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Sick!: The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs
When a super sickness lands on the land, when a parasite becomes more than a pest, when an infection ignites an epidemic, what's a body to do? Your body is an animal body, so why not ask the animals?
Follow the scientists, around the world and into their labs, who are studying animals and the germs that attack them. From fungus-ridden frogs with fevers to bacteria-resistant buzzards and everything in-between, animals have A LOT to teach us about infections. But-reader beware!!-the story of germs is filled with twists and turns.
In this fascinating, highly visual nonfiction book packed with colorful, comic-style art, you'll discover not only the cool ways that animal bodies (and our bodies) fight back against pesky pathogens, but also the amazing and surprising ways we can learn to work together with germs.
Sick! The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs is written by Heather L. Montgomery with graphic novel-style art from Lindsey Leigh.
Follow the scientists, around the world and into their labs, who are studying animals and the germs that attack them. From fungus-ridden frogs with fevers to bacteria-resistant buzzards and everything in-between, animals have A LOT to teach us about infections. But-reader beware!!-the story of germs is filled with twists and turns.
In this fascinating, highly visual nonfiction book packed with colorful, comic-style art, you'll discover not only the cool ways that animal bodies (and our bodies) fight back against pesky pathogens, but also the amazing and surprising ways we can learn to work together with germs.
Sick! The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs is written by Heather L. Montgomery with graphic novel-style art from Lindsey Leigh.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published February 20, 2024
3 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Heather L. Montgomery
28 books33 followersHeather L. Montgomery writes about science and nature for kids. Her subject matter ranges from snake tongues to spider silk to snail poop. With a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in Environmental Education, Heather's passion for nonfiction comes out in her writing and presentations. When she is not writing, Heather can be found climbing a tree, hiking to a waterfall or paddling a river. Learn more about her books at www.HeatherLMontgomery.com.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 17, 2024
SICK: THE TWISTS AND TURNS BEHIND ANIMAL GERMS would have been a great book to read when I was a kid! It is a typical 'little boy' book, you know, because they are made of snips, snails, and puppy dog tails while girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice.
Although there are disclaimers in the front of the book that state it isn't an encyclopedia nor a textbook, the big me learned a lot that I should have learned long ago, or maybe just forgot. The book is about germs, some that cause sickness as well as those that are beneficial.
Though packed with information, it is written in a manner meant to capture and hold a kid's attention. Besides the colorful, comic book-like illustrations adorning every page is a simple yet logical explanation of the microorganisms and the impact they have on higher life forms. The scientific names are given, such as Staphylococcus aureus, but to help a kid remember, and for me to pronounce, other names are used. In this case, Stephanie Staph. This bacteria is infected with at least one phage, which the book says is a teeny-tiny virus, and there are more phages than any other organism on earth. As I read the paragraph I remembered taking the samples every morning of the huge fermentors growing the bacteria that would produce erythromycin, an antibiotic. A common contaminant checked for was simply referred to as 'phage.' If contaminated the whole fermentor was heated and dumped.
Everybody loves cute Koala bears, right? Don't you just want to pick them up and hug them? There is a series of cartoon drawings explaining that eucalyptus leaves are toxic enough to kill most mammals. Bacteria living in momma koala's belly tame the toxins. But a baby's gut is squeaky clean. No bacteria here! In the next frame momma koala is taking a dump and baby is scooping up handfuls saying, "Yum-yum!" Now the baby can safely eat the leaves as well.
More cartoons and fun facts. Turkey vultures are dirty birds. They are nature's garbage men often cleaning up roadkill. They need help cutting bodies open so if there is nobody around to slice and dice they will poke and prod their way through the easiest opening - the one at the animal's rear end! And being as vultures only have one opening to poop and pee it comes out in a greasy mix that runs down their legs. In spite of all this they rarely ever get sick. Some think it is due to a bacterium named clostridium inside the vulture. Reading further you are introduced to Presley Perfringens, scientifically known as Clostridium perfringens. To quote, "Say you swallowed some stew that was not cooked completely, then ten hours later your stomach was swirling as if it had set sail in a storm. Or perhaps you tucked into turkey that sat on the counter too long. Later, your tummy felt crummy, and you spent all night squatting and squirting." Thus different germs are either beneficial or harmful.
And after reading these bedtime stories, if mom's curiosity is aroused, she can later go online using the sources stated at the back of the book and read the lengthy articles complete with all the fancy words and medical terms, you know, in case the kid has further questions.
Although there are disclaimers in the front of the book that state it isn't an encyclopedia nor a textbook, the big me learned a lot that I should have learned long ago, or maybe just forgot. The book is about germs, some that cause sickness as well as those that are beneficial.
