Here in Australia, when someone says the word ‘bee’, our first thoughts are usually of the brown and yellow European Honey Bee – which is fine. However, I do think it would be wonderful if when the word ‘bee’ was mentioned our first thoughts went to our native bee species: the Blue Banded Bee, the Leafcutter Bee or the Stingless Bee. So, whenever a new kids’ book comes out about our native fauna, I let out a little ‘yippee’ at the thought of kids getting to learn more about the amazing and important creatures that belong to this massive continent.

The Beehive by Megan Daley and Max Hamilton focuses on the Australian native Stingless Bee, a social, honey-producing bee that is an important pollinator of native plants as well as food crops. This book is full of interesting facts such as: where to find these bees in the wild; information about the setup of the hive, both wild and domestic; how to split a hive; and the joy (and importance) of having a bee-friendly garden. The illustrations are clear, simple, and informative and complement the text perfectly, making this an important and enjoyable resource, not only for the home library but also for the school library. For ages 5+.