Germs: Facts and Fiction, Friends and Foes

K-Gr 2—An informational picture book dedicated to the icky, sticky, and disgusting world of germs. The work is narrated by Sam the Salmonella, an anthropomorphized strain of the bacteria, and is thematically divided into two sections: the evolution of human understanding of germs, and the positive and negative aspects of the microorganisms. Sam takes readers on a journey through time, from the belief that evil spirits caused disease to the discoveries of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and Louis Pasteur. The second half begins rather abruptly, with Sam decrying the damage done by yellow fever, black death, and scarlet fever and blaming these insidious germs for overshadowing the beneficial effects that "good" bacteria have had on the world, specifically in regard to food creation and decomposition of organic matter. While the narrative is a bit uneven in tone, the playful color illustrations of people and germ types provide a consistently edifying backdrop to the text. However, an image of a male pilgrim and a Native American man sharing a plate of corn may prove to be problematic.