If A Bumblebee Lands on Your Toe - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

Written with a second-person point of view and full of gorgeously detailed illustrations, this fascinating picture book immerses the reader into a theatrical presentation of a lyrical and mindful way to address moments of uncertainty or fear.

If A Bumblebee Lands on Your Toe

Author: Cynthia Mackey

Illustrator: Vikki Zhang

Publisher: Yeehoo Press

Ages: 3-8

Fiction

Themes:

Bravery, mindfulness, nature, and fear.

Synopsis:

A thoughtful tale of mindfulness and our interconnectedness with nature.

The story delves into how we can embrace our fears and uncertainties through a deeper understanding of the creatures around us. It highlights the delicate yet profound bond we share with even the smallest beings, like a bumblebee. Through engaging narrative and stunning visuals, the book teaches children to appreciate the natural world and find peace in moments of fear.

A charming and insightful read written by Cynthia Mackey and illustrated by the award-winning illustrator Vikki Zhang, perfect for young minds learning to navigate their emotions and the environment they inhabit.

Opening lines:

If a bumblebee lands on your toe. . .

Pretend you are freeze dancing

and the music stopped.

If you move, you lose the game.

What I LOVED about this book:

Slightly reminiscent of other picture books about a mouse or grandparents, this book addresses and invites the reader to participate in a game of "freeze dancing." Challenging them to remain still as a bee sits on their toe. The opening illustration is so whimsical. Starting with the representation of the bumblebee as a pink shadow of a ballerina flying toward an intricate music box, set against a theater curtain and candelabra.

Text © Cynthia Mackey, 2025. Image © Vikki Zhang, 2025.

Continuing with the whimsy and theater theme, the ballerina bumblebee swings on the chandelier (seen in the background of the prior spread) across a theater ticket, past comedy and tragedy masks, toward the music box dancer standing on her own and holding the key. Be sure to notice the blue boat nestled within her skirt.

Text © Cynthia Mackey, 2025. Image © Vikki Zhang, 2025.

The reader is encouraged to sit as if frozen and breathe slow like a snail and steady like ants. Then in one of my favorite illustrations, we are asked to be smart like an owl and patiently wait, like a pair of bears sleeping until spring. This is just such a fun stage scene with elements from space woven all throughout, a gorgeous giant owl, and an awe inducing snuggly mom and baby bear.

Text © Cynthia Mackey, 2025. Image © Vikki Zhang, 2025.

As the text continues with advice for how to handle hearing a buzz from the bee or feeling the need to cry for help, the detailed illustrations use nature-based theater and ballet images to play with and against the text. Vikki Zhang does a great job integrating the text creatively within the spreads. In one image, some of text is on the music box dancer's dress. In another, the text weaves between and around spot illustrations.

Carrying the theater theme toward the conclusion, a dancer rides a roaring lion across the stage chasing off the ballerina bumblebee as the audience, composed of characters from the previous spread (including a dancer in a glorious stork costume), sit in the seats. With a bevy of bee-costumed ballerinas in the wings. The ending is a joyous and self-affirming romp. Once that is sure to encourage little ones to wiggle, swirl, and jump along. This is an intricately detailed, lyrical, and encouraging book, with many visual and SEL treasures woven throughout.

Resources:

• 

  check out some fun bee craft ideas for you and for the bees.

  
  

• wiggle and giggle with some dance games - including the dance freeze.

• figure out the best pollinating plants for your area and plant a pollinator garden or pot.

If you missed my interview with Cynthia Mackey and Vikki Zhang on Monday, find it (here).

This post is part of a series of blog posts by authors and KidLit bloggers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays. For more picture book suggestions and resources see Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books.