Bessie's Bees - George Kirk - ★★★.½

AUTHOR: George Kirk

ILLUSTRATOR: Ana Gomez

GENRE: Children's Picture Book

PUBLICATION DATE: September 2, 2025

RATING: 3.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A picture book about a little girl whose head is buzzing with busy bees all the time. A clever metaphorical story on ADHD, though I suspect it might be a tad too deep for little readers. Fabulous analogy, but leaves a few things unsaid. Will definitely work better with discussion.

Plot Preview:

Little Bessie’s head is always buzzing with bees, and she has been perfectly okay with them. But when her granny takes Bessie to a new place… a school, Bessie notices that none of the other kids there have bees. She tries to force her bees inside her head, but the bees don’t like this and they rebel. Soon, Bessie’s head is bursting with bees, and they begin creating havoc at school. How can Bessie ensure that her bees behave at school?

I absolutely love the metaphor of buzzing bees to indicate the constantly buzzing thoughts in the mind of a person with ADHD. The diagrammatical representation using bees helps us picture the endless stream of thoughts swerving around the head.

However, as much as the metaphor is imaginative, it is also quite deep. Scenes where the bees leave Bessie alone and go to wander in the garden, or how Bessie “shared” her bees with her new classmates will be unclear to little ones without adult guidance.

One important detail in the book is that Granny also has bees, the only other character in the book to be in this situation other than Bessie. Unfortunately, the text doesn’t address this directly. I think this is a missed opportunity because studies have shown that ADHD has a strong genetic connection and tends to run in families. I wish there had been a little more about how Granny handles her bees beyond the humming.

The solution felt a bit oversimplified to me. I am literal in my thinking, so this idea of “share your bees with others” bounced over my head. The ADHD kids I have interacted with might have affected my perception of the solution because they are at the severe end of the spectrum and this tactic won't work for them.

The book ends with an informative note written by a paediatrician. This note, aiming at parents and guardians, explains the meaning of ADHD and its two common behavioural manifestations. It also debunks some common myths about ADHD. Unfortunately, even this page doesn’t bring up the familial link. The final section offers some behavioural tips to parents on ADHD management. As the picture book aims at children, I wish there had been some tips aimed at kids as well. These could even have been some elaborations on a couple of steps mentioned in the story such as humming or “sharing”.

The illustrations in the book are as adorable as the cover art suggests. The bright and buzzy bees with their tiny spectacles mimicking Bessie’s glasses are really cute. Using bright pastel colours and vivid expressions on the characters’ faces works well for the story.

Overall, while I love the idea of this book, I think the implementation could have gone better for me. A little more clarification and a little less metaphor might have made this read more accessible. But even as is, the book does highlight a fairly common problem children suffer from these days, and greater awareness won't hurt. Plus, the illustrations are awesome.

Mayo Clinic books always offers wellness content created in partnership with paediatric experts. The proceeds from the sale of every Mayo Clinic book go to benefit medical research and education at Mayo Clinic. That’s one more reason to support this book.

Recommended to parents/teachers/mental health counsellors to be read with children having ADHD.

My thanks to Mayo Clinic Press Kids for providing the DRC of “Bessie's Bees” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.