I had to read this graphic novel when I saw the concept. It was beautifully illustrated with a very informative storyline. It packed in a lot of information without bogging down the story I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
It's always interesting to read about the life cycle of bees and this graphic novel did a good job making it a fun educational experience. The different jobs that different bees do is fascinating and the humor really added to the educational aspect. One thing that would've added greatly is full color rather than mostly black and white.

The life cycle of a bee is quite interesting. I enjoyed the illustrations and how the author took the book from the start of the bee's exitance to the very end. This book is a quick informative read.

So well written, kids won’t realize they’re learning! This graphic nonfiction jams a ton of factual information amid action-filled panels and quirky prose. I would definitely recommend this to Wimpy Kid fans who lean on comics to keep them reading.

I love the idea of nonfiction graphic novels. This one just didn't move me as much. The narrative and the science seemed to not integrate well.

This is the review I put on GoodReads:

Wow!

First of all I want to thank HarperAlley and NetGalley for this opportunity to read an advance digital copy of this amazing graphic novel.

The authors biography started that “his diabolical plan is to weave his love of the natural world into thrilling tales of adventure.” This is a great success.

The story of Nyuki the Honeybee stretches over the entire span of her life. While the story weaves biological facts and fascinating information about the world of Bees, it’s is also a powerful tale of maturation, fear of change, community connection, the power of a mentor, loss, and issues of life and death. I would never have thought a story of the life of a Honeybee would bring me to tears, but there are two particular times this happened. There is also inspirational call to embrace life and the adventure of change.

I plan to buy the hard copy when available. I think you should to.

My students can't get enough of graphic novels! I know they are going to love this fun take that combines a graphic novel with information with bees. It also goes along with the second grade curriculum.

The Way of the Hive is a fascinating look at the life cycle of a bee from pupation to death. It follows one bee's life story and manages to educate the reader while still giving us a main character to connect with and care about.
I really dug the subtle ways the creators differentiated between the different bees without losing the main message of the importance of community and self-sacrifice that is at the center of this story. I can definitely see middle-grade amateur entomologists really enjoying this book. It's a quick read without skimping on information, and there's lots of fun humor to keep young readers hooked.

The Way of the Hive is a delightful and enlightening graphic novel for readers of all ages. The opening sequence, filled with exceptional colors, is attention getting, and the shift from one bee's "grand story telling," to the start of Nyuki, a bee still in her larva stage, is subtle and sweet, a perfect transition of perspectives for readers, not to mention, quite an achievement in terms of character development. Readers learn that Dvorah, the intro's storyteller, is devoted to her hive, as well as Nyuki, and her devotion to hive life is exemplified through her conversations with the young, and perhaps, frightened larva.

As Nyuki evolves, and becomes a bee herself, Dvorah is by her side, guiding her through her fears and anxiety about the world outside the hive. As Nyuki discovers, after separating from the group during a migration, the world at large can be terrifying. This experience shapes her existence, and her desire to stay within the confines of her hive, even rejecting some of the future roles expected of her. But as Nyuki grows, each obstacle life has to offer pushes her closer to the bee she was meant to become, the bee Dvorah knew she would become.

The Way of the Hive is an epic story of life, loyalty, bravery, and love. Told through amazing illustrations (I can't wait to see the finished project!), this story will touch the hearts of many. Aside from a few sequences that feel a bit like the book is trying to converge with a science article, this book is absolutely adorable, an will teach readers many new things, biological and otherwise. This is the perfect graphic novel for science classrooms, libraries, and bookshelves in homes with young (and old) readers.

The Way of the Hive is a refresh of the earlier Jay Hosler work Clan Apis. This is the story of the life of a Honey Bee named Nyuki. The book blends a simple story telling Nyuki's life from a larvae to an adult bee and beyond with the science of honey bees and other species they encounter.
Readers will learn information like:
What happens at the various stages in the life of a bee?
How do bees communicate?
What is a swarm?
How dangerous even connecting pollen can be.

This graphic novel would be suitable for middle school through adult readers. The coloration of the story adds to the beauty of the original illustrations and really bring the book to life. I would recommend it to any teacher needing to help students understand insect life cycles or the web of life or to anyone who enjoys a good science read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read a pre-release copy of this book.

Welp, I didn't expect to get all teary-eyed over a graphic novel about bees, but here we are. The illustrations were wonderful and the book was delightfully packed with all kinds of bee facts. I think what surprised me the most was the beautiful story about living your life to the fullest. Short, but sweet!

"A friend of hers helped her to realize a fundamental truth...no one survives life."

“The Way of the Hive” follows worker bee Nyuki throughout the life cycle of bees. From larva to pupa to adult to death, Nyuki experiences the ends and outs of what life is like as a bee. Learning from other experienced bees like Dvorah, Nyuki finds her place in the hive and learns about how the hive functions and how bees work together for the good of the hive. A fun graphic novel explaining the complexity of the life of bees.

