Club Microbe, by Elise Gravel, (Apr 2024, Drawn & Quarterly), $17.95, ISBN: 9781770467026
Ages 5+
Elise Gravel makes some of the most fun science series: Club Microbe joins the ranks of Mushroom Fan Club and The Bug Club, making adorable cartoons out of subjects kids would normally scrunch their noses up at. Club Microbe is all about microorganisms: viruses, algae, bacteria, you name it, Gravel is fascinated with them. Gravel convinces readers that microbes get a bad rep because of a few creeps, like the coronavirus and rabies lyssavirus; there are loads of good microbes, like the bacteria that makes yogurt, or the germs that live in our intestines and help us digest our food (and make a little body music). There are microbes that help fight climate change, and microbes that help form snowflakes. Microbes are found everywhere on the planet – even volcanoes! – and without them, we’d be a dead planet. Gravel warms to her subject; her enthusiasm shines through, and her illustrations make expressive, brightly colored blobs of all sizes and shapes. A fun introduction that will delight any reader. Get a free virus printable and other science printables at Gravel’s author website.
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