Small Friends Books
Co-published by Scale Free Network and CSIRO Publishing, the award-winning 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. Each book re-imagines the world from a microbial point of view, to engage and educate children and adults alike.
Microbes make up 99% of life on Earth, playing a vital role in the health of all living entities and ecosystems – and yet no stories or education resources exist to help explain this. Small Friends Books tell positive stories about our smallest and oft misunderstood friends.
Each book is created collaboratively by a core team comprising writer Ailsa Wild, visual ecologist Aviva Reed, art director/publisher Briony Barr, and science director/publisher Dr Gregory Crocetti, in consultation with legendary microbial ecologist Professor Linda Blackall.
The Small Friends Books series is supported by the Australian Society for Microbiology.
Rights enquiries, please contact Jenny Rosson – jenny@marcorodino.com
The fourth book in the Small Friends Books series has just been released – here is the trailer:
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Zobi and the Zoox: A Story of Coral Bleaching
With her home under threat from a warming ocean, Zobi, a brave rhizobia bacterium, teams up with a family of slow but steady Zoox (zooxanthellae). As the coral bleaches, everyone begins to starve…
44 pages (28 pages story + 16 pages science)
The Squid, the Vibrio & the Moon
A story about the symbiotic relationship between the Hawaiian bobtail squid and the bioluminescent bacteria that help it glow in the moonlight.
40 pages (28 pages story + 12 pages science)
Nema and the Xenos: A Story of Soil Cycles
The tale of a tiny nematode, the bacteria that live inside her, and a tree being munched on by a grub.
48 pages (32 pages story + 16 pages science)
The Forest in the Tree: How Fungi Shape the Earth
Told by a fungal spore, this story explores the hidden relationships between plants, fungi and bacteria.
48 pages (32 pages story + 16 pages science)
— David Suzuki (Scientist, environmentalist and author)
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— Kieran, age 11
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— Vandana Shiva (Scientist, environmentalist and author)
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“The Forest in the Tree is poetic in its simplicity, with beautiful, luminous illustrations that surprise and delight; inviting the reader to see the world with fresh eyes.”
— Nadja Slovak (Primary School Teacher & Librarian)