Germs Up Close

A photo gallery of dangerous microbes, with basic guidelines for keeping them at bay. Though the quality of the microphotography falls off when Levine gets to explaining the immune-system roles that various types of white blood cells play, overall the pictures are the stars of the show. Most are big, bright of hue, and so clear that even the smallest physical details of bugs from E. coli to coronavirus stand out in sharp, precise definition. 'Who would have imagined, ' writes Levine, 'that they would be so interesting and beautiful to look at?' The author's strenuous efforts to keep her commentary simple may leave readers confused about whether all germs are by definition 'bad' are often or in certain conditions harmless or even beneficial (and it doesn't help that germ doesn't rate an entry in the closing glossary). Still, her concise notes about where each type or species of common bacterium, protozoan, fungus, and virus she names is typically found, the maladies they cause, and how vaccines, hand-washing, wearing masks, and other preventive measures can lend our sophisticated immune systems a hand are as clear as they are timely. Other introductions to the microworld, such as Steve Mould's The Bacteria Book (2018) and Amy Gallagher's Microbes (2017), offer broader informational pictures, but their cartoon illustrations may, for some, make that world seem a little less real. High-interest topic and eye-catching visuals--but a few rough spots keep it off the top shelf.--Kirkus Reviews -- Journal (2/15/2021 12:00:00 AM) Meet the strangers within us: the types of bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and viruses that sometimes cause illnesses, though other types are beneficial to people. After a paragraph introducing each category of germs, the presentation spotlights one after another with a pithy summary of its characteristics as well as an illustration. Viruses are described as 'just tiny bundles of instructions, called DNA or RNA, wrapped in a coat of protein.' The adjacent, greatly enlarged image features the virus that causes rabies. Throughout the book, illustrations include a few photos of people, some labeled diagrams, and many highly magnified, surprisingly colorful images of germs, including coronavirus. The book's final section discusses the immune system, explains vaccines, and encourages preventive practices such as hand washing and coughing into elbows rather than hands. An unusual addition to the back matter is a list of 11 occupations involving germs, from epidemiologist to microbiologist to veterinarian. The latter is Levine's profession when she's not writing engaging children's science books, such as Flower Talk (2019), Tooth by Tooth (2016), and this timely volume.--Booklist -- Journal (2/15/2021 12:00:00 AM)