“I’m Trying to Love Germs,” written and illustrated by Bethany Barton, will have readers and listeners thinking about germs in a while new way. (Courtesy of Viking)
Kids are curious and like learning about strange things. For example, did you know that tarantulas will fling some of their barbed hairs off their back at a potential predator? Or that some germs are good for humans, while others are clearly not (and why)? And where did the foods we love today have their humble beginnings long ago?
The key to writing engaging nonfiction kids will love is often most successful if it is kept light and incorporates humor. Kids don’t want to read a thick and boring book just to learn some facts.
Fortunately, the books reviewed today offer fast facts in a fun way. Look for yourself, then get reading with the child in your life. Both of you are bound to learn quite a lot along the way.
Books to borrow
The following book is available at many public libraries.
“KBUG Radio: Up Close and Personal — An Interview with Harry the Tarantula” by Leigh Ann Tyson, illustrated by Henrik Drescher, National Geographic Society, 32 pages
Read aloud: age 5 – 6 and older.
Read yourself: age 7 – 8 and older.
KBUG radio talk-show host, Katy Did, is interviewing a very interesting guest, Harry the Tarantula. Hailing from California, Harry answers Katy Did’s questions and shares other information on his life.
Harry begins by telling Katy Did of a frightening experience when he was caught by Laura Webber in an empty bottle. When Harry saw her huge face staring into his eight eyes, he did what any tarantula would do, rubbed some hairs off his back and tried to fling them at her. Now Harry is worried he will soon be bald.
Learn how Harry’s barbed hairs help protect him, what he eats, the poison in his bite and what he must do to find a female to create more little tarantulas and avoid being eaten by the female. With a special two-page bonus of tarantula facts at the end of the book, this selection provides readers with a quick sketch of fascinating information about the tarantula.
Hilarious, creative, loaded with scientifically accurate information and brimming with comical illustrations, this book is awesome.
Librarian’s choice
Library: Boyertown Community Library, 29 E. Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown
Library director: Denise Pulgino Stout
Assistant director: Sami Jo Trout
Youth services coordinator: Sorcha Smith
Choices this week: “You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Pyramid Builder” by Jacqueline Morley; “Bill the Boy Wonder” by Marc Tyler Nobleman; “Randolph Caldecott: The Man Who Could Not Stop Drawing” by Leonard S. Marcus
Books to buy
The following books are available at favorite bookstores.
“I’m Trying to Love Germs,” written and illustrated by Bethany Barton, Viking, 2023, 36 pages, $18.99 hardcover
Read aloud: age 4 – 8.
Read yourself: age 6 – 8.
What exactly are germs and where are they? For starters, the book itself is covered in germs! But germs are everywhere, both inside and outside our bodies, and this hilarious, informative book helps kids understand more about germs.
Some germs help us to survive, some don’t, and other fascinating facts are included in this book, including the importance of washing our hands. Scientists, for example, refer to germs as microbes or pathogens.
And while most microbes do important stuff to help you survive, pathogens can be real troublemakers that cause disease, but not always; pathogens can also be helpful. And while this sounds a bit confusing, Barton breaks it down to present a clear, understandable picture that is also very funny, page after page.
No doubt about it, “I’m Trying to Love Germs” will have readers and listeners thinking about germs in a whole new way.
“Pizza Pickles and Apple Pie: The Stories Behind the Foods We Love” written and illustrated by David Rickert, Kane Press, 2023, 122 pages, $19.99 hardcover
Read aloud: age 8 – 12.
Read yourself: age 8 – 12.
Everyone likes to eat, but did you ever wonder about your favorite foods and where they really came from (and not the grocery store or refrigerator)? Hold on to your hat, because this informative, fascinating, and very funny book will help spell out the history and origins of food like you’ve never read before.
Around the 6th century BCE, herdsmen in Central Asia needed a nutritious food source they could carry with them and discovered yogurt when they had left their milk sit out for too long. The ancient Greeks were the first to make what we now know as a waffle.
People used to eat when they were hungry, not at set times such as lunch and dinner. The ancient Greeks were also the first to make an early form of pizza so they could have a meal on the go. Then learn about the origin of fried chicken, sandwiches, pickles, cake, ice cream and much more.
Facts are presented in an engaging way and are perfectly complemented by funny illustrations, making “Pizza Pickles and Apple Pie” a genuine whirlwind tour of culinary favorites.
Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children’s literature. She can be reached at kendal.rautzhan27@gmail.com.
