Betsie Valentine And The Honeybees is a unique and beautifully illustrated adventure that is in sync with current environmental concerns.
Written by meriet duncan and illustrated by Tegan Sharrard
Betsie is a spirited little girl with wild blonde curls and a great love of the outdoors and lives with her mother, father and little brother Hewey. One warm Summer's day, while her father is out with her brother and her mother is at the bottom of the garden looking after her bees, she is sitting outside eating a honey sandwich when a honey bee comes down and settles on one of her sandwiches still on the plate. Betsie watches the bee and becomes convinced the bee is watching her. She gently leans forward to get a closer look and from nowhere a rhyme pops into her head . . .
“Are you looking at me little bee?
Are you looking at me?
My name is Betsie Valentine
And that begins with a B!
Are you looking at me little bee?
Are you looking at me?
My name is Betsie Valentine
And I would love to be a bee!”
Betsie recites it out loud and to her surprise it has a magical effect.
Betsie Valentine and the Honeybees
Visit the official Betsie Valentine and the Honeybees website to find out more about the Author and this wonderful book.
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A Note from the Author
I call myself an ‘accidental beekeeper’ because it is something I fell into rather than decided to do and from the moment I opened up my first hive I fell in love with the honeybees. It didn’t take long before I became aware of the extent to which our planet relies on them. I have been a beekeeper for six years and enjoy giving talks at children’s schools, W. I’s and other community groups which are always very warmly received.
The story of Betsie Valentine and the Honey Bees was conceived while tending to my Honey Bees, thinking about my grandson, Hewey, and imagining what a granddaughter might be like. My son told me that if Hewey had been a girl he would have been called Betsie.
On my editorial journey I met Tegan Sharrard whose work reminded me of my mothers’ art. She could not have been more perfect for the job of helping to bring Betsie Valentine to life. I never tire of looking through the book at her wonderful pictures.
I had, while writing, and still do have, a feeling of great excitement about this book. I intend to visit as many schools as I can in the UK giving talks about the honeybees and reading extracts from Betsie Valentine. What an achievement it would be to change perceptions about bees and where better to start than with young children through the medium of their schools and parents who will all learn at the same time.
A Note from the Illustrator
When Meriet Duncan asked me to illustrate this book I felt thrilled and excited to be involved. I have learnt so very much about Honey Bees and the vital part they play in our world. I feel the vibrant colour and style of my work lends itself beautifully to this story and I am in my element when helping to bring to life little creature characters like Betsie and Hunnie.
Meriet’s enthusiasm on this subject has been infectious and I found myself researching all manner of things relating to bees while illustrating this very exciting project.
These humble, buzzing bugs deserve a huge thanks – for helping provide us with our favourite fruits and vegetables, their delicious honey, and beautiful, flowery gardens! Bees are some of the hardest working creatures on the planet, and because of their laborious work ethic, we owe many thanks to this amazing yet often under appreciated insect as they are easily amongst the most important insects to humans on Earth.
The story of Betsie Valentine, which I have found to be both enchanting and educational, will hopefully highlight the worldwide importance of bees to our agricultural economy and the overall ecosystem; they are an essential component to sustaining life on Earth. Long live the bee!
