As an avid bee lover I had to check out this Children’s book. There are obviously a lot of books out there about bees but here is what I liked about this one:
That there was bigger font for the main points (for those newer readers) and smaller font with more in depth information.
The illustrations were clear and beautiful.
I learned something new. I never knew that each bee worked their way through all of the jobs.

Beautiful illustrations bring this informative book all about bees to life for children. 🐝

Straightforward in its approach this is a great resource for answering those thousands of bee related questions kids come up with. A great look at how complex nature can be and a reminder of how important pollinators are to humans. Protecting pollinators is critical to ensure food production worldwide. The illustrations will go a long way to help understand some of the more in depth explanations.

I’d recommend this one for school aged children.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Familius for providing an Advance Digital Reading Copy for review. All opinions are my own.

What a beautifully illustrated book celebrating and informing about one of our most precious natural treasures: honey bees. Not only are the illustrations gorgeous, the page-by-page facts help us grow an appreciation for just how valuable bees are for the world.

While this is a children's book, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone younger than, say, 8 years old because the information is very detailed and more serious than entertaining, like a younger child might want. As an adult, I found it fascinating and learned quite a bit about how "they work", feeling a bit exhausted just thinking about how nonstop and hard their jobs are from birth to death.

We should be thankful the bees work so hard, because in here we find out that "humans rely on pollination for one third of their food". That is not just important. That's vital.

Wonderfully done. Thank you for such an uplifting and interesting view of honey bee life.

They Work is a fantastic non-fiction children’s book that offers an insightful look into the fascinating world of honey bees. The illustrations are a standout feature—beautifully realistic and incredibly detailed, they capture the intricate life of a bee colony in a way that will engage young readers and adults alike. The text pairs seamlessly with these images, providing clear explanations that align perfectly with the visuals, making complex concepts about bees accessible and understandable.

While the text might come across as somewhat direct and clinical, this approach suits its purpose as an educational tool. It’s straightforward enough to be easily understood yet informative enough to provide a comprehensive introduction to the topic. This book would be a wonderful choice for children to explore with their parents, sparking curiosity and conversation about nature and the vital role bees play in our world. Whether you’re a budding entomologist or just love learning about the natural world, this book is a sweet addition to any young reader’s bookshelf.

I'm so excited to have stumbled upon this while perusing NetGalley!

One of our neighbors is a beekeeper and has an entire garage dedicated to it! While he's a fantastic resource, his explanations will likely go right over my 2 year old's head if he only hears them on occasion. So, I'm going to get this book :)

The detail in both the illustrations and the information provided is wonderful! This is exactly what I'd be looking for when finding a book on bees for my little guy. Lucky me, I don't even have to look now!

Thank you bunches to June Smalls, Familius and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!

I find Honey Bees so fascinating. Each Bee has a Special Role. They make Delicious Honey, but also Pollinate Flowers and are so Vital to our Ecosystem. For young children to learn this complex system and know about the honey they eat and how it got there, I think most would really enjoy reading this. I also thought the Illustrations were especially great. This would be a book that I would recommend for schools, libraries, and individuals.

Thank you NetGalkey, June Smalls, and Familius for granting me a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.

This is an informative book about the life of honey bees. There is great information and hope for the new generation to learn about these pollinators.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy

This was a beautiful story that teaches children about just why bees are so important to nature. I thought the author did this in an age appropriate way for children to enjoy this story. I also really thought the illustrations were beautiful. This is a wonderful book to read to a child.

I will never pass up the opportunity to read about pollinators! I love the engagement of this book for our little ones. However, I struggled with some of the lexicon for the age range that it is geared towards as well as the size of the text. If it had been a bit more simplified and the text large, I would have given this 5 stars.

The story of the life cycle of the honeybee written at two levels of understanding on each frame. Good for interactive learning with each other. Loved it!
The illustrations by Yukari Mishima are very busy and quite accurate.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof on Adobe Digital Editions from Familius via NetGalley. Thank you!
Avail Mar 11, 2025 #TheyWork by @June_Smalls @Familius Yukari Mishima illustrator #AnimalLifeCyclesSeriesBk4 @CBCBook @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones ***** #Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org Ages 3 and up @bookshop_org_uk @childrensbookcouncil #Nature #Nonfiction

They Work is a nonfiction picture book about the life cycle of bees. The book starts with the Queen Bee and describes the duties of worker bees and drones. Bee tasks include cleaning the nursery and gathering honey.

The illustrations are beautiful, but the text lacks continuity. It was unclear if all the worker bees do all the tasks, such as cleaning, helping the Queen, etc., or if they do these tasks at different times in their life cycles. Illustrating the bee's life cycle and it's functions during this lifecycle would be helpful. Bees get too old to do chores at a certain point, but what happens to these bees is unclear.

This is a beautiful book, but it needs more coherent prose.

What a beautiful book! I was immediately captivated by the illustrations, and Smalls' descriptions enhanced the experience. Smalls describes the natural world with concision and precision, offering a snapshot of how animals function. Here, we meet the bees and explore their world. I love bees, I loved this book, and I will be getting hard copies for my friends with kids and for my own kids!

Super educational but it was very traditional in the way it conveyed the knowledge to readers. This book might be good for school aged kids doing research rather than it being a book for engagement.

A great introduction to bees with a focus on the different jobs bees do within the hive. The visuals are clear and interesting, with enough information to keep young readers engaged.

The artwork in this book is absolutely beautiful. The text is too small for the page sizes. I felt the imagery to be geared towards kids but the text was a bit too advanced and reads clinically, like a textbook. It would be so sweet to have the information presented in a way that appealed towards a younger crowd. My kids loved the photos and learning how honey is made, but I’m not sure how much they grasped.

The artwork in this is fantastic! It so realistic looking and the bees are adorable. I also learned a few things while I was reading this book.

This is a beautiful publication. The artwork is stunning, a piece of art actually. It's a pity that at some places it is at the expense of legibility. Here and there the letters are too small, the copy is on the illustration or it is written in yellow.
This book gives a very detailed and interesting explanation on bees and how they live and work. It was a bit complex to my 6-year-old, but 7-8-year-old nature lover kids will definitely enjoy it.

This book is a gem for children to learn about honey bees, their life cycles, and their importance to our environment. The artwork is stunning and beautifully complements the information. My boys were fascinated and found it easier to understand all the facts through the beautiful illustrations.

I also learned a lot about honey bees, which shows how educational this book is for all ages. Given the declining honey bee population, this book is crucial in teaching kids about the life of a honey bee.

Overall, it’s a fantastic and important read. 10/10.

Well written factual book.
This book goes through the lifecycle of bees and how they progress through jobs to keep the hive going. Illustrations help the story and are clear. There are simple sentences for each 2-page spread along with more detail that could be skipped with children who have a shorter attention span. Well written, factual, and beautifully illustrated.

Age: 1-4th grade
Audience: school library, home library, classroom independent reading

This honest review was given in exchange for a NetGalley advanced reader ebook copy.

A fantastic book for children to understand honey bees, how they live, and how they help the environment we live in. There is a lot of great information to go with the beautiful artwork in this book. My husband and I both learned a lot that we didn't know about honey bees as well. This is such an important book at this time in our history with their numbers dwindling year after year. Honey bees play such a crucial role in our farming and agricultural industry. 10/10