Though packed with information, it is written in a manner meant to capture and hold a kid's attention. Besides the colorful, comic book-like illustrations adorning every page is a simple yet logical explanation of the microorganisms and the impact they have on higher life forms. The scientific names are given, such as Staphylococcus aureus, but to help a kid remember, and for me to pronounce, other names are used. In this case, Stephanie Staph. This bacteria is infected with at least one phage, which the book says is a teeny-tiny virus, and there are more phages than any other organism on earth. As I read the paragraph I remembered taking the samples every morning of the huge fermentors growing the bacteria that would produce erythromycin, an antibiotic. A common contaminant checked for was simply referred to as 'phage.' If contaminated the whole fermentor was heated and dumped.
Everybody loves cute Koala bears, right? Don't you just want to pick them up and hug them? There is a series of cartoon drawings explaining that eucalyptus leaves are toxic enough to kill most mammals. Bacteria living in momma koala's belly tame the toxins. But a baby's gut is squeaky clean. No bacteria here! In the next frame momma koala is taking a dump and baby is scooping up handfuls saying, "Yum-yum!" Now the baby can safely eat the leaves as well.
More cartoons and fun facts. Turkey vultures are dirty birds. They are nature's garbage men often cleaning up roadkill. They need help cutting bodies open so if there is nobody around to slice and dice they will poke and prod their way through the easiest opening - the one at the animal's rear end! And being as vultures only have one opening to poop and pee it comes out in a greasy mix that runs down their legs. In spite of all this they rarely ever get sick. Some think it is due to a bacterium named clostridium inside the vulture. Reading further you are introduced to Presley Perfringens, scientifically known as Clostridium perfringens. To quote, "Say you swallowed some stew that was not cooked completely, then ten hours later your stomach was swirling as if it had set sail in a storm. Or perhaps you tucked into turkey that sat on the counter too long. Later, your tummy felt crummy, and you spent all night squatting and squirting." Thus different germs are either beneficial or harmful.
And after reading these bedtime stories, if mom's curiosity is aroused, she can later go online using the sources stated at the back of the book and read the lengthy articles complete with all the fancy words and medical terms, you know, in case the kid has further questions.
December 7, 2023
Don’t sleep on this book by Heather Montgomery, who writes about icky topics in a way no one else can. Mind-bogglingly cool information , the nature of science on full display, and an engaging voice. Lindsey Leigh’s illustrations add another essential layer to the text.
February 17, 2024
I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own
I have come to the conclusion that I learn and retain information via comics. This magnificent book helped me confirm my theory and middle years. I would be so thankful.
I really enjoyed the different manners' information is shared in SICK. The information itself is extremely interesting and new to me. Nature's creatures are wild in their instinct to heal themselves, and children or adult interested in animals or biology should pick up this book.
I have come to the conclusion that I learn and retain information via comics. This magnificent book helped me confirm my theory and middle years. I would be so thankful.
I really enjoyed the different manners' information is shared in SICK. The information itself is extremely interesting and new to me. Nature's creatures are wild in their instinct to heal themselves, and children or adult interested in animals or biology should pick up this book.
January 4, 2024
I enjoyed the dynamic and engaging language used throughout the book to convey serious and complex topics. I think this book is going to get kids thinking about the positive and negative impacts of 'germs' and spark some good discussions. Adults should read it, too, to be ready!
May 2, 2024
Perfect for rising 7th graders or anyone interested in how germs do their thing! We had an amazing author visit with Heather Montgomery, and she makes science fun for her readers.
February 16, 2024
This is a fun and informative nonfiction about animal immune systems. I enjoyed reading it!
April 11, 2024
A deep-dive into how animals fight off germs that is appropriately gross for younger readers. Interesting to read about how scientists study animals.
May 7, 2024
Disease has never been this much fun. But seriously, I learned a ton about how animals fight off germs and how their strategies might help keep humans healthier, propelled to keep reading by energetic text and graphic novel-style illustrations. Extremely readable, kid-friendly nonfiction!
July 24, 2024
Fantastic book. Great science. Great science concepts.
Cartoons and alliteration make the complex topics easier to comprehend.
Cartoons and alliteration make the complex topics easier to comprehend.
September 12, 2024
(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)
Несмотря на то, что эта книга ориентирована на детей, читать мне её было довольно тяжело. Возможно, причиной является то, что я и на русском языке прочитал не больше 5 книг на данную тему, поэтому понимание английской терминологии далось мне нелегко, урывками. Либо же книга как таковая написана не очень-то и просто.
