A Sweet and Savory Story by One of the Very Best 
"The Bee Tree" is another of Patricia Polacco's superb explorations of intergenerational friendship, and the significance of culture and tradition. Her expressive, folksy, slightly loopy style are all her own, and she has long been one of my favorite illustrators. Here, the warm, homey pictures just draw you into the story, and suffuse it with the familiarity of a family heirloom. That's part of the magic here: Polacco's stories and colors are so vivid and personal that they seem like par t of your own history, when really she is merely honoring everyone's personal history in general. The colors are vibrant and soft at the same time, the narration has action and unique characterizations, and the obliquely offered message is even more powerful for it's brevity. Very definitely recommended, and I encourage you to discover more of her work!
March 22, 2004 | |
The Bee Tree
Patricia Polacco, in her story The Bee Tree, tells a tale that emphasizes the important value of learning for its own sake. In this story, a young girl, Mary Ellen, tells her grandfather that she is tired of reading, that she would rather be outdoors running and playing. "In that case," responds her grandfather, " it must be time to find a bee tree." The grandfather goes outside with Mary Ellen, takes a sealed glass jar with him and leads his granddaughter to a garden full of bees pollinating flowers. The grandfather uses the jar to capture a number of buzzing creatures. He informs Mary Ellen that the insects will lead them to a hive full of the sweetest honey she will ever taste. As the grandfather lets the first bee escape, the chase begins. Some of the most intriguing characters join in on the chase when they see what the grandfather and the granddaughter are doing. They see some of the most interesting landmarks as they run after the bees that lead to the tree that holds the sweet reward. When they finally reach their destination, the grandfather knows just the right procedures that enable him to pull the honey safely out of the hive. After he acquires the honey, he invites everyone back to his house for a celebration. During the party, the grandfather takes Mary Ellen away from the crowd. He says quietly to her, "Now child, I am going to show you something what my father showed me, and his father before him." He spoons a dab of honey onto the cover of a book. "Taste," he says, almost in a whisper. "There is such sweetness inside of that book, too. Such things ... adventure, knowledge, wisdom. But these things do not come easily. You have to pursue them. Just like we ran after the bees to find their tree, so you must also chase these things through the pages of a book." Then he smiles and hugs her. From that day on, Mary Ellen never again complained about her reading. She found it to be every bit as exciting as a wild chase through the countryside and as sweet as honey from a bee tree. Polacco stresses a number of positive images in her depiction of the grandfather. With a flowing beard and his head always covered with a yalmulke, he is a traditional Jewish figure who is a true source of wisdom and vitality. He is the kind of person whom children today unfortunately do not always experience, particularly when old people live in segregated neighborhoods and nursing homes and retirement complexes, and when parents and grandparents can live thousands of miles apart. This book is a true gift .
March 15, 2004 | |
