Hand-illustrated, every page
Every meadow, every flower, every little bee — drawn by hand in watercolour and ink. No AI, no shortcuts.
A buzzing little tale about kindness, courage, and the magic of small things. Beautifully illustrated bedtime stories for ages 3 to 7.
12,000+ tiny readers · 4.9★ average bedtime rating
ADRIEN FRANCIS
a buzzing little tale
32
Pages of Adventure
40+
Hand-Drawn Illustrations
12,000+
Tiny Readers (and Counting)
4.9★
Average Bedtime Rating
Four little chapters. Tap any to peek inside the book — the rest is for bedtime.
Page 1 of 32
The meadow was still asleep when Happy Bee opened her eyes. The sun had only just begun to stretch its golden arms over the hill...
Every meadow, every flower, every little bee — drawn by hand in watercolour and ink. No AI, no shortcuts.
Kindness, bravery, and noticing the small things. Themes that help little ones grow without ever lecturing.
Thick matte paper, cloth-bound spine, and reinforced corners. Built for sticky fingers and many many bedtimes.
Read aloud in under 12 minutes. Calm pacing, gentle ending — written specifically to settle, not stir.
Every story needs a meadow full of friends. Tap a card to hear their favourite line.
The hero of our story
“Even the smallest wings can find the biggest meadow.”
Best friend, brave butterfly
“If you're scared, I'll go first. That's just what friends do.”
The wise tree by the meadow
“I've watched a thousand sunrises. Every one was different.”
A grumpy but kind ladybird
“I'm not grumpy. I'm just thinking very hard.”
A tiny hummingbird with big dreams
“I move fast because there's so much world to see.”
You'll meet our last little friend on page 27. We won't spoil the surprise.
Print-at-home PDFs to keep the meadow magic going long after the book's closed. Always free, always no email needed.
Help Happy Bee find her way through the meadow to the daisy.
Count the bees and find the missing honeycomb cells.
Six pages from the book, ready for crayons and felt-tips.
A spot-the-flower garden challenge for the whole family.
Fold your own paper bee with this step-by-step guide.
Spot the meadow creatures during your read-along.
Real notes from parents, teachers, and grandparents. We didn't make any of these up.
“Our four-year-old asks for Happy Bee every single night. The illustrations are stunning and the story is so warm. Worth every penny.”
— Sophie, mum of two
“I read this to my Year 1 class — 28 children, completely silent, all leaning forward. That doesn't happen often.”
— Mr. Holloway, primary teacher
“I bought one for each of my grandchildren. The hardback is gorgeous, and the audiobook means we can read together over video calls.”
— Priya, grandparent
Ages 3-7 is the sweet spot. Younger toddlers love the pictures and the rhythm; older readers can read it themselves and pick up the gentle lessons. Plenty of grown-ups have told us they cried at the ending too.
About 10-12 minutes at a calm bedtime pace. The audiobook version is 22 minutes with all the soundscape between scenes.
Yes — to over 40 countries. Orders ship from the UK with tracked delivery. International orders typically arrive within 7-12 days.
Every hardback ships with a free signed bookplate. If you'd like a personal dedication ('To Lily, with love'), just add a note at checkout.
Two more books are in the meadow already. Sign up for the newsletter and we'll send you the first chapter of book two before anyone else.
Still got a question? Send us a note — we read every single one.
Hardback first edition. Cloth-bound, foil-stamped, ribbon-bookmarked. Free signed bookplate with every order.