They Work

2026 GREEN EARTH BOOK AWARD SHORT LIST SELECTION

The newest addition to June Smalls’s nature series, They Work is a gorgeous nonfiction picture book about life for a hive of honey bees, complete with factoids

She is the queen. She fought for that position from the moment she broke out of her cell.
Her job is important, but she is not the leader.
A hive is only successful if many, many bees are working.

Experience the life cycle of the honey bee up close and personal with this striking picture book from June Smalls (author of She Leads, He Leads, and They Lead) and illustrator Yukari Mishima. Told in a poetic style along with fun facts on each page for older readers wanting a deeper dive, They Work is a beautiful exploration of life inside a beehive, as well as the dangers and predators bees face out in the world—including humans.