The Buzz on THESE BEES COUNT!: Inspiration and Information

 by Alison Formento

One of my favorite questions from students when I visit schools or libraries is how do I get the ideas for my books. For my new book, I have a sweet and tasty answer to that question. Honey, or to be more specific, a scoop of honey-flavored ice cream triggered the idea for THESE BEES COUNT!

Our family was vacationing in Florida and one hot afternoon we stopped at the local ice cream shop. Signs were displayed to promote the special honey-flavor and to bring awareness about the mystery of disappearing bees. The display had a long list of the fruit and vegetable crops that bees pollinate and how important they are for the world. It might have been brain freeze, but I definitely experienced an “Ah ha!” moment about bees. The phrase “Bees Count!” popped in my head and I immediately began writing a draft of the story.

I knew a lot about trees before I ever wrote my first picture book THIS TREE COUNTS!, and now you might call me Bee-ologist after all of the research behind THESE BEES COUNTS! Several university scientists and beekeepers, including the president of my regional beekeeping organization, have been my go-to experts for honeybee facts and in helping me prepare for my own backyard hive. I enjoyed visiting several local hives and shared my research photos and important bee facts to help Sarah Snow plan her illustrations for our book.

If you have a chance to visit a bee farm or a friend’s hives, watching bees work is an amazing experience. They zip and circle, planning their day’s flight to pollinate and gather nectar. That honey ice cream inspired me and I’m in complete awe of what bees provide our world every day. And to quote Jake, one of the characters in THESE BEES COUNT!, here’s a great word to describe about honeybees: “Sweet!”