Book 4

This is a story about trees and fungi connected through a ‘wood wide web’ – told by one tiny fungal spore

.A little fungus meets a baby cacao tree and they learn to feed each other. They cooperate with a forest of plants and a metropolis of microbes in the soil. But when drought strikes can they work together to survive?

The fourth book in the Small Friends Books series, this science-adventure story explores the Earth-shaping partnerships between plants, fungi and bacteria.

  • A beautifully-illustrated science-adventure story, created in collaboration with scientists.
  • Engages children in the invisible world of microbes.
  • ‘The Science Behind the Story’ section allows for deeper exploration of the scientific concepts underpinning the story.

When he hatches from his egg, Sepio, a baby bobtail squid, is not able to glow. His dark shape is too obvious in the moonlit water and all kinds of predators lurk nearby. Ali, an intrepid Vibrio fischeri bacterium, is determined to reach safety too. Can Ali and Sepio help each other?

The Squid, the Vibrio and the Moon is a beautifully illustrated storybook about the symbiotic relationship between the Hawaiian bobtail squid and the bioluminescent bacteria that help it glow in the moonlight.

Originally published in 2014, this book has been extensively re-written to delight and captivate primary-school aged readers.

FEATURES:
  • A beautifully illustrated science-adventure story, set in the waters of Hawaii.
  • Engages children in the invisible world of microbes.
  • Combines cutting-edge scientific research, rich narrative and beautiful illustrations to tell stories that describe symbiotic partnerships between microbes and larger life forms.

When a tree cries out in pain, some unexpected heroes come to the rescue.

Nema and her gang of young nematodes (tiny worms) embark on a dangerous journey underground. The Xenos, a group of wise but deadly bacteria, hitch a ride. The story of how they help the tree is full of action, life-or-death challenges and microscopic warfare. It is a story of co-operation and ancient partnership, about events happening all
over the Earth, in the hidden worlds beneath our feet.

FEATURES
  • A beautifully illustrated science-adventure story, created in collaboration with scientists
  • Engages children in the invisible world of microbes
  • 'The Science Behind the Story' section allows for deeper exploration of scientific concepts underpinning story
  • Teacher Notes available to support the use of this book in the classroom
  • The Small Friends Books series combines cutting-edge scientific research, rich narrative and beautiful illustrations to tell stories that describe symbiotic partnerships between microbes and larger life forms

With her home under threat from a warming ocean, Zobi, a brave rhizobia bacterium, teams up with a familyof slow but steady zoox (zooxanthellae). As the coral bleaches, everyone begins to starve...

Can Zobi and the zoox work together to save the day?

This beautifully illustrated science-adventure story, set on the Great Barrier Reef, was originally published in 2015, but has been extensively re-written and revised to delight and captivate primary-school aged readers.

Zobi and the Zoox: A Story of Coral Bleaching is the first in the new Small Friends Books series - Stories of Partnership and Cooperation in Nature.

FEATURES:
  • A beautifully illustrated science-adventure story, set on the Great Barrier Reef
  • Combines cutting-edge scientific research, rich narrative and beautiful illustrations to tell a story about the symbiotic partnerships between microbes and larger life forms
  • Extensively re-worked primary readers' edition of the original 2015 book


*Winner of the 2019 Whitney Medal!