The Bee on the Comb facts for kids
Cover of untitled first edition
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| Author | Kit Williams |
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| Illustrator | Kit Williams |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Puzzle book / Picture book |
| Published | 1984 |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Pages | 32 |
The Bee on the Comb is a special kind of puzzle book. It was written and illustrated by Kit Williams. This book came out in May 1984.
It's known as an "armchair treasure hunt." This means you solve puzzles from your home, without needing to go anywhere. The book was a follow-up to Williams' earlier puzzle book, Masquerade. However, it was not a direct sequel to that story.
When the book was first released, it didn't have a title printed on it. Because of this, people often called it "Untitled" or "the bee book." Finding the real title was part of a fun competition for readers.
Story of the Book
The book tells the story of a day in the life of a beekeeper. His name is Ambrose.
The story shows how Ambrose and his bees are affected by the four seasons. These seasons are shown as if they were people, which is called personification.
The Puzzle Contest
The Bee on the Comb was an "armchair treasure hunt." But instead of finding a physical treasure, readers had a different challenge. They needed to figure out the book's true title.
Once they knew the title, they had to send it to Kit Williams. The catch was they couldn't just write the title down. They had to express it in a creative way, without using words.
The prize for the winner was very special. It was a golden 'queen bee' statue. The winner also received a unique copy of the book with its title printed on it. Kit Williams himself would choose the winner. He looked for the most interesting and creative way someone showed the title.
The contest lasted for "a year and a day" after the book was published. It ended on May 25, 1985. Kit Williams appeared on the BBC1 show Wogan. On the show, he looked at the best entries. He then announced the winner.
The winner was Steve Pearce from Leicester. He made a small decorated cabinet. When he turned a handle on the cabinet, it showed the book's title.
