After World War II has ended, four-year-old Charlie lives with his mom and dad in a large house, surrounded by clover fields, in South Carolina. Charlie loves lying barefoot on his tummy in the clover, making crude drawings of honey bees flitting from blossom to blossom. One hot summer day, Charlie tells himself that if he could see bees better, he could draw them better. He traps a bee inside a glass jar, screws the lid on tightly and runs into the kitchen to show the bee to his mom. Charlie's mom praises him for his curiosity and inventiveness. Then she explains how important bees are, making honey and pollinating plants. She tells Charlie the bee will die in the jar and that he needs to go outside and set the bee free. Charlie reluctantly takes the jar outside and starts to open it to free the bee. Then, seeing his mom isn't watching, he changes his mind and screws the lid back on, determined to draw the bee before setting it free. Charlie's action has unintended consequences. He learns some hard lessons about trapping bees in glass jars and about disobeying his mom. Or, does he? The following Saturday, on a picnic in the yard with his mom and dad, Charlie learns even harder lessons about bees, their attraction to iced tea sweetened with honey, and the perils of catching them.