KENT, UK. July 24th, 2026 – A children’s story about bees, written 15 years ago by a Kent beekeeper and former teacher, is finally being published by his daughter – seven years after his death from Alzheimer’s disease.
Mr. B and the Bees, written by Richard Fryd during retirement, will be published on 28th July this year, which marks the seventh anniversary of his death.
His daughter, author and illustrator Katy Fryd, has illustrated the book herself and is publishing it in his memory, while also raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
For every paperback £10 copy of Mr. B and the Bees sold on Amazon, £3 will be donated to Alzheimer’s Research UK via Work for Good until 31st December, 2026.
Richard spent 20 years as a beekeeper in Kent and Sussex and had more than 200 hives when he retired from the honey business. Before becoming a beekeeper, he was a teacher in London, and his love of education and the natural world came together when he decided to write a children’s story inspired by his experiences with bees.
Richard had hoped that his story would be published during his lifetime, but he never found an illustrator and never sent the manuscript to any publishers. The story was eventually forgotten as life moved on.
Richard was later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and sadly died from the condition in 2019 at the age of 84. Years later, Katy rediscovered her father’s manuscript and began to think about how she could bring his story to life.
Katy, 48, decided to illustrate the book herself and publish it in tribute to her father. She also wanted the project to support research into Alzheimer’s disease, a cause that she believes would have been important to him.
Katy said: “I believe it is what he would have wanted. Scientific research was very important to him, and he’d taken part in trials for other illnesses.”
When Richard originally wrote the story, Katy was more interested in painting and did not consider herself a professional illustrator. Since then, however, she has developed her own career as an author and illustrator.
She has written and illustrated three books in her Cat Inspector series and has even had one of her books translated into Welsh. This experience gave her the confidence and skills to take on the challenge of illustrating her father’s story.
Mr. B and the Bees is a 26 page children’s story aimed particularly at readers aged 4 to 7. Inspired by Richard’s years as a beekeeper and his experience of collecting many swarms, the story follows Mr. B, a man who loves growing fruit, vegetables and flowers in his garden.
One day, a swarm of bees arrives and lands on a bush in his garden. Mr. B must work out what to do with the unexpected visitors. Through the story, children are introduced to the fascinating world of bees and learn about their importance as major pollinators and their vital role in the ecosystem.
Although the story is fictional, it also aims to teach young readers about what to do if a swarm of bees lands in their own garden. The book is particularly suited to children who are interested in bees, gardening, wildlife and the natural world.
For Katy, the publication of Mr. B and the Bees is an opportunity to fulfil a dream her father never had the chance to realise, while turning his love of bees into something that can benefit others.
The book will be available to buy online from 28th July, 2026. More information about the release, and purchase links, are available at Katy Fryd’s books page.
