of the most amazing animals on earth: the humble bee.

How do bees communicate? What does a beekeeper do? Did you know that Napoleon loved bees? Who survived being stung by 2,443 bees?

This encyclopaedic book answers all these questions and many more, imparting masses of information with a light, humorous touch, and in scorers of vibrant illustrations. Piotr Socha tracks the history of bees from the time of the dinosaurs to their current plight, examining along the way the role bees have played in history and in the rest of the natural world.

Winner of the 2017 Educational Writers’ Award, The Society of Authors

Reviews:
‘A beautifully illustrated new book by cartoonist Piotr Socha will delight your children with all things buzzy…It is a brilliant way to educate the younger generation about something very small but very important’
– Absolutely Education Magazine

‘This glorious book will introduce you to the bee world. It is fantastically illustrated in a cartoonish style that is big, bold and will appeal to all ages of reader. As well as being encyclopaedic, it is great fun – featuring recipes and a little bee newspaper, the Daily Buzz’
– Book Trust

‘Charming and educative’
– The Tablet

‘Designed like a coffee table book, yet containing the knowledge of an encyclopaedia, and reading like a fun newspaper, this is stunningly executed my top non-fiction book of the year’
– Minerva Reads

Contents List
1. 100 millions years ago: bees and dinosaurs • 2. How a bee is built • 3. Types of bee and their functions • 4. The Queen Bee and bee breeding • 5. Bees’ dancing and swarming • 6. Honeycomb, contractions based on it and other examples of biomimetics • 7. Pollination • 8. Fruits and vegetables that rely on bees • 9. Other secondary pollinators • 10. First traces of contact between a man and a bee • 11. Ancient Egypt 12. Greek divinities and honey in Greek mythology • 13. Alexander and Poppea • 14. Beehive Design • 15. Early Slavs and Saint Ambrose • 16. Napoleon and Josephine 17. Curiosities • 18. Early honey harvesting • 19. Honey harvesting and early honey-hunters • 20. How a bee-hive is built • 21. Beekeeper’s clothing and tools • 22. A beekeeper’s work • 23. Types of beehives • 24. Figurative • 25. Ethiopia and Cameroon • 26. Asia • 27. Honey-giving plants • 28. Travelling apiaries • 29. How honey’s by-products are made • 30. Types of honey and dishes in which it’s used • 31. Enemies of bees and lovers of honey • 32. Bee sting • 33. Vanishing bees and hand-pollination • 34. Beehives in cities and hotels for pollinators • 35. Curiosities

About the Author
Piotr Socha is a graphic designer and illustrator, and the son of a beekeeper. He is one of Poland’s most popular cartoonists, famous for his comic drawings in various prominent Polish magazines and newspapers.

Wojciech Grajkowski is a biologist, and has written widely on science and nature for children.

Illustrated by Piotr Socha
Size: 37.0 x 27.3 cm
Format: PLC (no jacket)