This book is going to be visually appealing to a certain kind of young reader. You look at the cover and it exudes "gross". This is no collection of stomach turning factoids, though. Montgomery digs into the details of animal diseases, how they affect humans, and what scientists have learned from them. The tone and vocabulary remain accessible for kids while not shying away from science. Parents and kids alike will learn from this text.

Know any readers who thoroughly enjoyed <i>Something Rotten</i> or <i>Who Gives a Poop?</i> Fans of Heather L. Montgomery and her explorations of nature will be delighted with this new deep dive into what can "turn the body into a squirmy germy factory to pump out pathogen after pathogen after pathogen!"

Each chapter explores ways in which members of the animal kingdom deal with pathogens. Everything from parasites large enough to see and down to a tiny virus will get a turn, along with the animals that have developed ways to deal with them. Readers can learn how chimpanzees treat themselves by eating leaves from certain plants or how frogs may be warding off deadly infections with their body temperature. Critters as small as ants or as large as camels all have their own pathogens to deal with and their own methods for doing so.

As each chapter focuses on a different type of animal and pathogen, the scientists studying the processes at work are also featured. Readers will meet biologists studying tree frogs or biochemists looking closely at the blood of alligators. How these investigations could help humans with infections is also discussed along the way.

Words such as enzyme and ectotherm are defined by a brainy little guy (seriously, he is a brain with glasses and a ball cap) right on the page, no need to flip to a glossary and worry about losing your place in the text. There are also "Fun Fact" and "Not-so-Fun Fact" boxes scattered throughout the book explaining details like why you might crave something salty after a workout or that "3,000,000,000 people are infected with pesky parasites." And humorous illustrations and comic panels help readers visualize the information.

Back matter includes a list of "More Super Symbionts" and selected sources for the incredible information in each chapter. Whether you know a middle grade reader who enjoys books on gross topics such as projectile puke or a budding biologist who is fascinated with how the animal kingdom works, this book is the next one to put in their hands. The combination of facts, humor, and encouragement to hypothesize will keep youngsters turning the pages to see what they will encounter next.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own

I have come to the conclusion that I learn and retain information via comics. This magnificent book helped me confirm my theory and middle years. I would be so thankful.

I really enjoyed the different manners' information is shared in SICK. The information itself is extremely interesting and new to me. Nature's creatures are wild in their instinct to heal themselves, and children or adult interested in animals or biology should pick up this book.

A must-have addition for juvenile nonfiction collections, this book will be a great choice for a variety of young readers, including those who need a longer chapter book but are daunted by unbroken pages of text. The mixture of facts, text, comics, and illustrations will draw readers in and have them finishing the book before they know it and the combination of cutting-edge science and gross and goofy facts will be appealing to many young readers. Highly recommended.