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Bee Gone: A Political Parable
Bee Gone: A Political Parable is a rhyming, illustrated short e-book that examines the thought, (articulated by Barack Obama), “Elections have consequences.” Given its timing, perhaps it will encourage those who did not vote in 2016 to go to the polls and vote in 2020.
In a very short story about a disgruntled drone in a bee hive who wants to take over the hive from the queen bee, the key take-away can be described (in the words of the book) this way: “So, the hive lost its honey, its Queen, and its money. It was really a mess, and that isn’t funny.”
The outstanding illustrations by illustrator Gary McCluskey are spot-on. They are both amusing and illustrative of today’s political situation. (Gary says, “It’s the most fun I ever had at work.”)
No matter what your political affiliation, no matter how divided in our individual beliefs, we all agree that citizens in a democracy must exercise their right to vote in order to insure that our democracy continues to function properly. Elections must be fair. Citizens must participate. Elections must be supervised to assure that they are not influenced illegally by outside forces.
If you’re a Democratic or Independent voter, you will probably chuckle all the way through this book.
If you’re a die-hard Trump supporter, maybe not so much.
Whatever your political leanings, enjoy the excellent illustrations and let’s try to remember that, so far, in this country, we all are allowed to express our opinion(s) under the First Amendment to the Constitution. Let’s hope we never lose that.
Lighten up and enjoy Bee Gone: A Political Parable! Order your copy today or check out Amazon’s Look Inside feature to read the first few pages.
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Sydney L –
I’d give it half a star if I could, but only because ink costs money, and one must respect work and resources. I know this likely won’t be published to your site, because you’re not decisively honest enough, which is sad, because writing an accompanying political book for children (The Christmas Cats Flee the Bee) is very close to Hitler-type ideological evil. Congratulations, Hitler with breasts. And Gary McCluskey looks like he’s used other people’s illustrations to stylise. It’s a form of “art” which should have been lost in the 1980s, but wasn’t. Anyway, to the book: Quite well written, in an American storytelling sense (being the sense that America likes to tell stories about itself) but whilst rather sincere in intent, the deep unresolved issues of the author which are steeped in unforgiveness (she knows who, and no, she won’t tell you) draw an inaccurate conclusion of the world, through a lens which is given to an ideology she doesn’t really understand. But then again who does? Annaka Harris’s brilliant work on consciousness shows why this happens, and Jordan Peterson shows how to address it apolitically, and with the honesty that served ancient philosphers so well that they’re famous today, and for good reason. As a therapist, I’d love to work with Connie, but I can’t see that ever happening, not because she can’t afford me (I’d probably do it pro bono) but because she seems unwilling to assume an internal locus of control, when it is more comforting to blame others for the rest of time. Donald Trump may not be the father figure of choice for any of us, but neither will any man be the sole answer to all of our problems, for our problems lie within, and we must not lie about them.
Connie Wilson –
“I know this likely won’t be published to your site, because you’re not decisively honest enough…” Ha! Bring it on! The twice-impeached, 3 times married and 6-times bankrupt Dim Reaper still lurks in the underbelly of our nation (Florida) and he’s still hard at work for his foreign masters. As long as DJT, Agent Orange, continues to haunt our fair political process, laying the groundwork to create distrust in America regarding the honesty of our democratic elections (another gift to us, along with the 570,000 fatalities from Covid-19) this book’s moral will stand. “Be careful who you vote for,” indeed.
Connie Wilson –
From Amazon:
Montzalee Wittmann
4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty clever!
Bee Gone: A Political Parable by Connie Corcoran Wilson is about the election of TRump in rhyme. Clever, witty, and truthful!
JenCraze
5.0 out of 5 stars Witty & Artful
Enjoyable parable on the State of The Union. Bee Gone inpires hope, while also highlighting the sins of Donald J Trump. Beautifully illustrated with each character detailed and spot on! The art and writing make you want to turn the page on this quick, delightful read! I would recommend this book for those that want to feel hope is on the horizon during these difficult political times. Well done.
Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious from beginning to end
Great satire with a wicked wink. Great truths. Perhaps we can tell the nation’s children that honesty does indeed triumph in the end.
C. Machowski
5.0 out of 5 stars Dump Trump Please
I enjoyed the rhyming and especially the awesome illustrations, which are a perfect likeness to how I see Donald Trump!
Ashley Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
Great illustrations and such a reflection of the political landscape! Loved it!
L. Martin
4.0 out of 5 stars Cautionary tale about consequences of poor choices
The power of a parable is found in its simplicity. Parables take complex situations and cut through to the underlying principles. Parables are short, have human characters, and are designed to teach some truth, moral lesson, or abiding principle. They convey meaning indirectly by use of comparison, analogy, or metaphor. Though many parables are religious, others are political or philosophical in nature.
In Bee Gone: A Political Parable, author Wilson and illustrator McCluskey distill the essence of Donald Trump’s rise to power, becoming the 45th President of the United States in 2016. Although no character in the story is named, the flawless renditions of faces and expressions leaves no doubt about who it is. The parable’s lessons are set within the metaphor of a bee hive, something with which almost everyone is familiar. We understand the principles of a bee hive, how bees all work together and fulfill their roles to make honey and keep the hive healthy. The Queen Bee, head of the hive, is a symbol of leadership. Readers cannot fail to recognize who the Queen Bee was and that she should have continued. But, Donnie Drone was jealous and ambitious for power, so he launched an attack using unethical and illegal strategies.
Many worker bees saw that Donnie Drone was unqualified, but he joined forces with another hive—”one that was evil and had not really thrived.” Obviously alluding to Russia, readers easily recognize the foreign leader whose intentions are to manipulate Donnie once he is in power. With Donnie on the “throne” the bee hive begins to malfunction, unable to keep producing honey due to the rapid replacement of worker bees who either quit or were fired. Some worker bees were concerned enough to investigate Donnie’s actions, eventually leading to his removal from the hive. Afterwards, the worker bees rebuild the hive and seek another Queen Bee qualified for leadership; again a recognizable political personality and current Presidential candidate.
The parable concludes with a cautionary verse, reiterating that Donnie was a “very bad bee” and not very truthful. If the lesson of the parable is learned, then the bees will be very careful in choosing their next leader, or again everyone will “take a fall.”
After the parable ends, there are excerpts from the author’s books covering the 2008 election of Barak Obama, including parts of his and Joe Biden’s speeches. Similarities to the upcoming 2020 presidential election are stressed; the country deserves a qualified, inclusive, and intelligent leader. The book is geared toward progressive voters, and is a useful tool to help people recognize underlying principles and consequences of poor choices.
I received a free copy of this book, and this is my honest review.