'Diana Hartog writes as if she has been prying open a nest of animal dreams -- all the beasts in this bestiary have been caught without their shells on. The writing is sly, charming, wicked and funny. Every once in a while, Hartog catches you off guard by injecting an element of pain that leaves you breathless. Stung. This book should not be read while bathing in honey. Read first. Bathe second. The order is imperative. Polite to Bees will tell you why.' -- Timothy Findley 'With grace, compassion, humour, with a deft imagination and exquisite language, Diana Hartog has made a lovely contribution in one of the most delightful literary genres that exists. This bestiary is the work of a master sorceress, and the animals she's conjured have the capacity to teach us all a lesson or two about the ways of humanity.' -- Bradford Morrow 'Marvellous tact informs these animations, which arise from our natures and compose wild pedagogies of the imagination.' -- Sharon Thesen