Upon discovering a nest of woodcutter bees in the winter woodpile, Loretta loses her bonnet to a gust of wind, but spring brings the promise of pollinated plants—and a surprise in a found bonnet.
Living in the country has its perks for Loretta, a little girl with a big curiosity for nature. In BEES IN LORETTA’S BONNET, children’s book author Lois Wickstrom appeals to children ages 4 to 7, with this gentle story about how Loretta finds an interesting “toy” in the family’s woodpile, only to lose her bonnet when a gust of wind blows it from her head. In her excitement to show her mother the found item, she completely forgets about the bonnet. The toy turns out to be a nest of unhatched woodcutter bees, which her mother encourages her to place back in the woodpile so that the insects can hatch in the springtime and help pollinate their flowers. Loretta dutifully follows her mother’s advice, and in late spring finds the bees have vacated their nest. But where did they go?
Wickstrom teaches youngsters respect for nature in a sweet, simply written manner. The conversational text, accompanied by the stylistic illustrations of artist Francie Mion, flows from one season to another, winter to summer, with Loretta enjoying country life and learning from her parents, who patiently explain how important leafcutter bees are to the ecosystem. After the story, Wickstrom offers step-by-step instructions (including photographs) on how to construct a bee nest out of parchment paper, just like the one Loretta’s father shows her how to make in the story.
BEES IN LORETTA’S BONNET effectively instills a love for nature in kids and provides caregivers with the opportunity to teach youngsters about the importance of leaving wild creature alone to perform their intended duties in nature.
~IndieReader