Sherm the Germ

by John Hutton, Maria Montag (Illustrations)

Baby play, baby play, all day, hooray! Suddenly—aachoo! Sneeze, cough, boo-hoo! Shiver, rashy, fever, squirm, oh no—Sherm the Germ!   Baby’s perfect day of play is interrupted by an unwelcome, microbial visitor—Sherm the Germ. Written by a pediatrician and brought to life through playful illustrations, this fun, rhyming book describes the stages of becoming sick and then getting better. A perfect read-aloud for those wishing to get well soon or any budding physician, this board book uses a loveable character to teach readers on the basics of what it means to catch a cold or virus and how the healing process works.

Genres: Picture Books, Science

14 pages, Board Book

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

Dr. John S. Hutton is a pediatrician and researcher at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, owner/overseer of blue manatee children’s bookstore and founder of blue manatee press. His research and advocacy interests are the influence of home reading environment and shared reading on early brain development, the health effects of screen-based media, and the creation of children's books to effectively convey infant and child health information. His research was the first to show a measurable effect of home reading exposure prior to kindergarten on brain function, using functional MRI. His Baby Unplugged and Love Baby Healthy book series have been distributed to over 1 million families nationwide, often via statewide public health initiatives. A recovering novelist, he has won awards for his writing in several genres, and attended writing workshops in Iowa City and Squaw Valley, CA. He lives with his family, dogs, cat, rabbit, fish, and a whole bunch of Bees, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Reviews

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book, especially since Little One was just getting over her cold. She has no idea what happened here, but I'd buy this book when I come across it again! Another win from the library!

[Heather Sands · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cute informational children's book written by Dr. John Hutton describes what happens when a baby gets sick. The book starts out with the baby playing all day and then starting to sneeze and cough. The character of Sherm the Germ arrives and makes Baby sick. When the baby's parents take him to the doctor, the doctor tells Baby he needs to rest and drink water. The next page reveals to the reader that Baby is all better and gets to play all day again. The two main characters are Baby and Sherm the germ. Baby is happy until Sherm the germ comes along and ruins his fun.

I personally think that this is a great book for young children that highlights that it is not fun to be sick. It details what you feel like when you get sick, what the doctor does at their office to diagnose you, and what you have to do to feel better. It paints the picture that Sherm the germ is not good and that children should avoid and make sure that they do not have germs on them. It is simple and to the point as well as being easy for the children to understand.

I think that one of the big literary elements that brings the book together is the use of rhyming. Rhyming helps young children learn words and understand the story that is being conveyed. Rhyming is very common in children's literature and can be a very helpful tool to helping kids identify the sounds of words and to enjoy the books that they are reading. An artistic style that was also prevalent in this children's book was the cartoon art in the illustrations. These illustrations also emphasize movement and emotion. There is also a lot of repetition with the colors used. There are four colors that are used on every single page as backgrounds as well as for clothing or objects. They include yellow, purple, and red. These two artistic/literary elements bring the whole picture book together and work to help inform the reader.

[Kathryn Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherm the Germ, written by pediatrician Dr. John Hutton is an informational text outlining what processes happen when we get sick. In a rhyming fashion it tells the tale of a baby who encounters Sherm the Germ and falls ill, goes to the doctor, and recovers.

I found this to be a WOW book because it simplifies and normalizes the infection process that allows even young children understand when their bodies are out of control and they are feeling sick. I think this would be a great way to explain it to them in a way that they would be able to grasp, potentially making the idea of getting sick and even going to the doctor less scary.

This book would be a great, lighthearted way to introduce a health unit regarding bacteria, viruses, germs, and the effects they can have on our human health. It would be a great way to introduce the use of a microscope, showing how even invisible forces can play a role in our daily health. Moving away from health studies, it would be a great mentor text to show cause and effect, students could choose a cause and effect event and using clear, concise vocabulary like what is modeled here they could write a short story describing it.

[Allie Gearhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Level: 2.5

Sherm the Germ is all about the importance of washing your hands and what it means when we get sick. This book is an informational text, as it's written to teach children about germs and the natural world.

This book would be a good mentor text to show students a good example of ideas. The story takes the reader throughout the day of a baby coming in contact with many germs. The author uses a baby to emphasize her point about germs being everywhere and how if we come into contact with them, we may get sick. Because babys are much more susceptible to illness as well as prone to put everything in their mouth, this makes them a good idea to write a story about germs and illness about.

