Sick! The Twists and turns behind animal germs by Heather L. Montgomery, illustrated by Lindsey Leigh

[I received a finished copy after this book's release and it absolutely is true to the galley - hilarious, informative, and a great layout!]

Combine one of my favorite tried-and-true nonfiction authors, Heather Montgomery, with rising star Lindsay Leigh and you've got a nonfiction, comic blend of humor and fact that is, in 1980s speak, "Sick!"

The book begins with the disclaimer that it's not a textbook and there are no tidy, cut-and-dried answers in this exploration of germs, biology, and disease in the animal world. Readers will learn about the current research of scientists in a variety of fields, the connections between human and animal disease and cures, and the ways animals adapt to fight back against illness. From the microscopic to the mammalian, young science fans will be glued to the page (but hopefully not with snot, even if it does have antimicrobial properties) as they learn about the weird, gross, and fascinating world of microbes, germs, viruses, in the animal kingdom.

Leigh's illustrations dot the pages, expanding on Montgomery's text, and the two have also collaborated in including full page comics, illustrating scientific research or funny exchanges between germs and animals. Fun facts dot the pages and kids will also be introduced to contemporary scientists and their research.

I was delighted to see a galley of this soon to be released gem and it was even more fun to see the book in the process of creation - the complexity of illustrations, text, and comic panels give an interesting sidelight on the creation of a book and I'm looking forward to sharing this galley with classes to talk about how books are edited and published!

Verdict: A must-have addition for juvenile nonfiction collections, this book will be a great choice for a variety of young readers, including those who need a longer chapter book but are daunted by unbroken pages of text. The mixture of facts, text, comics, and illustrations will draw readers in and have them finishing the book before they know it and the combination of cutting-edge science and gross and goofy facts will be appealing to many young readers. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781547609857; Published February 2024 by Bloomsbury; Galley provided by publisher; Purchased for the library