Spanish / Spain
La abeja de más
(One bee too many)
Pi Andreu, Andrés
(text)
Amate, Kim
(illus.)
Barcelona: Takatuka, 2011. – [30] p.
ISBN 978-84-92696-58-1
Picture book | Xenophobia | Exclusion | Mistrust
Reading age: 6+
White Ravens issue: 2013
The citizens of a bee nation groan about their work overload. An investigate commission comes to the conclusion that there is one bee too many in the hive. With sophisticated and at the same time absurd methods of pursuit, the bees hunt for the supposed interloper, until the queen bee ends the hysterical climate of mistrust and xenophobia by wisely ordering an additional room be built. It becomes apparent that there is room for everyone, if one pushes a little closer together! In an accessible way, the Cuban-born author of this intelligent, humorous and parable-like story presents his call for a culture of welcome and against exclusion. Full of witty insight and tongue-in-cheek detail, the double-paged, dynamic illustrations capture as if on camera the very human-seeming bee nation.