This would be a good book to use during a health unit when teaching students about bacteria and viruses and how they can make us sick if we aren’t careful.

[Laurel Krause · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherm the Germ is a picture book about a pesky germ that interrupts Baby's fun day of playing. Baby's is sitting around playing and then all of a sudden Baby's sneezes and coughs. Baby has a fever, rash, and comes down with Sherm The Germ!! Sherm the Germ plays all day inside the Baby so the Doctor says that hugs, books, water, and rest will make Sherm go away.
I would 4/5 recommend this book for parents or teachers to use in the classroom. The simple images of just the baby and the germ are perfect for very young children to follow along with. I think it is a cute way to explain to kids why they sometimes are sick. It was very well wrote by the author because it is a simple explanation for children but is also still entertaining. I wish however, that the book maybe had a couple extra pages on how to prevent becoming sick. All in all it was a fantastic book.

[Taylor Craigo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherm the Germ is a book targeting a younger aged group; it is a fictional children's book. This book is a playful informational book that is actually written by a pediatrician( John Hutton). The book offer's rhyming and almost like a sing along tale. There is a young baby who get sick from sherm the germ. The book shows the germ and then shows us that the baby is sick or coughing. The baby ends up going to a doctor but gets better by the end of the story. The story flows nicely and does not take long to get to the point, making it easier for kids to stay actively listening to story. The writing in this book is easy for kids to follow along and stay engaged.

[Elora Sommerauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to read this book all about germs, because I am giving a lesson plan all about how to prevent illness and to get rid of germs to a bunch of kindergarteners, and I thought that this book would be great for them to hear about germs from. This book is also simple enough for young children to read by themselves, especially if they are just learning how to read it is a great start for them. This book also shows how it is not fun for children or people in general to be sick, and that they need to be aware of germs and how you can prevent getting sick.

[Lexi Schrimpf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherm the Germ is about a germ living inside a little boy who gets sick. This book is a children's level view of the stages of getting sick and getting better again. I liked this book because it was short in length, and there were substantially more pictures than words. I recommend this book because of the picture to word ratio and the simple words used. The book contains a variety of colors in the images and many rhyming phrases. I think that this would be a very good book for children to start reading.

[Jill Westerbur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful. I gave it a 5 star rating. The illustrations and vocabulary are spectacular and interesting. It teaches a valuable lesson describing the stages of becoming sick and then getting better. It also involves rhyming in the writing style. The book uses the main character to teach what it means to catch a cold or virus and how to get better.

[Marissa Musso · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story start by baby’s perfect day of play is interrupted by an unwelcome, microbial visitor, Sherm the Germ. This is a perfect read-aloud for those wishing to get well soon or any budding physician, this board book uses a loveable character to teach readers on the basics of what it means to catch a cold or virus and how the healing process works.

[Amanda Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE the fun and creative way Hutton teaches children about getting sick and the recovery that follows. I would use this book to teach students about illness and how to prevent it. Young ones will love Sherm's character, the rhymes, simple language, and of course- the illustrations.

[Josie Krysinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherm the Germ is a fun illustrated book that is perfect to read-aloud to children as you teach them the importance of washing their hands and covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze. This is another great addition to the classroom library.

[Amanda Ramos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherm the germ is the perfect read for children, especially during this quarantine time. It really helps children understand how germs work and why its important to maintain a clean environment and clean hands at all time.

[Shilo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book could be for a lot of different lessons. First, it is about germs and how they spread. Then the book could also be about going to a doctor. It also teaches students to wash their hands, and that they could make you sick. It also teaches students that there are good and bad germs.

[Kimberly Poe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly, fun way to engage students in learning about germs!

[Audry Ostrowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informational
Great book to teach about the process of getting sick and then getting better and could lead into a lesson on hand washing.
Kindergarten and 1st grade

[Karla Villanueva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute book that I will for sure be using when we talk about germs. It has good pictures. There are also so many cute activities that can be used with this book!

[Bailey Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book to show kids how germs work in a digestible way! promotes hand washing and good hygiene.

[Sidney Carnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for our new normal world. It is an informational text for young children, with teachers who are teaching about germs and why we should clean up.

