Bessie’s Bees
George Kirk and Ana Gómez
Templar Books

Bessie has a head full of buzzing bees and she’s perfectly comfortable with them so long as the bees are kept busy which works well all the time she’s at home. However when her Granny takes her to nursery for the first time Bessie (who has autism and ADHD) does her upmost to act like the other children and keep her bees hidden. Unsurprisingly this strategy does not work and results in brick towers tumbling down ,

a spoiled story time and a little girl who is left alone and upset.

When Granny comes to collect Bessie at the end of the day she sees that the child is sad and fortunately she knows how to help. She explains that those bees are a part of Bessie and rather than hiding them she could try sharing them. In response to Bessie’s how do I do that, Granny says, “Now THAT is up to you,” With encouragement and support from Granny (who also has bees), can Bessie find a way for her and her bees to be themselves and for all those at nursery to enjoy themselves together?
Definitely written from the heart by George Kirk who uses the bee metaphor with great effect, to deliver a vital message, not only to young neurodivergent children but to everyone; and with Ana Gómez’s illustrations complementing the text perfectly, this is an empowering book to share at home or in an education setting.