Synopsis

Mellie can’t wait for this year’s annual pollinator count. She and her best friend Sylvie are hoping to find even more insect pollinators in their school garden than they did last year. But when Ms. Bombus, their science club advisor, pairs Mellie with the insect-hating Jason, how will she possibly reach her goal?

As they work together to observe, identify, and count the honeybees, butterflies, and other insects that help flowers produce seeds and fruit, Mellie and Jason discover the rewards of teamwork in community science.

Stephanie Fizer Coleman’s lively illustrations add to the fun of the count. Back matter includes information about real-life pollinator counts and more fun facts about the insects Mellie and her friends observed.

Praise

The Great Pollinator Count is a thorough introduction to pollinators and to a community science approach for understanding them, couched in a warm, relatable classroom narrative. A great resource for parents and educators and an inspiring adventure for nature explorers everywhere. —Loree Griffin Burns, Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard