I Saw a Bee

Review

Picture books come in many forms and cover many themes; some get quite elaborate – and there’s a place for those. But often it’s the simplest ideas that are most effective, particularly when reading to children just learning to discover the joys of storytime.

Take I saw a Bee by Rob Ramsden: it’s an age-old story of boy meets bee, boy flees bee, boy and bee miss each other and are reconciled, told in simple, rhythmic language (often with only a single sentence across each spread).

Its illustrations are bold and bright, clearly communicating the narrative as it unfolds… and as a package, it all adds up to something quite magical.

If my experiences are any indication, your children will enthusiastically engage with the tale, searching for the bee and pointing out the other creatures there are to spot on every page.

Indeed, it’s sure to inspire an interest in minibeasts as well as introducing new vocabulary that can be used in many other contexts.