Queenspotting: Meet the Remarkable Queen Bee and Discover the Drama at the Heart of the Hive by Hilary Kearney

Reviewed By: Rebecca Cox, Business Manager

Genre: Nonfiction

Suggested Age:  Adults

What is This Book About?  Queenspotting is part introductory honey bee biology and part “Where’s Waldo?” as Hilary Kearney introduces the readers to the dynamics of a honey bee colony. The book puts scientific concepts into easy to understand terms and the 48 fold-out visual puzzles offer a fun break and game for both adults and kids!

My Review: I am a 5th Year Beekeeper and this is my favorite book to recommend to both beginner beekeepers and people who are just interested in these fascinating little creatures! I love how Kearney is able to break down concepts that seem complicated (such as the different “castes” or types of bees in the colony or the different types of queen cells that can be present when a beekeeper is looking at frames). The fold out puzzles have practical application for beekeepers since the ability to locate the queen is one of the most important skills to have. The puzzles are also fun to challenge kids (or husbands!) with to see who can find the queen the fastest! This book is not a long read and the information is written in such an engaging way that it’s honestly hard to put down!

Three Words that Describe this Book: Inspiring, Informative, Beautiful

Give this a try if you like… Nature’s Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy; Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature by Rachel Williams; Storey’s Guide to Keeping Honey Bees

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

FDL Reads