Let's Be Bees

Starred review from November 11, 2024
In this sound-centric account of a riotous readaloud session from Caldecott Honoree Harris, a bearded caregiver in a blue top holds one side of a book while a child in a yellow shirt grasps the other. “Let’s be bees,” reads text on the first spread’s verso. On the recto, the caregiver urges the child via speech balloon: “LET’S BUZZ.” A page turn later, the duo’s clothes suddenly appear empty—the sitting humans have turned into hovering bees: “BUZZ!” Soon, “Let’s be birds” again transforms the figures (“CHIRP!”), and the conceit gains momentum as the two turn into trees (“RUSTLE!”), weather (“THUNDER!”), and more. Simple figures outlined in energetic black crayon burst with energy as the calls of many animals next emerge across spreads (“Let’s RATTLE”; “Let’s CROW”). At the end, the light-brown-skinned adult and child mimic each other (“Let’s be me... let’s be you”) by way of wrapping up this endearing celebration of voice and noise. In a sly, self-referential twist, the book the pair is reading—Let’s Be Bees—invites the audience into mimicry not just of the natural world but of the characters themselves. Ages 4–8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

Starred review from December 15, 2024
A caregiver and little one find themselves transforming. In Harris' appealingly thick-lined, childlike illustrations, the brown-skinned parent and youngster hold a book between them (tellingly namedLet's Be Bees) as the adult says invitingly, "Let's buzz." Next thing you know, the two have cast aside their restrictive human shapes and are buzzing through the air together as a pair of bees. The duo appear as birds on another spread; the parent urges, "Let's chirp." What follows is a series of animals, objects, and even concepts (at one point, the two become "the Earth" and decide to "make every sound"). It all comes to a satisfying finish when both characters transform into the parent (the child sports a mustache and beard) and then into the kid (the adult looks especially ridiculous with a comparatively small head atop a muscular body). The narrative concludes with both eager to do it all "AGAIN!" Through a simplicity that can be difficult to capture so well on the page, this tale models marvelous parental playtime behavior, even suggesting how adults might read this very story with small children. Each page is filled with different ways of making fun sounds. Harris' ability to connect with children on their own level, while also being unafraid to get a little weird in the process, brings to mind such superb titles as Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd'sGoodnight Moon. Let's be readers and explore this book together--again and again.(Picture book. 2-5)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from January 1, 2025
Preschool-Grade 1 *Starred Review* In this charming, inventive take on the read-aloud experience, a curly-haired tot perches on Dad's knee as they dive into reading this very book together. As each page invites them to "be" something new, the pair transforms from bees and birds into trees and beyond (even as a wave or thunder, the little one still sports a red ball cap). In exuberant speech balloons, the duo calls out signature sounds like chirps and rustles; early, quieter moments expand into busy, action-packed spreads where a gaggle of characters appears, chiming in with even more playful sounds in scenes offering goofy humor (a moose is last in line to "roar"). The silly finale of this make-believe frolic is when the pair mirrors each other, first becoming the bearded dad to proclaim "The end!" before both become the red-capped child calling out "Again!" Acclaimed author-illustrator and Caldecott Honor winner Harris pairs his simple, lyrical text with bright, vibrant colors in bold, childlike crayon strokes, with softly rounded shapes sustaining the cozy, endearing vibe. Certain to inspire further imaginative explorations with its playful, participatory fun, this joyful celebration of shared make-believe conjures endless possibilities for whimsical delight, inviting readers to return "again! again!"

COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2025
Bold, comical crayon illustrations set the tone for a boisterous game of pretend and its noisy cacophony of sounds. "Let's be bees," suggests the text on the opening page, while the accompanying illustration shows a grownup reading this very book to a child. "LET'S BUZZ," the adult encourages. When the page turns, the imaginative art steps up the energy, with the pair's heads now two buzzing bees. From there, they joyously make appropriate noises as they pretend to be birds ("CHIRP!") and then trees ("RUSTLE!"). The pace quickens (with a thunderstorm) and then quiets down briefly (with snow) -- but then comes an avalanche. Surprising with every page-turn, the visuals explode into a series of immersive double-page spreads with speech bubbles full of onomatopoeia. In a climactic feat, the grownup and child attempt to be Earth and make all the sounds at once. The art, with its call for noise, becomes calmer as the book approaches the end, but the final page picks up speed for an encore: "AGAIN!" Busy endpapers full of creatures and natural marvels make useful prompts to extend the story with a variety of sounds. Julie Roach

(Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)