Tiny The Invisible World of Microbes by Nicola Davies

By Nicola Davies (author) , Emily Sutton (illustrator)

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This is simply an outstanding book. Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton explain the life and purpose of microbes clearly and lucidly for very young children, through simple language and beautiful illustrations. Using child-friendly examples, such as the fact that a teaspoon of soil can have as many microbes as the number of people in the whole of India, and striking visual images, they make this important and complex area clear for even pre-school children.

Microbes, the book concludes, are the invisible transformers of our world. The tiniest lives doing the biggest jobs. Tiny makes these tiny things as beautiful and fascinating to children as a blue whale.

There are living things so tiny millions could fit on a dot. Although they are invisible, they are everywhere and they multiply very quickly. They are vital for life on earth, and do all sorts of things - from giving us a cold and making yoghurt to wearing down mountains and helping to make the air we breathe.

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With charming illustrations by Emily Sutton, this friendly, clever book succeeds in conveying the complex science of micro-organisms simply and clearly, and opens up an exciting new avenue for young non-fiction.

With charming illustrations, this friendly, clever book succeeds in conveying the complex science of micro-organisms simply and clearly, and opens up an exciting new avenue for young non-fiction. -- Independent Bookshop Week supplement The Guardian

...the simple but amazing facts flow and by the end of this short read the child has a wonderful insight into 'the tiniest lives doing the biggest jobs. The Bath Chronicle

Get them learning science early, with playful picture books like this romp through the world of micro-organisms. Explore how we catch a cold, what bacteria go into yoghurt and all kinds of other fascinating facts, simply and entertainingly explained. Time Out

...a brilliant book on science. Introducing the complicated and seemingly incomprehensible world of microbes in a remarkably simple and elegant way, the genius of this book is that through explorations of scale, purpose and presenting the good, the bad and the ugly, children as young as four are able to understand the complexities of these powerful and tiny creatures. With beautiful illustrations and gripping text, this was very much an again book. Culture Baby

A brilliant work of non-fiction The Schoool Run.com

Nicola Davies is an award-winning author, whose many books for children include The Promise, Tiny, A First Book of Nature and King of the Sky. She has been writing for children for more than 20 years. Underlying all Nicola's writing is the belief that a relationship with nature is essential to every human being, and that now, more than ever, we need to renew that relationship. Her work has been published in more than 10 different languages and has won major awards in the UK, US, France, Italy and Germany. Nicola is the Children’s Laureate Wales 2025-2027.

She is a Zoology graduate, an expert in whales and bats, and has worked for the BBC Natural History Unit. She lives in Powys