Finding kids books about bees isn’t particularly hard these days because they are a hot topic with us all being more and more aware of the need to look after them for future generations. So what better way to help that message along than teaching that future generation about them ourselves with some gorgeous storybooks about them. From simple board books that toddlers will love, all the way up to more in-depth guides for those really wanting to be serious about their conservation there’s something for every child bee lover here.
I hope you like the suggestions – if you ever know of any more books I’ve missed then do let me know and I’ll do my best to add them in!
Contents
Books for toddlers about bees
That’s not my bee…. by Fiona Watt
This series of board books are favourites of all parents and toddlers. Mine loved these books when they were little because it’s a familiar text with rhymes and it not only introduces them to bees, hives and their body parts, but also to the textures and colours involved too. If you love any of the others in the series you’ll love the one about the bee too.
Stories and picture books about bees
Bee and Me by Alison Jay
Recommended age – all ages
Bee and Me is a story of a bee that flies inside a little girls house and the friendship that develops. The girl gets scared and traps the bee while she figures out what to do, and as she learns that the bee is friendly sh helps to make him comfortable before setting him free. Of course, that’s not the end of it – he comes back, they become great friends and have many good times. All of this is told without words which makes a really nice book for all ages. You can spend as much time on working out the story as each child needs to.
I love how the book still manages, with no words, to highlight the need for more flowers for the bees!
Nature’s Tiny Miracle: Bee by Patricia Hegarty
Recommended age – 3-5 years
This book is a lovely picture book about the life and journey of a bee. It has lovely rhyming words to accompany the stunning, colourful illustrations and what I particularly like about this book is that it’s a peep hole book. As you turn the pages you can find the bee in special places leading you through to the next page. A simple and gorgeous book.
Recommended for younger kids this is a nice inexpensive book to add to your collection.
The Boy Who Lost His Bumble by Trudi Esberger
Recommended age – 3-8 years
Another simple story book and this one is about a small boy who simply loves the bees in his garden. He enjoys spending time with them, watching and naming them but all of a sudden things change as the weather starts to get rainy and cold. He gets sad that the bees are gone and almost loses hope when Spring arrives and they are back. It’s a sweet story and simple enough for little kids to love.
Wilbee the Bumblebee by Maureen Thomson and Craig Smith
Recommended age – 2-6 years
A lovely picture book by the same author that brought us The Wonkey Donkey book and it has a little of the same humour in it. With a nice rhyming story we learn about Willbee losing his yellow and black jumper and how it now meant even his bum was cold. He enlists the help of a butterfly and a spider to get it back so he can buzz around the garden again.
This one is for younger children but depsite being a funny picture book it still manages to bring in the importance of bees which I love.
Little Honey Bee by Caryl Lewis
Recommended age – 4-8 years
Little Honey Bee follows the story of Elsi who live with her beekeeping Grandmother. She learns all about their world which in turn helps the reader learn too. I especially like that this book details the flowers that the bees like so if you’re looking to leanr about what to plant there may some great ideas here too. The book is by a Welsh author so the flowers mentioned are native to the UK!
Non fiction kids books about bees
The Book of Bees by Piotr Socha and Wojciech Grajkowski
Recommended age – 
This stunning book sits at the top of my favourite bee books for kids because I really think it’s a great book for all ages. There are some amazingly beautiful illustrations that young children will enjoy, an engaging text that older kids will love being read to them and for older kids they can simply read it themselves. It’s not too simple and dumbed down but equally still appealing for kids.
It includes a lot of facts about bees from where they live to how they do their waggle dance and the different kinds of bees too. For anyone with even a passing interest this is definitely one for the bookshelf!
You can take a look at some of the artwork and sample pages on Amazon (and he does another gorgeous books about trees too – definitely check it out.)
The Bee Book by Charlotte Milner
Recommended age – 5-7 years
A really colourful and entertaining book. The Bee Book talks about the different kinds of bees in the world and also, importantly, how we can all continue to help bees thrive. It does this in simple language which means this is a book that can be enjoyed from a young age but I think older kids would love it too. Full of facts and tidbits that will help your child love bees rather than be afraid of them!
You can see a few of the sample pages on Amazon.
Bees and Wasps (Usborne Beginners Series) by James Maclaine
Recommended age – independent readers of 6+
When getting kids to read for themselves, some really enjoy non fiction books – I know my children did. This is one of a few in the Usborne Beginners Series which have interesting topics that are suitable for beginner readers. The Bees and Wasps book is pretty self explanatory and talks about the insects, the differences and what they do in the world. It’s amazing how much is actually in this book!
Being a Bee by Jinny Johnson
Recommended age – 6-8 years
Another lovely non fiction book about bees that children will love. I really love the illustrations which make this a gorgeous book for all to enjoy. The book tells about how bees live together in a hive, how and why they make honey and much more besides. Again, this brings in some ideas about protecting bees which is a familiar theme among these books!
Why do we need bees? By Katie Daynes
Recommended age – 3+ years
Although a board book this one is more for older kids than toddlers. The book is full of facts and information on bees and why we need them in our world. Younger kids will love lifting the flaps and it’s a great book for them to look at independently once they know the facts from a previous read through. It’s bright and full of wonderful colours and the flaps just add another dimension for children who love to be involved when reading books!
Books about bees for older kids
The Bee Book by Dorling Kindersley
Recommended ages – 10 – adult
If you have older children who are really interested in bees then you could do no wrong by getting this book by Dorling Kindersley. I really love the DK books for their accessibility to kids who are interested in adult topics and this book is no exception. Jam packed with full colour photos and illustrations it teaches about the world of bees and also how to care for and attract them. It’s perfect for beginning beekeepers or just those who love to delve a little deeper.
I was really surprised how inexpensive this book is for such a good guide book on the subject – you can see the book and some sample pages by clicking below.