Honey: A Gift from Nature by Yumiko Fujwara, illustrated by Hideko Ise Ages 4-8 28 pages Kane/Miller March 2006 Paperback     Bees work so hard all their lives - and all to produce about a half teaspoon of honey. While eating a breakfast of honey and bread, a young child wonders how the honey came to be. The child decides to go along with her dad, the beekeeper, while he tends to his bees in the mountains. From spring into winter, the bees and the beekeeper are busy. The beekeeper explains the process of how bees turn nectar into honey to his child in a way that is easy to understand. Readers also learn how honey is removed from hives. The book is told in the child’s voice as she sees and learns about honey and the bees. The father introduces his child to the wonder of bees, asking her to feel the warmth coming from the bees on the frame. The father’s (and the author’s) respect for the bees and their work becomes especially clear when he is cutting off the plugs of wax for the honey. The beekeeper’s child also learns the enemies of bees (wasps and bears) and how to protect the hives in the winter. Illustrator Hideko Ise uses many colors in each image; the yellow hat has over eight different colors in it. The beekeeper’s hand is outlined in yellow, green and blue! The result is beautiful to see, up close or far away. The bees seem to have a soft blurry look, and the fall leaves are stunning. Honey truly is a gift from nature - and a gift that will taste different depending on the flowers the bees used. The weather, the bees, the flowers, and people all work together to produce this delicious sweet.       web reviews   Tanya Boudreau/2006 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)