{"id":6909,"date":"2026-07-29T10:49:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T10:49:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=6909"},"modified":"2026-07-29T10:49:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T10:49:29","slug":"busy-bodies-sara-full-of-wonder-by-cynthia-bordelon-and-mariya-prytula","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=6909","title":{"rendered":"Busy Bodies (Sara Full of Wonder) by Cynthia Bordelon and Mariya Prytula"},"content":{"rendered":"

A charming and informative semi-fantastical adventure that explores the web that connects us to each other and our ecosystem<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Pollinators\u2014like bees, butterflies, and other insects\u2014are often described as the pillars of the natural world, quietly sustaining life after visiting each flower. But Sara, the main protagonist of Busy Bodies,<\/em> discovers that these tiny yet mighty hard workers may not be quiet at all. Turns out: they can speak to her and understand her.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sara is a bright, young student who loves art and gets a chance to go to the Crabapple Nature Center to sketch with her class. A big fan of nature, she always admires the sunflower growing outside her house and even tries to befriend a hummingbird named Pip. Her best friend, Lu, is going on the trip too. This excursion seems like it\u2019s set up to be the perfect day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

That is, until the teacher mentions the upcoming art show at school that requires a presentation. Sara\u2019s nervous to speak in front of so many people and has no idea what to report on. Little does she know, some small friends are ready to step in and help her\u2014a bee and a butterfly who teach her about their role in the ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Busy Bodies<\/em> is a great mix of informational, whimsical, and natural elements. Sara learns a lot throughout the day in a way that won\u2019t feel heavy or boring to little readers. For example, Rex the Butterfly explains to Sara what a proboscis is after she mistakenly calls it a tongue and giggles. The interaction is light, accompanied by cute illustrations\u2014just one of many throughout the book.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When Sara meets Josie the bee, a similar thing happens. Sara assumes that Josie will sting her, but Josie only wants to take a sip of sweat from Sara\u2019s arm. Sara realizes how little she knows about the pollinator world and how important it is to humans. The information is simple, interesting, and makes learning enjoyable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The prose style is one of the book\u2019s greater strengths. Sara is approachable and relatable as a protagonist; she makes mistakes but quickly apologizes, and she has an open mind. Everyone around her is supportive and helpful. The overall message of the book\u2014that compassion and curiosity can not only benefit us but the rest of the natural world\u2014comes through clearly without feeling forced or didactic. The style is simultaneously accessible and fun, a stellar combo for juvenile fiction readers.<\/p>\n

Young readers and their guardians will love the parable at the heart of the story. It\u2019s our job to love and respect even the tiniest of insects. Nature lovers will enjoy seeing their favorite pollinators brought to life through the book\u2019s vibrant illustrations and reading the lively dialogue between Sara and her new insect friends. For those looking to pair their nature lessons with a fun, easygoing narrative will appreciate all that Busy Bodies<\/em> has to offer.<\/p>\n

The post Busy Bodies (Sara Full of Wonder) by Cynthia Bordelon and Mariya Prytula<\/a> appeared first on Independent Book Review<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A charming and informative semi-fantastical adventure that explores the web that connects us to each other and our ecosystem Pollinators\u2014like bees, butterflies, and other insects\u2014are often described as the pillars of the natural world, quietly sustaining life after visiting each flower. But Sara, the main protagonist of Busy Bodies, discovers that these tiny yet mighty […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6909"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6909"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6909\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}