The Adventures of Captain Bear and the Crew of the Marie Grace: A Wild Bee Tale (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780473725785)

A Wild Bee Tale is the latest in the series of Captain Bear and the Crew of the Marie Grace. Captain Bear and crew carry cargo aboard their sturdy canalboat, the Marie Grace, along the sparkling river. Today the Postmouse delivers a letter from the Otters who are lock keepers at the Pond-Willowing lock. They need help. Swarms of wild bees have arrived and are trying to make their homes inside the lock gates. It is Captain Bear and crew to the rescue. On arrival they find a great kerfuffle of wild bees and boats and frustrated animals who can't go up nor down the river. Captain Bear has a plan. With crew member Michel Marmot they go into the woods to talk to Bombus Bumblebee [ Bom for short] to ask him to talk to the Queen Bee and find what the bees want. Bom does indeed talk to the bees and finds not one, but two Queen bees and their swarms.They are Italian bees and Carniolan bees. The otters and crew set to work to find travelling hives and Bom guides the bees into the hold of the Marie Grace. A plan is hatched as to where the bees could find new homes. The animals along the sparkling river know how bees help the whole world and two new homes are found. One near the Pond-Willowing band headquarters amongst the flower fields and the other with their old friends, the Badger family at Castle Joli in the deep woods. All ends well with a concert and a party.