The Way of the Hive: A Honey Bee's Story by Jay Hosler
Published by HarperAlley on April 20, 2021
ISBN: 0063007363
Pages: 160
Format: Graphic Novel
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Originally published as a series of comics called Clan Apis (2000), this nonfiction graphic novel has been collected and colorized for a fresh and beautiful update. Hosler,  a biology professor by day, is a stellar storyteller when it comes to things that creep and crawl and buzz. This is the story of a very curious, but cautious, bee named Nyuki; in fact, each of the bees in the story has a name that is the word for ‘bee’ in a particular language. Using the story of Nyuki (Swahili), Hosler offers the full story of a bee’s life from larva to death (in a heart-tugging scene). The book reads like an adventure and infuses storytelling into the mechanics of the lives of these fascinating, and necessary, pollinators. Budding entomologists, those interested in apiculture, fans of the Science Comics series and of Hosler’s  previous graphic novel Last of the Sandwalkers (a quest graphic novel starring beetles) will enjoy this book. Copious notes at the end provide additional information about all of the scientific concepts and bee functions touched upon in the book. A stellar addition to a NF graphic novel section.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth