Bee, William

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Bee, William

Personal

Born in England. Hobbies and other interests: Gardening, skiing, racing vintage cars.

Addresses

Home and office—England.

Career

Author.

Writings

Whatever, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2005.

And the Train Goes …, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2007.

Beware of the Frog, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2008.

Sidelights

Author and illustrator William Bee creates colorful children's books that entertain with a humorous flair. Bee has self-illustrated several titles, including Whatever, And the Train Goes …, and Beware of the Frog.

Critics have acknowledged Bee for creating digital renderings that are chock full of bright colors and bold patterns. Bee's first picture book for children, Whatever, is an updated remake of Maurice Sendak's Pierre. The story focuses on an unappreciative little boy and his father, a man who is determined to get a response from his stoic son. Bee reinvents the story through his digitally enhanced illustrations, which feature short, stocky characters. In School Library Journal Piper L. Nyman commented that Bee's images "engage the audience and mirror the humor" of the Sendak-inspired tale. A Publishers Weekly reviewer noted that Bee's new illustrations are "eye-pleasing" and "go a long way toward injecting some fun into the book."

Bee's second self-illustrated picture book, And the Train Goes …, incorporates the many sounds that can be heard on a passenger train, including the noises made by the train's engine and the chatter of the many passengers and crew. A critic for Publishers Weekly acknowledged Bee's illustrations for their ability to add a sensory energy to the simple text. His artful depictions "heighten the sense that readers are moving through the busy train cars as they advance through the book," the critic noted. In Kirkus Reviews, a contributor dubbed And the Train Goes … "a fresh, visually arresting read-aloud with a lovely old-time feel."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, December, 2005, review of Whatever, p. 170; September, 2007, Deborah Stevenson, review of And the Train Goes …, p. 7.

Horn Book, July-August, 2007, Nell Beram, review of And the Train Goes …, p. 376.

Independent (London, England), April 20, 2007, "Trains, Tigers, and Swallows."

Kirkus Reviews, November 1, 2005, review of Whatever, p. 1181; April 1, 2007, review of And the Train Goes.…

New York Times Book Review, November 13, 2005, Lemony Snicket, "Folks of Few Words," p. L23.

Publishers Weekly, October 15, 2005, review of Whatever, p. 67; April 30, 2007, review of And the Train Goes …, p. 159.

School Librarian, summer, 2007, Trevor Dickinson, review of And the Train Goes …, p. 73.

School Library Journal, January, 2006, Piper L. Nyman, review of Whatever, p. 90; June, 2007, Linda M. Kenton, review of And the Train Goes …, p. 92.

Times Educational Supplement, February 24, 2006, Jane Doonan, review of Whatever, p. 18.

Washington Post Book World, July 15, 2007, Elizabeth Ward, review of And the Train Goes …, p. 12.