Bee Gone: A Political Parable by Connie Corcoran Wilson is a short illustrated story that reflects the US political scenario. This humorous tale is not only a reminder of the consequence of our collective decision but also how destructive it can be. The story follows an ambitious, cunning drone bee who aspires to rule the hive by overthrowing its current Queen. All other bees know the capability of their Queen.
But Donnie does not play by the rule. He conspires with others and manipulates the bees very easily. While in power, his destructive policies and selfishness affect the hive badly. They lost their honey, money and Queen. Fed up with Donnie’s incapability, other bees rise against him. Will they able to restore the glory of their hive? This political parable teaches us one important lesson, the consequence of our choice. We have to make the right decisions at the right time.
Otherwise, the consequences will be beyond our expectations and control. If the power is given to the wrong hands, it will backfire and ruin our lives and livelihood.
There is no better way to convey this message other than presenting it through bees and beehive. The hive thrives through the collective effort. It depends on Queen’s ability to manage the population and her selflessness. It cannot survive without her. The whole system will derail if she is removed. This is what exactly happened in politics. You can manipulate anyone with lies and fake promises. If we fall into this trap, it will never end well. We have enough proof for this fact.
Bee Gone is certainly one of its kind. The story encapsulates the political situation and conveys its message clearly and accurately. The illustrations are elegant and beautiful. They capture the meaning of the tale and amplify it many times. One thing I noticed while reading is how cleverly the illustrator presented the facial expressions of the characters. These visually appealing illustrations are certainly the highlight of the story.
The strongest feature of this story is its extraordinary narration. The rhyming words which are almost like a poem singing the story to the readers. This is exceptional creativity from the author’s side. She manages to simplify the complex political scenario and its consequences via this parable
– The Moving Words Review
Official Entry: The Most Moving Book Award, Jan. 3, 2022
About the Author
I am a University of Iowa grad and college professor with 59 years of writing experience. I’ve written for 5 newspapers and 7 blogs, founded 2 businesses, play 4 musical instruments, and have 2 children (born 19 years apart). I followed the ’04 and ’08 and ’12 presidential campaigns “live,” wrote for Yahoo, and am sometimes referred to as T.Q. (Trivia Queen) from my misspent hours in the British Pub Quiz room on AOL.
I also have 6-year-old twin granddaughters (Ava pictured) who are great fun and for whom and with whom I write the Christmas Cats series (www.TheXmasCats.com).