Starred Review ALA Booklist (Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

Starred Review Stockton's classic story, memorably and rather comically illustrated by Maurice Sendak in 1964, now appears in a large-format picture book with Lynch's dramatic illustrations. The unlikely hero is Bee-man, an old, ugly, untidy, shriveled, and sun-burnt figure who is contented with his life as a beekeeper until a young sorcerer informs him that he has been transformed from something else. Seized with a determination to discover and recover his previous form, the Bee-man goes on a quest that takes him to a stately palace where he learns that noblemen sometimes act ignobly, into a cavern where he rescues a baby from a monstrous dragon, and to a village where he restores the infant to its mother and decides upon his own future. Lynch's spirited artwork, richly detailed and darkly atmospheric, provides a series of imaginative settings and creates a romantic and broadly appealing vision of this original fairy tale. Large in scale and epically cinematic in effect, the beautiful watercolor-and-gouache paintings create a mysterious otherworld that will remain part of children's imaginations long after they have graduated to novel-length fantasies. With pictures large enough for sharing with groups, this edition is a read-aloud treasure for good listeners. A DVD giving a behind-the-scenes look at the artist at work is included in the book.

Kirkus Reviews

Maurice Sendak's 1964 illustrations for this 19th-century tale capture its wit, but Lynch evokes its warmth, casting its eccentric protagonist as a wizened old gent with laugh wrinkles around his eyes and wildly flyaway gray hair. Happily ensconced amid swarms of bees, a hermit is driven to find out what he used to be by a passing student sorcerer's opinion that he's been transformed from—something. Was he an aristocrat? A monster? The Bee-man's quest for an answer takes him through vast, atmospheric painted landscapes and intricately detailed habitations; after rescuing a baby, he decides that that's what he once was, and now wants to be again. Local magicians oblige him—but years later the same sorcerer passes the Bee-man's tumbledown cottage, and finds him, grown again into an old man and happily surrounded by bees. There's a lesson here, probably, but young readers will respond more to Lynch's stunning art, and the Bee-man's simple courage. Packaged with a tour of the artist's studio on DVD (not seen). (Illustrated short story. 9+)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Lynch's (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey) sprawling watercolor paintings are as elegant and enticing as Stockton's (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Lady or the Tiger?) late-19th-century folktale. The Bee-man, a shriveled old gent, keeps to himself except for the countless bees who share his house. One day a Junior Sorcerer tells the Bee-man that he has been transformed—though the young man cannot tell him from what, exactly—and says that if the old fellow learns what he initially was, this student of magic will "see that you are made all right again." Strapping a bee-filled hive to his back, the Bee-man sets out on a journey to ascertain his original form, telling himself, "When I see it, I shall be drawn toward it." Rich in detail and period flair, Lynch's luminous art imaginatively conveys the disparate locations to which the man's quest takes him. He first visits a "fair domain" featuring topiary-filled gardens and elegantly dressed folk; and then ventures into dark, ominous caverns hidden in a towering mountain, home to "dragons, evil spirits, and horrid creatures of all kinds." Here his bees help him rescue a baby from the clutches of a monstrous dragon, an experience that leads the aged man to the discovery of exactly what he was transformed from—and desires to become again. Thematically and visually, this is an enchanting work, one that will have the audience clamoring for a repeat reading almost immediately. Ages 6-10. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Feb.)

<EMPHASIS TYPE=""BOLD"">FYI: <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Included with each book is a DVD, Making Fairy Tales<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">, featuring Lynch in a step-by-step demonstration of how he creates a painting.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-5-An aged Bee-man lives contentedly among his insect friends, surviving on honey and the occasional piece of meat, until the day an itinerant Junior Sorcerer informs him he's been transformed and encourages him to discover his "original form." On hearing this disturbing news, the Bee-man sets off. On his quest for his true nature, he rescues a baby from a dragon. His powerful attraction to the infant convinces him that this may be his original form and with the help of senior sorcerers he returns to his babyhood. The final scene describes a now-mature sorcerer, arriving at a small hut swarming with bees and finding, to his amazement, the once-again adult Bee-man. This delightful story about destiny, which first appeared in print in 1883, is illustrated primarily in earth tones. Sweeping vistas suffused with a long-ago-and-faraway atmosphere alternate with expressive spot art set against white backgrounds. Lynch has a talent for creating mysterious landscapes and capturing character: the befuddled, ragamuffin of a Bee-man and the "languid youth" he encounters in his travels, as well as the puerile sorcerer. The story has also been illustrated by Maurice Sendak (HarperCollins, 2003). His art, done in pastel colors and featuring a portly, heavily jowled Bee-man, highlights the humor of the tale. While readers with a philosophical bent may prefer Lynch's version, there is room on library shelves for both.-Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Horn Book (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2004)

The Bee-man, who has lived contentedly in the company of bees for years, sets out to discover his true identity after a sorcerer tells him that he has been transformed from something else. The oversize, atmospheric paintings create an appealing setting for Stockton's classic fairy tale, first published in 1883, making this a vivid version for sharing.