[Carissa Votolato · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. it was a fun rhyming story that is great for young children to learn about germs, especially in the classroom where they are prominent.

[Kayla Krause · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would use this in my classroom by implementing poetry. I could also use this by teaching my students about germs and how to avoid them and keep themselves healthy.

[Trishmontagcinci.Rr.Com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and creative way to explain germs to a child Great illustrations!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

initial impact- The informational infant knowledge on germs is shown in a creative and interactive story, that sores with imagination. The readers comprehend the importance of good hygienes. The rhythmic story telling of a child being sick, causes fun to a serious subject for the readers.
2 design elements- The germ is alive and has a face. The depictions are very life like and it is a perfect representation of being sick and the causes of being sick. Through the facial expressions of the character you can tell how he is feeling with the germ inside of him.
2 literary- Easy to read and it is not very hard phrases. The rhythmic text makes it easier for the young readers to read because they will know it has to sound like another words ending. A growth in vocabulary and in an important life lesson to keep clean.
Informational text-The importance of being healthy while playing is shown with in this book. It emphasizes the symptoms and feelings of being sick as a child. To go to a doctor is important when sick because they always know how to fix it. This informs child the dangers of germs and helps them to stay clean.
constructive opinion- It is very short and cute but it could have used a story line of how the child got sick. Although it is for younger students the text could have been a bit longer for a more interesting story.

[Hailey Wolfe]

Baby’s perfect day of play is interrupted by an unwelcome, microbial visitor—Sherm the Germ. Written by a pediatrician and brought to life through playful illustrations, this fun, rhyming book describes the stages of becoming sick and then getting better. A perfect read-aloud for those wishing to get well soon or any budding physician, this board book uses a loveable character to teach readers on the basics of what it means to catch a cold or virus and how the healing process works.

Activity
Journal about how many words can you come up with that rhyme? Also, create a drawing showing all the ways you keep yourself safe from germs. Draw a picture of yourself washing your hands, covering your mouth, etc. How do make sure to keep the germs away?

Citation
Hutton, J. Montag, M. Sherm the Germ. (2014) Blue manatee press.

[Emma Thompson]

Sherm the Germ by John Hutton is a short children's book about a little baby whose perfect day of play and fun is interrupted when sherm the germ shows up. It is a rhyming book that describes the different stages of becoming sick and getting better. It is a great book to read to those little sick ones on their day home from school. The illustrations are done in a cartoonish, childish way. I really enjoyed this book I think it is so creative to put this kind of health information into a children's book and make it something that they enjoy.

[Kaitlin Niedert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great informational book that teaches students about what is like to have a cold or virus by following Sherm the Germ. This would be a great book for young students who are sick in the classroom and need to be taught about maybe blowing their nose and washing their hands.

[Mollie Franzen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baby is having a perfect day playing until she gets a visit from Sherm the germ. This book uses pictures and rhyming to explain to children how germs are passed from one person to another. It all describes the phases of getting sick and getting better.

Ages 2-5

[Jillian Spanier]

1. N/A
2. pre-school and up, ages 2-3
3. This cute story tells of how germ can make you sick. It talks about what happens when you get sick. Then talks about how you can get better.
4. I think this is a great book for classrooms. Not only is it an informational text, but it is a board book making it perfect for a read aloud. This book does a great job expressing how germs can make us sick.
5. This book opens up for a perfect discussion on how to keep germs to ourselves and how we can avoid them, especially as winter approaches.
All the students can create their own germ using craft materials.

[Courtney]

1) There are no awards for this book yet.
2)This book would be good for really young children. This grade level would be pre-k through kindergarten.
3)This book is about a little boy who gets sick from germs. He goes to the doctor and learns how to get rid of germs. He feels better is the end after meeting with the doctor and taking care of himself.
4) This book is really good for teaching young children life skills. This book has a very good life lesson to be learned about germs.
5) I would use this book to teach a lesson on germs in my class and i would also use it to show how to be healthy and stay away from germs.

[Karsyn VonEgidy]

Teaching children about germs and the best way not to spread them is extremely important. Kids need to be taught about health and how to take care of their bodies. This book expresses how germs are spread and what the stages of getting sick are. The pictures are funny and playful expressing germs and the damage it does to your body.