"Zoom in on Body Invaders" by Richard Spilsbury

ISBN-13: 9780750267298

Grades 4 and up

Review: Zoom in on Body Invaders is one of the best children’s books I have ever read!  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Although the book is written as a children’s book, there is much to be learned and enjoyed by children, as well as adults, about the different types of creatures that can live in or on our bodies.

The book begins by exposing the reader to “the scale of things.”  It relates the size of things visible to the naked eye, to the very small things measured in microns, which we cannot see without the aid of a microscope.  It then introduces the difference between light microscopy and electron microscopy.  

The rest of the book then discusses various creatures that live in us or on us.  Each double spread page introduces one organism, relating interesting facts about that organism.  It introduces such concepts as “parasites,” feeding mouthparts called “proboscis,” and saliva proteins that are “anesthetic” in nature.  Each organism is shown using electron microscopy (SEM) so that the reader can truly enjoy each of the various monstrosities up close! 

Each double spread page also relates a “Fearsome fact” or a “Know your foe” fact.  Who would have known that we have approximately one billion bacteria living on every tooth in our mouth or that a mosquito can smell our breath or sweat from up to 100 feet away.  How disgusting to see a sneeze up close and realize that a sneeze can carry around 200 million viruses!  How shocking to discover that adults have up to 25 follicle mites living head down in our eyelash follicles!  And how repulsive to see the head of a tapeworm with its hooks and suckers!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It is educational, fascinating, and it exposes children to a whole new world of unknown creatures that may live in us or on us everyday.  (rev. S.Fincannon, Science Teacher, ACS)

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy is provided us by Enslow Publishers in exchange for our honest review. Opinions expressed are solely those of the reviewer. No compensation was received for this review.