Sick!

The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs

Heather L. Montgomery, Lindsey Leigh

$35.95

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Bloomsbury Childrens Books
06 January 2026

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection Alabama Authors Awards Children's Books Winner
* ""A pathologically good time."" —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Follow the scientists studying animals and the germs that infect them in this full-color nonfiction book packed with comic-style art.

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?

Meet scientists around the world 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.

By: Heather L. Montgomery
Illustrated by: Lindsey Leigh
Imprint: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781547618606
ISBN 10: 1547618604
Pages: 160
Publication Date: 06 January 2026
Recommended Age: From 8 to 12 years
Audience: Children/juvenile , English as a second language
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Heather L. Montgomery has taught for over 20 years (both inside and outside the classroom) as well as directed a school-based environmental center. She has written curriculum; trained hundreds of teachers, naturalists, and librarians; and, helped thousands of children to make friends with the natural world. Each year, she works directly with over ten thousand children at festivals, school visits, and at environmental centers. During a typical presentation, petrified body parts and tree guts encourage scientific thinking and inspire reluctant readers. Her professional development programs for teachers have won awards and rave reviews. She lives in Ardmore, Alabama. www.heatherlmontgomery.com Lindsey Leigh is an illustrator and designer in Boston. She grew up near Washington, D.C., fascinated by the Smithsonian Museums and the Baltimore Aquarium. Her passion for communicating scientific ideas eventually led her to become a scientific illustrator. Her books include The Deep! Wild Life at the Ocean's Darkest Depths. www.lindseyleighart.com

Reviews for Sick!: The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs

""Keeping her tone conversational, occasionally relying on anthropomorphizing, and framing her stories as mysteries, Montgomery makes even the most complex concept concrete and digestible--young readers won't just understand the microbiology at play; they'll enjoy the subject too. Illustrations throughout also enhance clarity as well as (especially in short comic panels) keeping the book fun."" --Kirkus Reviews, starred review ""Exhilarating case studies of science and of scientists in action . . . [and] a convincing argument for thinking about our relationship with our teeming microbial neighbors."" --Booklist ""Visually engaging and with approachable text, Sick! is chock-full of super interesting information about animals and is recommended for middle school science collections."" --School Library Journal ""A well-stirred slurry of facts and fun for strong-stomached ""poop sleuths."""" --Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on WHO GIVES A POOP ""Equal parts informative and grotesquely fascinating."" --School Library Journal, starred review, on WHO GIVES A POOP