Bees and Wasps: An Appreciation

Indefatigable natural science teacher and filmmaker Warren Hatch turns his “video microscope” on the fascinating world of bees and wasps in this affordable compendium of nine years' worth of carefully shot footage featuring plenty of magnified views, coupled with live-action film of the insects in their natural habitats. Hatch's narration occasionally rambles, but overall his in-depth knowledge of the creatures' behaviors, physical characteristics, nectar collection, life cycle, and history is quite enlightening. As with his other titles (such as In One Yard: Views Through a Microscope and Up Close, reviewed in VL-7/07), Bees and Wasps is not meant to be viewed straight through; rather, it's organized into chapters ranging from one to 10 minutes in length, each of which offer an overview of a specific type of bee or wasp (14 varieties in all). Hatch is an acute and thoughtful observer of nature; his Bees and Wasps allows science students—or any curious person—to become the same. An accompanying booklet provides a detailed bibliography of books for further study. Recommended. Aud: I, J, H, P. (E. Gieschen)