Marie and Mr Bee by Margaret Welwood

Important life lessons from Marie and Mr Bee

In this wonderful children’s book we meet Marie, who is a lovely happy little girl who just happens to be in a wheelchair, and for me this is a very important element of this book and one which makes it extra special. Millions of children are in wheelchairs and yearn to be treated normally and they want to play the same as other children. Marie sets a shining example, she lives a happy full life, in a cabin in the woods and has some marvellous animal friends who she enjoys playing with.

Being a good girl she does all her household chores first, then she knows she can be free to meet her friends and play games with them.

However, when one day Mr Bee flies in and boasts that he doesn’t do any work, Marie begins thinking, why work, after all if Mr. Bee doesn’t have to, then why should she?

As the idea takes hold, it seems fantastic, however soon Marie realises that all her friends do important chores and can’t just play when she wants them too. Suddenly she starts to understand that although playing is fun, it has its place, everything people do is important, and everyone has responsibilities.

Then when Marie finds Mr Bee hungry and sad, the author uses Marie’s kindness and forgiveness to round off this lovely story by illustrating to children the importance of compassion, responsibility, and the wonderful power of friendship.

I read this enchanting and beautifully illustrated story to my grandson and he loved it. Not only is this a wonderful story but it opens doors to discuss potentially difficult things with children, like wheelchair use, and why it is important that they do their chores before play. And finally, who can resist making Marie’s blueberry pancake recipe which is at the back of the book.

About the Author: 

Great Aunt Lily taught me to read, my mother parked me in the book section of The Bay while she did her shopping, and my grade 12 English teacher encouraged me to write.

So here we are *several* years later . . . .

I have written over 100 traditionally published magazine and newspaper articles. I also edited a diabetes education guide that won first place in the reference category of the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards (2010).

And I taught English as a Second Language for years with stories as a mainstay.

Now a new door has opened into Storyland . . . the world I’m exploring with my grandchildren. My first picture book for children, “Scissortown,” is the only one I know of that offers a choice of inside back cover. “Marie and Mr. Bee” offers a choice of last page.

I also like to encourage young readers and writers–my site features stories and art by children 7-12 years old. You may wish to check out some of their interesting and colorful creations.

A weekly storytime with young children as well as time spent with my grandchildren have made for some interesting discoveries about children’s literature. I blog about these discoveries and review my top picks on Goodreads and other sites.

Locally, I help adults improve their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills one-on-one. I also offer editing and proofreading services.