Brown, Jordan D. Micro Mania: A Really Close-Up Look at Bacteria, Bedbugs & the Zillions of Other Gross Little Creatures. Morganville: Imagine Publishing, 2009. ISBN-13: 978-1936140473.
I don't know if this book is fascinating, disgusting, or just downright amazing. I knew I was "Never Alone" (Chapter 1), but I'm not sure that I wanted to know more about my "Trillions of Close Personal Friends" in Chapter 2 or the "Pets and Pests" found in Chapter 3. I was perfectly fine not thinking about "Creatures of the Kitchen" in Chapter 4, and, frankly, I'd rather not know all the "Places Germs Hide...and How [I] Can Seek Them"—even if Chapter 5 was helpful. (By the way, be sure to microwave your sponges on a consistent basis; similarly, did you know that the bathroom stall closest to the door has fewest number of bacteria and germs?)
I actually used Chapters 4 and 5 in a Linguistics course focusing on teaching English as a Second Language and can attest to the richness of the resources within
Micro Mania. My professor's initial reaction was, "Oh, it's only a picture book." After flipping through a few pages, however, she was talking excitedly about what a great text it was. She was more excited than I was!
Chapters 6, 7, and 8 ("Swimming with Plankton," "Give My Creature Life!" and "Learning to Love the Little Guys"—which I should probably re-read) move the focus away from the more personal sphere to the world at large. Still, the bright illustrations, factoids, computer graphics, experiments, and home projects make
Micro Mania an incredible resource—as long as you aren't germaphobic!
I strongly recommend this book.
Reviewed by Stephanie Ashley
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