Bizz Buzz Boss by Natalie McKinnon
Ill. by Margaret Tolland. Starfish Bay, 2018. ISBN: 9781760360566.
(Age: 3-6) Themes: Bees, Spiders, Animals, Respect, Behaviour
Management. In Natalie McKinnon's picture book Bizz Buzz Boss
a very bossy bee lords it over all the other garden creatures who
are busy with their daily tasks. Little Spider loves to listen to
the homely sounds as she rests in a curly leaf. She hears the 'drip,
drip, drippetty-drip' of the tap and the owl family's twit-twoo
(shouldn't they be asleep.) However, the bossy bee who has a strong
sense of self-importance, explains that her job as pollen-collector
is more significant than the worms, ladybugs and lizards.
Little Spider appeals to Bossy Bee's vain nature by suggesting the
hard-working creature needs to rest, wrapped up in her silvery,
sticky web. As the bee remains immobile, it observes the worm
aerating and fertilising the earth, the ladybug nibbling the aphids
off the lettuce and the lizard catching the pesky slugs. Humbled by
these observations, Bossy Bee states,
Oh, Spider, I promise to stop being bossy.
I've learned a lesson today.
I'll respect other creatures and value their jobs.
We should work as a team every day!
There's the moral to the story, you need to value other's efforts
and not brag about your own. Natalie McKinnon's simple rhyming verse
spoken by each creature is overly wordy for the young readers this
is targeted at. Margaret Tolland's colourful painted illustrations
provide close-ups of each of the creatures working in their lush
garden settings. Bizz Buzz Boss is a didactic tale suited
for sharing with young audience.
Rhyllis Bignell