The Thing About Bees: A Love Letter
1 Hardcover/1 CD (see all formats)

Innovative sound effects and a jazzy score enhance this presentation of Larkin's highly personal book (Readers to Eaters, 2019) about why people need to love bees and stop fearing them. With a crystal clear voice, Larkin narrates this work dedicated to his sons. A confessed melissophobe, the author/illustrator reveals in an introduction that he wrote the work to tell his children not to be like him, not to feel anxious around these winged creatures. In an inspired touch, the voices of Larkin's wife and kids appear on the recording. The text covers the important role that bees play in the pollination process and how they benefit humans. The producers create an intricate sound design with bees buzzing, children vocalizing, and piano-fueled music filling the air. One amusing passage has Larkin humorously comparing his offspring to the bees themselves. Listeners can detect a loving giggle in his voice. An informative segment ranks bees from friendliest to surliest. Listeners will definitely want to have a copy of the book on hand to experience Larkin's terrific, idiosyncratic illustrations. This production is indeed buzz-worthy.

Shabazz Larkin delivers a lively and joyful audiobook companion to his picture book all about appreciating bees. Larkin narrates with warmth as he describes the important role that bees play in pollinating plants and making a picnic's worth of fruits grow. Legend and Royal add giggles, yelps, and exclamations, while Ashley Larkin's bright voice narrates headings and labels. Buzzing bees, light piano music, and bongo drums add to the fun as Shabazz explains how kids share some buzzing and sneaking and stinging tendencies with bees--and how essential his kids are to making his life sweeter, too. The atmosphere of joy and love listeners hear in the audiobook is reflected in the vibrant and textured illustrations found in the print book.