Book Details
Written by
Illustrated by
Genre
More details

The Royal Bee (by Frances Park)

common sense media says

Some kids will enjoy the quiet mood.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that there's no objectionable content in this story of a poor boy striving to improve his family's life.

Positive messages: Not applicable.
Violence & scariness: The boy's mother despairs over their family's poverty.
Language: Not applicable.

More on The Royal Bee

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about Song-ho's determination. What kind of future does he face without an education? How does he earn the respect of his teachers and classmates?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Young Sung-ho lives with his impoverished mother in nineteenth-century Korea, a time when only wealthy boys were allowed in school. When the school bell beckons Sung-ho and he is barred from entering class, the boy plants himself outside the rice-paper door and learns the master's lessons.

He is later rewarded for his persistence and intelligence. In a note that prefaces the story authors Frances and Ginger Park write that their book was inspired by the true story of their grandfather's experiences.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Brave and determined Song-ho is so good, so kind, and so determined to become a scholar that he hardly seems real, and his mother, his teacher, and his classmates feel equally remote. Readers may ask if Song-ho's mother ever wondered what her son did all day, of if any of Song-ho's privileged classmates ever resented the boy's acceptance into school. Or how the teacher managed to break school rules and accept Song-ho as a student without suffering consequences. The inconsistencies in the illustration are frequent and noticeable.

Despite the limitations of the characters' emotional lives, the story is an inspirational one for children, and perhaps for teachers too. Child readers cannot miss the message that an education is essential for a child's secure future. Song-ho comes right out and asks the question, "How can I grow up to earn a good living for my mother when I cannot read or write?"

Book themes & details

Book Details
Author: Frances Park
Illustrator: Christopher Zhong-Yuan Zhang
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
Publication date: February 1, 2000
Number of pages: 27
Paperback price: $8.95

This review was written by Whitney Stewart
 
 

Review It

 

Review The Royal Bee





Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
 

There aren’t any reviews yet. Ask your friends to review this title.

An independent voice for families
Age-appropriate reviews
 

vote now

Will you read The Royal Bee?


Already read it? What do you think?

 

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors


About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age