The Boy Who Lost His Bumble by Trudi Esberger

A little boy’s passion for bees is played out in this timely tale. He loves the stripy insects which fly into his garden, affectionately giving them names and recording details of each one. Then one day the seasons change and the bees suddenly disappear, which makes the little boy sad. Gradually, as the snowy winters give way to warming sunshine the bees return to the garden and all is well again. The current plight of bees is brought to the attention of the reader in a subtle way, making the reader consider what the world would be like without them. The book provides a perfect opener for discussing this plight with an older child, while younger children can simply enjoy the book at its most basic level as the charming picture book it is.