Let’s Be Bees
Written and Illustrated by Shawn Harris
★ “A caregiver and little one find themselves transforming. In Harris’ appealingly thick-lined, childlike illustrations, the brown-skinned parent and youngster hold a book between them (tellingly named Let’s Be Bees) as the adult says invitingly, “Let’s buzz.” Next thing you know, the two have cast aside their restrictive human shapes and are buzzing through the air together as a pair of bees. The duo appear as birds on another spread; the parent urges, “Let’s chirp.” What follows is a series of animals, objects, and even concepts (at one point, the two become “the Earth” and decide to “make every sound”). It all comes to a satisfying finish when both characters transform into the parent (the child sports a mustache and beard) and then into the kid (the adult looks especially ridiculous with a comparatively small head atop a muscular body). The narrative concludes with both eager to do it all “AGAIN!” Through a simplicity that can be difficult to capture so well on the page, this tale models marvelous parental playtime behavior, even suggesting how adults might read this very story with small children. Each page is filled with different ways of making fun sounds. Harris’ ability to connect with children on their own level, while also being unafraid to get a little weird in the process, brings to mind such superb titles as Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd’s Goodnight Moon.
Let’s be readers and explore this book together—again and again.”
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
★ “Simple figures outlined in energetic black crayon burst with energy as the calls of many animals next emerge across spreads (“Let’s RATTLE”; “Let’s CROW”). At the end, the light-brown-skinned adult and child mimic each other (“Let’s be me... let’s be you”) by way of wrapping up this endearing celebration of voice and noise. In a sly, self-referential twist, the book the pair is reading—Let’s Be Bees—invites the audience into mimicry not just of the natural world but of the characters themselves."
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
★ "Acclaimed author/illustrator and Caldecott Honor winner Harris pairs his simple, lyrical text with bright, vibrant colors in bold, childlike crayon strokes, with softly rounded shapes sustaining the cozy, endearing vibe. Certain to inspire further imaginative explorations with its playful, participatory fun, this joyful celebration of shared make-believe conjures endless possibilities for whimsical delight, inviting readers to return “again! again!”"
—Booklist, Starred Review