Botany, Travel, and Art, Oh My!
In case you’re not aware, I’ve been doing more bookish content and book reviews over on Youtube, if you’d like to check it out. This review is included in my May Wrap-Up video.
Full disclosure, I was given advance access to the audiobook form of this novel on NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review
The Bad Seed by Jory John, Illustrated by Pete Oswald and is written for children aged 4-8, or Preschool reading level. It’s designated as children’s fiction. The story explores the themes of isolation, pain, and how it can fester and cause additional damage, far and above what the initial pain was, both to the individual themselves and those around them.
The book is described as a mix of The Hunger Games and The Handmaid's Tale, but with bees and while I've not read either, from what I have heard and seen that would be accurate. The story itself was engaging and well written. However, while it is well written and engaging, describing insect society in a manner that you would a human society gets rather grim, incredibly fast.
Even with everything occurring and abundant uncertainty, take a moment to drink some water, take a breath, and perhaps even hum a few bars like the bees do. It won’t create a vaccine, nor feed someone in need, nor even get your shopping done. However, it might just help you relieve the tension and other stresses you’re holding, at least for a time.
Hail and well met, everyone!
So, I’ve been posting here and uploading largely separate content on my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/Ethnobotanicam). I’m experimenting with still posting on the various platforms I currently use (Youtube, Instagram and the like), but cross-posting here as a method of aggregating all my botanical content into one place. Let me know what you think. Have a fab day, everyone, and happy LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
Kate
Human rights and diversity are important regardless of your background, dear reader, but are perhaps most spotlighted when concerning those members of society whose voices tend to be suppressed in some way. Minority voices are important, brightening and enlivening the global human narrative, whether that be religion, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender expression, relative ablebodiedness, or other aspects.
