The Bee Without Wings

The Bee Without Wings tackles an important topic in a straightforward nonthreatening manner. A bee that needs help finds a friend. Through specific and believable steps, Sacha and Bea form a relationship that helps Bea recover from near death. But author and illustrator Amberlea Williams takes the story of that relationship to its inevitable conclusion with Bea’s death and its aftermath.

Sacha is accompanied through this journey by Molly the cat. The illustrations are charming. Their sadness at the loss of their friend Bea is just as evident on Molly’s face as it is on Sacha’s.

Sasha and Molly missed Bea terribly.
Sasha wanted to do something happy to remember her by — something that could help other bees too.

Finally, Sasha knew what to do.
After a long, cold winter of tending seeds and tending hope…

Sasha and Molly went into the garden and welcomed the bees.

Sacha and Molly and many happy bees are shown in “Bea’s Garden for Bees and Bugs”.

The last two pages of the book are written at a higher reading level and include information for “Care for early spring bees” and “Create your own bee-friendly garden”. Students motivated to try creating a bee-friendly garden will find lots of helpful ideas to get started.

Tucked in the publication information on the inside back cover is the credit to the author’s son, Fletcher Thompson, for the hand rendered lettering on Sacha’s garden signs, a subtle but sweet recognition of this personal contribution to a wonderful story.

Also included is credit to a news article that inspired “The Bee Without Wings”.

This story was inspired by a news article about a woman who cared for a wingless bee she found in her garden and the beautiful interspecies affection that developed between them.

The Bee Without Wings does everything right. This book will make a perfect read-aloud to begin a discussion of life and death and of the difference that one person can make in the world.