The Bee on the Comb

The Bee on the Comb is a unique puzzle book published in 1984 by artist and author Kit Williams. The book came with no visible title, presenting readers with their first mystery to solve. The narrative follows a beekeeper named Ambrose through a single day, as he interacts with personified versions of the four seasons. Williams' own illustrations accompany the text throughout the book. The book functioned as an "armchair treasure hunt," challenging readers to discover its hidden title and submit their answer through non-verbal creative expression. The prize was a golden queen bee statuette and a special edition of the book. The work explores themes of nature's cycles, human perception, and the relationship between visual and verbal meaning. Through its integration of story, art, and puzzle elements, it pushes the boundaries of traditional book formats.

Limited review data exists online for this treasure hunt book. On Goodreads, it has only 9 ratings with an average of 4.44/5 stars, but no written reviews. The book appears to be quite rare. Readers noted the intricate illustrations and complex puzzles embedded within the artwork. Several comments highlight the book's detailed symbolism and medieval-style paintings. One reader on LibraryThing called it "beautiful but impenetrable." The main criticism focused on the extreme difficulty of solving the riddles compared to Williams' previous book Masquerade. Some readers expressed frustration at being unable to make progress with the puzzles despite careful study. Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.44/5 (9 ratings) LibraryThing: 4/5 (3 ratings) Amazon: No listings or reviews found The book's scarcity means comprehensive reader feedback is limited, with most available comments focusing on the artistic elements rather than puzzle-solving experience.

Masquerade by Kit Williams A treasure hunt book with intricate paintings containing clues to the location of a buried golden hare.

The Secret by Byron Preiss This illustrated book presents cryptic verses and paintings that contain clues to real treasures buried in cities across North America.

The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base The detailed illustrations in this mystery contain hidden codes and clues for readers to solve the puzzle of who stole the feast.

The Ultimate Alphabet by Mike Wilks Each painting contains hundreds of objects beginning with a specific letter, creating a visual puzzle for readers to decode and catalog.

Journal 29 by Dimitris Chassapakis The book presents a series of visual riddles and codes that must be solved sequentially to progress through an interconnected narrative puzzle.

🐝 The prize bee statuette was crafted in 18-karat gold and contained precious stones, making it a valuable treasure worth thousands of pounds. 🎨 Kit Williams hand-painted all the illustrations in the book using traditional egg tempera, a painting technique dating back to ancient Egypt. 📚 The book's hidden title "The Bee on the Comb" had to be discovered without using words - winners had to communicate their answer through visual or creative means. 🌍 Following his success with puzzle books, Williams was commissioned to create several public works of art, including the Dragonfly Maze in Bourton-on-the-Water, England. 🕰️ The story unfolds over exactly 24 hours, with each season represented by a character interacting with the beekeeper at specific times of day, creating a unique temporal structure.