Illustrated by Kim Ryung-eon What on Earth Books ISBN 9781913750152 £12.99
This humorous book looks at the way our bodies cope with bacteria and in particular how our digestive system works. The story is narrated by a friendly gut bacterium as it travels through the body, (which it considers to be a 5-star hotel), explaining about the processes with the girl host.
The book is aimed at the lower end of the primary school and because of the illustrations it is suitable for KS1 and KS2L, (ages 4-89. The layout is attractive, clear and balances well with the text. It is amazing how the illustrator has made the small bacteria into a real character, using just a few lines to change facial expressions. The text is given as small chunks which are easy to read and the font itself clear, simple and of a large enough size to be read by younger pupils. The book has a glossary to explain the main terms and a simple index. There is a list of additional sources at the end, but I am not sure how useful some of it might be, as there are titles in Chinese, German and French. However, the book itself is definitely a worthwhile addition to a school or class library.
Margaret Pemberton
