'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'. — School Library Journal Starred 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'. — Publisher's Weekly
'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'. — YA Books Central
'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 gut microbes, what prebiotics and probiotics are and even how fermented food can really help us tend our precious gut gardens. This is a wonderful and eye-opening guide to the smallest things in the world, and well worth a read'. — BookTrust
'As part of our ever-expanding horizons, gut-health and making a seemingly complicated subject accessible to adults and children alike might seem like pandering to the zeitgeist, but Brosnan has managed to make a children’s book scientifically accurate, entertaining to all readers and aesthetically pleasing. A worthy addition to any bookshelf, Gut Garden is a fantastic way of introducing a mystifying and yet increasingly important subject to discerning readers'. — The AOI
THE LITERACY TREE REVIEW: Author-illustrator Katie Brosnan has expertly crafted this (yes- we are about to apply this word to all things ‘gut’) delightfully quirky book around a rather niche area of science. And oh how we wish we’d had this when teaching ‘microbes’ in upper key stage 2! Perfect for supporting the science curriculum in key stage two or as a brilliant addition to your book corner or school library provided that you can (sorry - we can never resist a bit of word-play) stomach it!
NORTH SOMERSET TEACHERS BOOK AWARD REVIEW: This is a fascinating look at the ‘vast ecosystem that lives inside you’ and makes the subject extremely accessible and appealing- whatever your age! A brilliant introduction to exploring the connections between microbes and health, how the digestive system works and the work of scientists in this field, ‘Gut Garden’ makes an excellent addition to any library. A very enjoyable read!
'Informative, fun, accessible and beautiful all in one!' — The Reading Realm
'Gut Garden entices the reader in to learn more about digestion and the microbes living inside us. Our curiosity is automatically drawn to the idea that scientists have still to discover so much more about our bodies. My children and I were particularly drawn to the illustrations of the internal organs and some explanations of how microbes work. I can honestly admit to learning quite a lot from this book and it would make an excellent resource for science lessons in a primary school. There was a brilliant use of scientific language, and explanation alongside the fun illustrations. I can see my family coming back to this book time and time again. It was cleverly explained and clearly Katie Brosnan has done her research on our digestive system. We spent ages reading this book!' — My Shelves Are Full
'A really clever and engaging book that teaches quite difficult concepts in a fun way'. —Let Them Be Small
2020-02-09
A quick introduction to some of the teeming tenants who call the human body “Home, Sweet Home.”
Squeamish readers may want to go slow: “My name is Demodex and I live on your face!” proclaims one eight-legged micro-critter at the beginning. Led by a preteen lad who poses for internal views, human figures with generically beige skin share space in cartoon illustrations with hordes of mottled, anthropomorphic blobs in diverse bright hues that wave, smile, and scurry busily over magnified interior fleshscapes. Brosnan, rightly pointing out that microbes live “EVERYWHERE” and that there are more of them in our bodies than actual human cells, nods to archaea, fungi, and other types of microscopic life but sticks largely to bacteria as she conducts a tour of the digestive system’s residents. Focusing more on functions than polysyllabic names (though there are plenty of the latter), she mentions pathogens and disease but keeps the tone positive by highlighting the roles common beneficial species play in nutrition, health, and maintaining a balanced intestinal ecosystem. She makes a puzzling claim that viruses cannot “evolve” and offers a woefully incomplete view of manure’s agricultural benefits, in addition to introducing as uncomplicated fact the benefits of probiotics and fecal matter transplants and failing to explore why farmers feel it’s important to feed their animals antibiotics. Still, as a unicellular fellow traveler puts it toward the end, there’s “plenty to chew on” here. This U.K. import’s British spellings and metric measurements remain unaltered.
Effectively makes the case that we are all biological boardinghouses. (Informational picture book. 7-9)
