The Buzz About the Party (Little Bee #1)

When Bee’s third grade class decides to hold a Mother’s Day party, almost everyone expresses excitement—until bully Penny informs Bee that since the gathering is for mothers only, Bee’s two fathers aren’t invited. As Bee grows increasingly concerned—if she insists on attending the party with her two dads, will she ruin Mother’s Day for everyone else?—she realizes that Penny’s words could impact other students as well. For instance, Santiago lives with his grandparents while his parents reside in Colombia, Bee’s teacher’s mom died years ago, and since Dylan is being raised by a single mom, Mother’s Day is more important to him than any other day of the year. During a class trip to the Nature Museum, Bee learns that the queen bee’s eggs are cared for by the worker bees, and she applies her newfound knowledge to her situation. As Daddy puts it: “Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day too... are about celebrating the people we love.” In this message-forward chapter book, a double debut, Neville leverages bee-related science facts to distill familial concepts, showing through Bee’s burgeoning understanding how everyone benefits from having empathy for others’ experiences. McKeown’s grayscale spot illustrations depict characters with various skin tones. Ages 6–9. (Apr.)