The Bee Box that Jack Built

There’s a bee box made of painted wood that stands in the corner of Jack’s yard. He built the box to give the bees a safe, dark, cool place to make honeycomb. Nearby wildflowers feed the honey bees, who fly back to their box to make nectar for their queen. Every now and then, Jack gathers up fresh honey from their hive.

What does Jack’s family do with all the honey? They smear it on toast and eat honeycomb with sliced apples. They put honey in their tea. They mix honey into yogurt and cough syrup to make them sweeter. And there’s something else Jack makes out of beeswax—something that smells wonderful and really lights up a room.

The Bee Box that Jack Built outlines the importance of bees and the many uses for honey, beeswax, and honeycomb. It also shows how plants, animals, and people can live in harmony, giving shelter and sustenance to one another. Written by Margo Linn, illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald, and published by Blue Apple Books.