'An effective combination of clear science writing and entertaining illustrations. A great addition to any children’s library or as a complementary text for science classes studying the microbiome'. -- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL 'Tubby, expressive microbes guide readers through this deceptively comprehensive, gleefully illustrated guide to the human microbiome'. -- PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY A journey into the wonderful world of your microbiome! Within our bodies hides an entire world of organisms called microbes. They boost our immune systems, digest our food, regulate our metabolism and even impact on our mental health. Through Katie Brosnan’s personable illustrations, we follow the digestive process from the moment the food enters our mouths to the moment waste leaves our bodies. Along the way we learn about this fascinating scientific frontier and gain an insight into the vast ecosystem that exists inside us. SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL STARRED REVIEW: This illustrated exploration of the body’s gut garden opens with a description of the main categories of microbes (fungi, bacteria, viruses) followed by a brief explanation of the role that microbes play in the world. The focus then turns to the relationship between microbes and the human body. Brosnan describes the symbiotic and largely positive relationship humans have with most microbes as well as the existence of more harmful pathogenic microbes. Next, the text examines how microbes work in the digestive system and how important it is to cultivate a healthy gut microbiome for optimal health. The illustrations are colorful and painterly; each page of this slightly oversize title is filled with anthropomorphized microbes and depictions of the human digestive system that complement the clear and scientific text. The final spread is devoted to the exciting future of microbial research; there is much to discover about the connection between our microbiome and autoimmune diseases, such as diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. VERDICT An effective combination of clear science writing and entertaining illustrations. A great addition to any children’s library or as a complementary text for science classes studying the microbiome. PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY REVIEW: Tubby, expressive microbes guide readers through this deceptively comprehensive, gleefully illustrated guide to the human microbiome. Brosnan starts with the basics (“What Are Microbes?”) and progresses through “Microbes in the World” and pathogens (“The Bad Guys”). Discussions of microbes in the body include detailed explorations of how microbes aid digestion, the flourishing “gut garden” of the large intestine, and the immune system. Bright spreads alive with Brosnan’s colorful, loose-lined illustrations hold oodles of information broken up in digestible chunks, peppered with the microbes’ speech-bubble comments, which mix captivating facts (“Inside your mouth there are over 500 species of microbes”) with the occasional fart joke. Cressida Cowell Royal Society Book Prize 2020 Review: This book was very interesting, the wonderful little characters brought it to life. The field is growing, with scientists only now beginning to comprehend the significance of our microbiome – it helps to educate the future generation about science fields with emergent interest. YA BOOKS CENTRAL REVIEW: Gut Garden is a well-thought out journey through our digestive system, introducing kids to the bacteria and different microorganisms that reside in our bodies. Brosnan opens the book with a detailed description of different microbes and where you might find them. Then the reader is taken through the process of digestion and follows what happens to that bite of food as it travels down into the gut. Throughout the entire book, Brosnan's microbes are personified and featured showing their jobs. I personally loved the thought bubbles and humorous illustrations mixed in with the scientific details. Brosnan's Gut Garden would make the perfect addition to a science class or your biology-loving child's library. Good Points -Colorful illustrations show how the body digests food -Learn about the different bacteria that grow in our body, the good and the bad. BOOKTRUST REVIEW: Microbes are tiny life forms you can only see with a microscope. They're on every part of your body, everything you touch and eat, in the air you breathe and the water you drink. But what do they do? And are they helpful, harmful, or both? Luckily, Katie Brosnan is on hand with a tremendously informative guide to these smallest of particles and organisms, which include bacteria, archaea (direct descendants of the first organisms on the planet), fungi, viruses, microscopic animals and protists. Brosnan describes a microscopic universe which marvels with its ingenuity, variety and scale. Taking us through the different types of microbe, followed by how they work and live in the human body (mouth, throat, stomach, intestines and poo), she also explains what antibiotics do to valuable