Children’s science books: Bacteria Galore by Sunday at Four
Jonathan Eisen started something nice in his blog: a review of children’s science books. So I think I’ll follow suit, especially since my first review will combine two of Jonathan’s faves: Microbiology and Open Access. The book is “Bacteria Galore by Sunday at Four” by Mel Rosenberg, a Professor of Microbiology at Tel-Aviv University who wrote the text and Tali Niv-Dolinksy, the illustrator.
The book is Microbiology 101 for kids 3 and up. Rosenberg starts by gently disarming germophbias (if any) by showing how bacteria are basically all over the place, and how helpful they are in making some foods. Then he tells the story of their discovery, how fast they can divide to form colonies, and finally why we should brush our teeth, clean and dress wounds, and take our shots.
“You will always find bacteria in a pickle,
And in yoghurt too,
Making pickles and yoghurt tasty
Is part of what they do
And, if you please,
Bacteria help make yellow cheese.”
Rosenberg’s funny short rhymes make this book a perfect for beginning readers. Tali Niv-Dolinsky’s illustrations are woven impeccably into the text.
Best of all, the e-version is free, and you can even listen to Rosenberg read it (but you don’t have to, if you want to read it out loud to your favorite rugrat):
Unfortunately, I could not find the paper version in any of the Amazons, European or North American, and the Shop link on the site is still under construction. This page provides contact information for purchase.