Bee Detectives

By: Vanessa Ryan-Rendall Illustrated by: Brenna Quinlan

eBook - April 2021 - eRetailers

Join these budding Bee Detectives as they explore the wonders of Australia's native bees.

When Olivia and Hamish see a smoky haze coming from their local park, they're ready to spring into action! But it's not a fire – it's a nest of Australian stingless bees that needs their help. + Full description

Join Olivia and Hamish as they learn about the bees in our backyards. From Blue-banded and Teddy Bear to Carpenter and Leaf-cutter bees, our two budding Bee Detectives discover how our native bees live, what they like to eat and the important work they do to pollinate plants.

Explore the wonders of Australia's native bees – and be inspired to become a Bee Detective, too. It's a real buzz!

Reading level varies from child to child, but we recommend this book for ages 6-9.

Certificate of Commendation, The Royal Zoological Society of NSW 2021 Whitley Awards: Investigative Zoology for Children

- Short description

News

Read more on our blog:
Author Vanessa Ryan-Rendall shares how she was inspired to write Bee Detectives by the amazing Australian native stingless bees in her own backyard: Celebrating World Bee Day with the Bee Detectives

Illustrator Brenna Quinlan shares some fabulous behind-the-scenes tidbits, and told us about how her path to becoming an illustrator has been shaped by her passions for permaculture, sustainability and climate action: Science Illustrated: Q&A with Brenna Quinlan

Reviews

"This is one of those wonderful information picture books for kids where the sharing adults will learn as much as the young readers."
Lynne Babbage, CBCA Reading Time, 30 March 2021

"In a world where children's book on bees are over-represented by the introduced European honeybee Apis mellifera, this book is a much-needed and welcome addition, and furthermore, represents a greater diversity of Australian native bees than any of the few children's books published to date."
The Cross-Pollinator, April 2021

"A fun, educational book recommended for children aged six to nine."
Gardening Australia, June 2021

"Using a story format accompanied by charming illustrations that also put the bees under a magnifying glass so they can be more than squiggles on a page means that this has the potential to be used as a springboard to an intriguing investigation as students start to identify the various species and search for them in their own surroundings."
Barbara Braxton, The Bottom Shelf blog, 7 May 2021

"Bee Detectives showcases Quinlan and Ryan-Rendall's motive and creative talents though its seamless ability to combine fact and fiction through illustrations and visual cues in a digestible way."
Better Reading, 27 April 2021

"Bee Detectives is a lively story about the wonder and honest curiosity of children to learn more about nature…in this case native bees. The cartoon-inspired illustrations are fun, colourful and the diagrams are especially good at conveying the complexity of native bee biology in an accessible way."
Dr Sam Lloyd, Children's Books Daily, 5 May 2021

"What keeps readers engaged is the clever use of questioning, the consistency of the characters’ voice, and the enlarged, bold and coloured text that helps the audience identify specific names and essential terms."
Romi Sharp, Just Kids Lit, 31 May 2021

"Bee Detectives is a delightful picture storybook that blends an interesting and engaging [story] with some fabulous information about Australian native bees."
Alex Parrington, Teaching Science, 67(2), June 2021

"How to attract bees to your garden and the benefits attached to it, plus lots of facts about bees are included in this intricately illustrated and highly educational book."
Anastasia Gonis, Kids' Book Review, 26 July 2021

"While the book offers many educational experiences for the child, it has at its core a delightful story. Children will respond readily to the mystery of the black cloud, the revelation of its source and the explanation of how these tiny insects live in our backyards. Their eyes will be opened to the wonder of nature and how it is ever present around us but often unrealized as we don’t observe closely the environment that is right at our back door."
Judy Ferrier, Metamorphosis Australia Issue 101, June 2021

"Engaging and easy to follow text make it suitable for young readers. It would be valuable as a teaching resource as well as being a good addition to a school library."
Peter Hope, Let's Find Out Vol38(3), 2021

"Tap[s] into children’s natural affinity for the wild, and encourage[s] deeper exploration."
Simon Webster, Organic Gardener. September 2021

"The lively illustrations add an overall exuberance which should make this book irresistible to young readers."
Writing WA, 3 November 2021

Details

Features

This fun story introduces kids to different types of Australian native bees and gives fascinating facts about how they live
Aspiring Bee Detectives can learn how to help native bees and attract them to your backyard
Features detailed illustrations to help kids identify native bees they might find

Authors

Vanessa Ryan-Rendall is an experienced primary school teacher, gifted education consultant and librarian. She has a keen interest in engaging students in literature while learning more about the natural world, and loves helping children build skills in investigating, problem-solving and creative thinking.

Brenna Quinlan is an illustrator and educator who strives to make the world a better place through her art and her actions. She has lived for 4 years at Australia’s most well-known permaculture demonstration site, Melliodora, where they grow food, milk goats, build soil and engage with the community.

For Teachers

We have created these Teacher Notes as a free PDF download to support the use of this book in the classroom.

Teacher Notes (775.08 KB)