Mom’s Choice Award—Gold Winner 2024 NYC Big Book Award—Winner 2024 Eric Hoffer Awards—Picture Book Category Winner 2024 Creative Child—Preferred Choice for “Books on Friendship" Annabelle Bee wishes she could be a lovely butterfly like Benjamin. When one day she saves Benjamin from being caught in a net, the two quickly become best friends! But when Annabelle hears that her mother, the queen, says they need to move to a new hive, she doesn't know what to do! She doesn't want to leave her new friend, but she doesn't want to leave her family. Will the two friends be able to find the perfect place? Children will learn about bravery, friendship, and that no problem is too big to solve in Annabelle Bee and the Butterfly Tree . “A sweet interspecies friendship celebrating curiosity and the courage to reach out.” —Kirkus Reviews "This charming book with its playful text and delightful illustrations is sure to capture the minds and hearts of preschoolers and kindergarteners everywhere! Perfect for story time, the classroom, or beneath a child's blanket fort!" —Dianna Hutts Aston, Award-Winning Author of An Egg is Quiet , A Butterfly is Patient , and The Moon Over Star, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book Annabelle Bee and the Butterfly Tree is a captivating jewel of a book! As a beekeeper, I'm tickled to know this book exists as it delicately describes relationships between pollinators and the impact humans have on our natural world. The author educates its reader about honeybees and makes it easy for children to understand through the simple words and enchanting imagery. " —Carmen Joyce, Second-Generation Beekeeper at Nooga Honey Pot Bee Farm “This whimsically illustrated tale of friendship will captivate young readers. It highlights the human skills of kindness and cooperation while teaching the reader about the jobs of pollinators in their ecosystem and the importance of bees!” —Ann Hobbie, Former Chair of the Monarch Joint Venture Board of Directors and Author of Monarch Butterflies Debra Raso O'Connor is a mother, retired pediatrics nurse, gardener, and amateur artist and needle worker. She was born in Montreal, Canada, and lived in Quebec and Ontario before her husband's transfer to Texas, where she lives now. Annabelle Bee and the Butterfly Tree is her first book and the result of her desire to write a story for her grandchildren. Stephen Lomazzo is an illustrator, fine artist and designer who lives and works in his hometown of Eau Gallie, Florida, alongside his border collie, Trixie. He was warped at a young age by Spaghetti-o's, Kool-Aid, black and white films and Saturday morning television. He can also say he learned to drive on a 1931 Model A Ford and can wiggle his ears. Since graduating from the Savannah College of Art & Design in 2005, he has displayed his unique styles in many galleries and shows, as well as illustrated for numerous magazines and book projects. Stephen's ultimate goal is to one day be bestowed upon the honor of the Caldecott award for Children's picture book excellence. He likes to write his own stories, too . . .