Do not lick this book* (*It's full of germs) by Idan Ben-Barak and Julian Frost

This is a most unusual interactive book and I can't wait to read it with the kids!

The endpages are covered in... green spaghetti? Hmm, weird...

Ah, the story begins. Meet Min. Min is... a microbe! Microbes are everywhere and if you look really, really, really closely at the book, you'll see her, sitting between the threads of paper.

Readers will go on a wild ride with Min and her friends through a microscopic examination of the world around them (That green spaghetti? It's cloth!). Pick her up on your finger and visit your teeth, your clothes, and more!

A final page explains more details about microbes and what the cartoon characters in the book really look like, magnified.

I sometimes feel that if I get parents (and teachers) coming back to me saying "WHAT did you read in storytime??" my work is done. This definitely fills the bill. It's a fun way to learn about microscopes, microbes, and learn how important it is to brush your teeth! The pictures are hugely magnified images of teeth, cloth, paper, and skin, interspersed with simple but humorous cartoon illustrations.

Verdict: Use this with toddlers and preschoolers as well as grade schoolers; It's a fun way to learn about microscopes, microbes, the importance of brushing your teeth, and the cool stuff that's all around us every day! Recommended.

ISBN: 9781250175366; This edition published 2018 by Roaring Brook; Borrowed from another library in my consortium