Overall, I thought this book was extremely educational. I didn’t know that much about bees. It’s fascinating learning about swarming, external threat defense, and many other functions in the hive. I didn’t know that the new queen, when the hive needs to swarm (breakup in to two hives), goes and kills the other possible queens. There was also some humor tied in and little things likes “the Big Bloom” at the beginning were nice touches.

I think this is an entertaining graphic novel for upper elementary and middle readers. Hope there is another graphic novel like this soon… maybe about ants?

Thanks to HarperCollins Children’s Books and Netgalley for giving the opportunity to access this ARC. I really enjoyed it and look forward to adding it to my library when it is released!

A fun and delightful book that explains the life cycle of a honeybee and the operations of a honey-bee hive. The bees and other creatures (flowers, a dung beetle) are full of personality, there's humor, and plenty of factual information woven in. The art, rendered in dark gold and well-used black, is vibrant and beautiful.

note: I read an e-ARC version.

Interesting look at life in a bee colony. Great illustrations that pair well with the text. For some reason, I could not get into this graphic novel. I can see the appeal for a lot of reader's especially those who prefer nonfiction and this would be a great read for those who like science related books.

In the end this was not a good fit for me.

A wonderfully interesting look into the life of a bee! A mix between fiction and non-fiction, the story follows the life of a honey bee named Nyuki as she grows from a bee pupa to an adult. The art is lovely and bee facts are fit into the narrative extremely well. I recommend this read if you want to learn more about bees!

Both a scientifically correct look at the life of a bee colony, and a beautiful statement on the meaning of life. Questions tackled include:

- How are bees born, and how do they grow up?
- What different jobs do bees do in a hive?
- What happens when a bee hive gets too crowded?
- What do you do when you're afraid?
- What does it mean to love?
- How does death play a role in life?

The Way of the Hive, a graphic work of creative non-fiction by Jay Hosler, is a delightful and refreshing read during *gestures vaguely at the state of the world in 2020* all this. (Hopefully the world will have taken a chill pill by April 2021 when this book is due to be published, but I'm sure readers will find it delightful and refreshing, regardless). The artwork is cute, without being "cutesy," and the story, while educational, is actually quite funny in places, and even touching, in others. (Seriously. Never thought I'd have emotions about a bee, but here we are!).

Before I really get started on this review, I want to thank both NetGalley and HarperAlley for the opportunity to read and review the book early. And no, reading a copy of the book for free has not affected my review in any way--my opinions are genuine.

When I downloaded the advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley, I saw in small print on the bottom of the cover that The Way of the Hive had previously been published under the title of Clan Apis. I did a little digging, and found that the library I work at actually has a copy of the original! It never stood out to me before, so I think the new title will help it find more readers, as it helps better identify what the book will actually be about. I mean, yeah, there are bees on the cover of Clan Apis, too, but the new version, along with having a better, more specific title, is also more vibrant and inviting in its color scheme, especially with the cute little bee waving out at the reader. The cover and title were actually a big part of what drew me to request the ARC in the first place. Kudos to the graphic design and marketing team--I think y'all nailed this one. I should also add that the title reminds me of a now famous, and oft memed line from a Disney+ tv show, The Mandalorian, which is "This is the way." The Mandalorians are also a very insular group of people, who, like bees, always place the good of the group as a whole ahead of the good of the individual. I like the show, so that mental connection is another thing that drew me to request this ARC. If the team at HarperAlley purposely meant for this mental connection to happen for readers upon seeing/hearing the title--double kudos, because, y'all, it worked. For me at least.

Moving on to the actual story: The Way of the Hive follows the life cycle of a bee through the eyes of Nyuki, who the reader meets as a smart-mouthed larva. She is reluctant to grow and change, because change is scary (I feel you, Nyuki, I feel you). Her older sister Dvorah becomes her close friend, helping guide Nyuki through her different life stages, giving her the confidence to do what has to be done, because it is The Way of the Hive. I absolutely adore the relationship dynamic and dialogue between Nyuki and Dvorah--the good-natured snark between them brings to mind the relationship between Dorothy and Sophia from The Golden Girls. (Again with the references to tv shows, I know, I know).

I don't want to say too much about the plot of the story itself, but I will say that the author does a great job of weaving fascinating information about bees into the narrative through Nyuki's dialogue and interactions with other bees (and even other insects), without coming off as didactic and preachy.

On a final note, I can say that I recommend this book for readers of all ages who are interested in bees (and even those who are not...but the story is bee-centric, so bee-avoidant readers, beeware!) (Ha, see what I did there?)

The Way of the Hive gets 5 stars from me, and I will suggest that my colleagues purchase a copy to replace our twenty year old (holy cow, 2000 doesn't feel like it was twenty years ago--now I feel old!) copy of Clan Apis.

The Way of the Hive is an informative yet entertaining graphic novel! It goes through the life cycle of bees but also narrates an intriguing tale of what could possibly be considered a mundane topic. The parallel between the intricacies of bees and the relationships bees have with their hive and the surrounding world is well done. Overall, I think this would be a great book for either a science unit or for a classroom library at the upper elementary level.