“What’s inside this hole in the ground? / One bee. One queen rusty-patched bumblebee waiting all winter long.” An easy informational picture book about the life cycle of a bee is distinctive for its focus on the queen. The narrative pattern asks and answers questions about the bee, her activities, her environment, and what happens with the eggs she lays. “Eggs hatch. Are they bees yet? No. Little white grubs, no eyes, no legs, eating machines.” Moving from spring through summer and into fall, the story concludes in winter, with a new queen hibernating inside a hole in the ground. “She waits for spring, for the earth to warm. And here’s the wonder: her tiny body (not even an inch) holds everything she needs to create a whole new colony.” Claudia McGehee’s distinctive scratchboard illustrations provide a realistic picture of the lives of bees, without any anthropomorphism, as well as a strong sense of the natural world in which bees live. At the back of the book, readers will find additional information about the rusty-patched bumblebee and a list of ten things people can do to help bees survive. (Ages 3-6)