Description: Microbes are everywhere: outside, indoors, on your body, in your body. In fact, only about half of our bodies' cells are human cells--the rest are microbes. Whether helping people digest their food or using mind-control techniques to lure mice into the path of hungry cats (no, really), microbes form an unseen jungle all around us. Through zany facts, hilarious and sometimes disgusting illustrations, and interviews with experts in their fields, aspiring young scientists (or kids who just want to be grossed out) will discover a hidden world in which your health depends on a myriad of microbes, houseflies get zombified by fungi, and termites are saving the planet one fart at a time. With such extras as sidebars, limericks, and even a lesson on how to draw E. coli, this "eww"-worthy treasure trove for kids is an engrossing romp into the microbe drama unfolding where you might least expect it.
Review Quotes: Developing the theme that "microbes impact our lives and our world in big, beautiful, and sometimes creepy ways," Spicer Rice explains the varied roles bacteria and other tiny guests play in digestion, decomposition, spreading or fighting diseases, and killing hosts or keeping them healthy. Readers who relish biology that veers into the "creepy" will be riveted.
--Booklist Reviews (starred review)
--Kirkus Reviews Eleanor Spicer Rice breaks down facts about microbes in an often hilarious, frequently gross, and overall interesting way.
--School Library Connection Unseen Jungle: The Microbes That Secretly Control Our World is both fascinating and funny, with just the right amount of gross.
--The Reading Eagle