По сути, книга состоит из нескольких историй того, как разные животные справляются с вредными вирусами, бактериями и паразитами (к примеру, поедая определённые листья, поверхность которых схожа по форме с поверхностью бытовой тёрки). Я бы отметил последнюю историю в которой показывают, что выживание таких существ как aphids было связано не только с наличием в них бактерии, но и того факта что эти бактерии были заражены вирусом, благодаря чему паразиты не могли найти пристанище в организме этих существ (aphids). Все остальные истории интересные, но это всё же просто забавные истории из мира биологии.
Even though this book is aimed at children, it was quite difficult for me to read it. Perhaps the reason for this is that I have read no more than 5 books on this topic in Russian, so understanding the English terminology was not easy for me. Or the book as such is not written in a very simple way.
The book consists of several stories of how different animals deal with harmful viruses, bacteria, and parasites (for example, by eating certain leaves whose surface is similar in shape to that of a household grater). I would note the last story, which shows that the survival of creatures such as aphids was due not only to the presence of bacteria in them but also to the fact that these bacteria were infected with a virus so that the parasites could not find a home in the body of these creatures (aphids). All the other stories are interesting, but they're still just fun stories from the world of biology.
Несмотря на то, что эта книга ориентирована на детей, читать мне её было довольно тяжело. Возможно, причиной является то, что я и на русском языке прочитал не больше 5 книг на данную тему, поэтому понимание английской терминологии далось мне нелегко, урывками. Либо же книга как таковая написана не очень-то и просто.
По сути, книга состоит из нескольких историй того, как разные животные справляются с вредными вирусами, бактериями и паразитами (к примеру, поедая определённые листья, поверхность которых схожа по форме с поверхностью бытовой тёрки). Я бы отметил последнюю историю в которой показывают, что выживание таких существ как aphids было связано не только с наличием в них бактерии, но и того факта что эти бактерии были заражены вирусом, благодаря чему паразиты не могли найти пристанище в организме этих существ (aphids). Все остальные истории интересные, но это всё же просто забавные истории из мира биологии.
Even though this book is aimed at children, it was quite difficult for me to read it. Perhaps the reason for this is that I have read no more than 5 books on this topic in Russian, so understanding the English terminology was not easy for me. Or the book as such is not written in a very simple way.
The book consists of several stories of how different animals deal with harmful viruses, bacteria, and parasites (for example, by eating certain leaves whose surface is similar in shape to that of a household grater). I would note the last story, which shows that the survival of creatures such as aphids was due not only to the presence of bacteria in them but also to the fact that these bacteria were infected with a virus so that the parasites could not find a home in the body of these creatures (aphids). All the other stories are interesting, but they're still just fun stories from the world of biology.
March 1, 2024
Sick! The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs is middle-grade gold. It features comic-style art and is full of stuff that kids simultaneously will say eewww about while asking for more. In short, the creators have made germs fun.
At the very beginning of Sick! The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs, author Heather L. Montgomery warns readers that the book isn’t a textbook or encyclopedia — it’s science in action, and that’s exactly what readers get. Montgomery has taken complex concepts and not only made them accessible but interesting, too. Artist Lindsey Leigh’s humorous illustrations further understanding. And, at less than 150 pages, it’s not too long for less confident readers.
Sick! The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs is sure to be a hit with kids ages 8-12. I can see this one constantly checked out from school, classroom and public libraries. It’s a nonfiction book kids will want to read.
At the very beginning of Sick! The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs, author Heather L. Montgomery warns readers that the book isn’t a textbook or encyclopedia — it’s science in action, and that’s exactly what readers get. Montgomery has taken complex concepts and not only made them accessible but interesting, too. Artist Lindsey Leigh’s humorous illustrations further understanding. And, at less than 150 pages, it’s not too long for less confident readers.
Sick! The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs is sure to be a hit with kids ages 8-12. I can see this one constantly checked out from school, classroom and public libraries. It’s a nonfiction book kids will want to read.
March 14, 2024
Know any readers who thoroughly enjoyed Something Rotten or Who Gives a Poop? Fans of Heather L. Montgomery and her explorations of nature will be delighted with this new deep dive into what can "turn the body into a squirmy germy factory to pump out pathogen after pathogen after pathogen!"
Each chapter explores ways in which members of the animal kingdom deal with pathogens. Everything from parasites large enough to see and down to a tiny virus will get a turn, along with the animals that have developed ways to deal with them. Readers can learn how chimpanzees treat themselves by eating leaves from certain plants or how frogs may be warding off deadly infections with their body temperature. Critters as small as ants or as large as camels all have their own pathogens to deal with and their own methods for doing so.
