Each year, the Neumann Institute for Franciscan Studies awards the Frances and Wesley Bock Award to a children’s book that they feel exemplifies Franciscan values. The children’s book must appeal to children’s sense of wonder, be aesthetically pleasing, and encourage reverence for nature and creation.
This year, the winner is Please Please the Bees, by Gerald Kelley. Please Please the Bees tells the story of a bear, Benedict, who loves honey. But when the bees who create his honey feel underappreciated, Benedict must learn to appreciate the bees just as much as their honey. Please Please the Bees is Gerald’s debut as an author.
Congratulations on winning this exciting award, Gerald!
More information about the Bock Award is available here. Please Please the Bees can be purchased online here.