Description
Description
Power to the Parasites! lets you in on a secret: Parasites are all around you, all the time, quietly running the world. You might think of them as slimy, disgusting freeloaders - tapeworms and roundworms and ticks and lice, too small to be important and too selfish to be valued. But by the end of this book, you'll realize that sometimes parasites are the good guys.
Learn where you're most likely to find parasites in your own food (heads up, you might not want to eat any uncooked fish right before reading this book), and how parasitic infection changes the behavior of many organisms--including human beings. Parasites might be weird and mysterious, but the better we understand them, the less we have to fear about them. In fact, many parasites are in big trouble. With climate change threatening parasites around the world, there's no better time than right now to learn about these often-unseen creatures living among us.
About the Author
About the Author
Chelsea L. Wood is an associate professor in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington. Her research program explores the ecology of parasites in our changing world. Power to the Parasites! is her first children's book.
Dave Mottram is a full-time illustrator living in Ohio. He works in mixed media and both traditional and digital art to create a style that is at once sophisticated and childlike. Dave has illustrated a wide range of books, including the Junior Library gold standard title, Buzzkill written by Brenna Maloney.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"Humorous and cleverly titled chapters--such as "A Plague on Both Your Houses," in which the author describes the Yersinia pestis that caused the bubonic plague--paired with animated illustrations by Mottram make sometimes gruesome tales about the history of parasites feel like a leisurely jaunt à la Ms. Frizzle. . .This enjoyable read will have readers exclaiming "cool!" instead of "ew!""--Publisher's Weekly, starred review
"An eye-opening, as well as stomach-churning, angle on who's really the boss in the natural world."--Kirkus, starred review"Each chapter is a generous mix of eews and aahs, whether inspecting a tiny cousin of the jellyfish that damages the spines of trout, the parasitoid wasp revered by farmers because its babies turn plant-eating aphids into "mummies," or the Nipah virus, which humans can acquire by accidentally drinking bat pee (don't worry, this is rare!). Woven throughout the creepiness, however, is science related to parasitic behavior and ecosystems, including their complex life cycles; how they reduce the number of unwanted (by human standards, anyway) hosts, like insects and rats; and ways parasites might help humans fight autoimmune diseases. Black-and-white cartoon spot art highlights some of these unusual parasite-host relationships. Utilizing pop-culture references and personal anecdotes, Wood delightfully demystifies these often-dreaded creatures." --Booklist, starred review "The technical information on parasites presented in this book is accessible through the use of humor and illustrations, making it a solid choice for libraries serving middle grade students"--School Library Journal, starred review
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
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