As each chapter focuses on a different type of animal and pathogen, the scientists studying the processes at work are also featured. Readers will meet biologists studying tree frogs or biochemists looking closely at the blood of alligators. How these investigations could help humans with infections is also discussed along the way.
Words such as enzyme and ectotherm are defined by a brainy little guy (seriously, he is a brain with glasses and a ball cap) right on the page, no need to flip to a glossary and worry about losing your place in the text. There are also "Fun Fact" and "Not-so-Fun Fact" boxes scattered throughout the book explaining details like why you might crave something salty after a workout or that "3,000,000,000 people are infected with pesky parasites." And humorous illustrations and comic panels help readers visualize the information.
Back matter includes a list of "More Super Symbionts" and selected sources for the incredible information in each chapter. Whether you know a middle grade reader who enjoys books on gross topics such as projectile puke or a budding biologist who is fascinated with how the animal kingdom works, this book is the next one to put in their hands. The combination of facts, humor, and encouragement to hypothesize will keep youngsters turning the pages to see what they will encounter next.
Each chapter explores ways in which members of the animal kingdom deal with pathogens. Everything from parasites large enough to see and down to a tiny virus will get a turn, along with the animals that have developed ways to deal with them. Readers can learn how chimpanzees treat themselves by eating leaves from certain plants or how frogs may be warding off deadly infections with their body temperature. Critters as small as ants or as large as camels all have their own pathogens to deal with and their own methods for doing so.
As each chapter focuses on a different type of animal and pathogen, the scientists studying the processes at work are also featured. Readers will meet biologists studying tree frogs or biochemists looking closely at the blood of alligators. How these investigations could help humans with infections is also discussed along the way.
Words such as enzyme and ectotherm are defined by a brainy little guy (seriously, he is a brain with glasses and a ball cap) right on the page, no need to flip to a glossary and worry about losing your place in the text. There are also "Fun Fact" and "Not-so-Fun Fact" boxes scattered throughout the book explaining details like why you might crave something salty after a workout or that "3,000,000,000 people are infected with pesky parasites." And humorous illustrations and comic panels help readers visualize the information.
Back matter includes a list of "More Super Symbionts" and selected sources for the incredible information in each chapter. Whether you know a middle grade reader who enjoys books on gross topics such as projectile puke or a budding biologist who is fascinated with how the animal kingdom works, this book is the next one to put in their hands. The combination of facts, humor, and encouragement to hypothesize will keep youngsters turning the pages to see what they will encounter next.
June 12, 2024
Oh man I wanted to like this book. Really and truly, I did. Maybe I'm just too old, but I really hated how the information in this book was presented. I didn't like the alliterative nicknames for everything, and I think it made the book seem like it was for a much younger audience than it should be given the length.
The information is interesting, and the comic panels are fun, and the gross facts are really gross (that's a good thing). But wow I did not like the way this information was presented.
The information is interesting, and the comic panels are fun, and the gross facts are really gross (that's a good thing). But wow I did not like the way this information was presented.
September 5, 2024
Sick! provides sick details about diseases in animals, and how that information applies to and can be used to help humanity. The prose is alliterative and entertaining, and the illustrations are great.
For more details, see my full review at Compass Book Ratings:
https://www.compassbookratings.com/si...
For more details, see my full review at Compass Book Ratings:
https://www.compassbookratings.com/si...
September 12, 2024
From the clever introduction, through the engaging comic-book style illustrations and the fun (and not-so-fun) facts, to the grateful (yes, grateful!) conclusion, Sick! The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs will fascinate and delight. An ideal mixture of funny, gross, and informative--this is the perfect recipe for engaging young readers!
October 13, 2024
Well written, excellent graphic design work. It's a good introduction to how the immune system works. It reviews various interesting scientific discoveries and mysteries throughout the animal kingdom of how the body fights off infections. By nature there are squeamish topics, but it does a pretty good job of conveying the science without laying into the gross parts too much.
July 20, 2025
I read this because it is a Beehive nominee for my state in the nonfiction category. I thought it was quite fascinating and well presented! I didn't know reading about pathogens could be so entertaining!
This would definitely be geared towards upper middle grade (and even middle school) readers, and it would be easy to recommend to any students who have an interest in science.
This would definitely be geared towards upper middle grade (and even middle school) readers, and it would be easy to recommend to any students who have an interest in science.
Want to read
February 11, 2024Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
August 5, 2024
Informative and entertaining, would be good for younger kids interested in science
December 9, 2024
Opens the world of immune response to tweens and teens. Could spur the interest in a life science career in those so inclined.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews