If you are looking for a delightful book to teach you the basics of honeybee natural history, then Clan Apis by Jay Hosler is for you! This is a great book! Mr. Neil recommended it to me, actually insisted that I read it. I tried to tell him that I'm not one for the comic books but he assured me that this was very accurate and just a wonderful read. I was skeptical but thumbed through it in his presence to placate him. Before I knew it, I was hooked.

Hosler has a cheeky sense of humor about the bees but at the same time gives you all the facts about their life cycle and behaviors. This book is great for kids, but adults will love the humor. One of my favorite parts is when the hive decides to swarm (was that a spoiler?) and starts to carry off the queen. As the workers are toting her away, she exclaims, "Great Googaly Moogaly!"--points for use of that phrase! AND! Points for:

...inserting a pileated woodpecker drawn accurately and doing what woodpeckers do. Boy, I hope one of these boys doesn't decide to go after our hives.

Anyway--this is a great read and a great gift. Go forth, find it, buy it (or check it out of a library) and read it. Ah, if only birders could do comics like this...maybe I will.