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Animal Science
Was juckt mich da?: Von Läusen, Würmern und anderen ungebetenen Gästen
It’s the little things that count as the creators of POOP and EXTREME ANIMALS return to expose the parasites among us.
Mites and lice, fleas, ticks, and tapeworms — most living creatures that have a habitat also are a habitat, including you (are you itchy yet?). Unwelcome guests — parasites — are everywhere, from the barnacles hitching a ride on a humpback whale’s head to the tiny flies that control a bee’s brain and make it literally dig its own grave. Now an expert team returns for an in-depth look at how these insidious critters do it, whether it’s leaping aboard moving targets or morphing their body shapes, and what their unwitting hosts have learned to do to fight back and reclaim their space.
Mites and lice, fleas, ticks, and tapeworms — most living creatures that have a habitat also are a habitat, including you (are you itchy yet?). Unwelcome guests — parasites — are everywhere, from the barnacles hitching a ride on a humpback whale’s head to the tiny flies that control a bee’s brain and make it literally dig its own grave. Now an expert team returns for an in-depth look at how these insidious critters do it, whether it’s leaping aboard moving targets or morphing their body shapes, and what their unwitting hosts have learned to do to fight back and reclaim their space.
59 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Nicola Davies
196 books189 followers"I was very small when I saw my first dolphin," says zoologist Nicola Davies, recalling a seminal visit with her father to a dolphin show at the zoo. Enchanted at the sight of what she called the "big fish" jumping so high and swimming so fast, she determined right then that she would meet the amazing creatures again "in the wild, where they belonged." And indeed she did--as part of a pair of scientific expeditions, one to Newfoundland at the age of eighteen and another to the Indian Ocean a year later. In WILD ABOUT DOLPHINS, Nicola Davies describes her voyages in a firsthand account filled with fascinating facts and captivating photographs of seven species of dolphins in action.
Nicola Davies's seemingly boundless enthusiasm for studying animals of all kinds has led her around the world--and fortunately for young readers, she is just as excited about sharing her interests through picture books. The zoologist's latest offering puts a decidedly quirky twist on her years of experience: POOP: A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE UNMENTIONABLE is a fun, fact-filled guide to the fascinating world of poop across species. "As a zoologist, you are never far from poop!" the writer explains. "I've baked goose poop in an oven with my dinner, looked at bat poop under the microscope, and had my T-shirt stained pink with blue-whale poop. I was obviously fated to write this book."
The exceptional combination of Nicola Davies's zoological expertise and her first-rate children's writing is apparent in her remarkable catalog of award-winning titles. Her first book with Candlewick Press, BIG BLUE WHALE, was hailed by American Bookseller as an "artfully composed study" offering "language exactly appropriate for four- to seven-year-olds and precisely the right amount of information." In ONE TINY TURTLE, Nicola Davies's clear, compelling narrative follows the life of the rarely seen loggerhead turtle, which swims the oceans for thirty years and for thousands of miles in search of food, only to return, uncannily, to lay her eggs on the very beach where she was born. The author's next book, BAT LOVES THE NIGHT, is a tenderly written ode to a much-misunderstood flying mammal, the pipistrelle bat, while SURPRISING SHARKS--winner of a BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Honor Award--contains unexpected facts about another one of the planet's most infamous animals.
When she is not off on scientific expeditions, Nicola Davies lives in a cottage in Somerset, England, where she is lucky enough to have pipistrelle bats nesting in her roof.
Nicola Davies's seemingly boundless enthusiasm for studying animals of all kinds has led her around the world--and fortunately for young readers, she is just as excited about sharing her interests through picture books. The zoologist's latest offering puts a decidedly quirky twist on her years of experience: POOP: A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE UNMENTIONABLE is a fun, fact-filled guide to the fascinating world of poop across species. "As a zoologist, you are never far from poop!" the writer explains. "I've baked goose poop in an oven with my dinner, looked at bat poop under the microscope, and had my T-shirt stained pink with blue-whale poop. I was obviously fated to write this book."
The exceptional combination of Nicola Davies's zoological expertise and her first-rate children's writing is apparent in her remarkable catalog of award-winning titles. Her first book with Candlewick Press, BIG BLUE WHALE, was hailed by American Bookseller as an "artfully composed study" offering "language exactly appropriate for four- to seven-year-olds and precisely the right amount of information." In ONE TINY TURTLE, Nicola Davies's clear, compelling narrative follows the life of the rarely seen loggerhead turtle, which swims the oceans for thirty years and for thousands of miles in search of food, only to return, uncannily, to lay her eggs on the very beach where she was born. The author's next book, BAT LOVES THE NIGHT, is a tenderly written ode to a much-misunderstood flying mammal, the pipistrelle bat, while SURPRISING SHARKS--winner of a BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Honor Award--contains unexpected facts about another one of the planet's most infamous animals.
When she is not off on scientific expeditions, Nicola Davies lives in a cottage in Somerset, England, where she is lucky enough to have pipistrelle bats nesting in her roof.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
June 13, 2008
It's hard to love a book that makes you want to throw up a little bit but this one is pretty terrific. Clever illustrations and a cheerful tone deliver disgusting information with flair and fun. Any book that can describe how mosquitoes are attracted to the cheesy-smelling feet of infected people and keep me reading is pretty damn good in my book. Explaining how and why the vast array of parasites get on, in, and hopefully off, their animal hosts (including us!) will fascinate and educate.
Sure, you'll want to boot while reading it which means a certain type of kid will love it as much as mosquitoes like cheesy feet.
Sorry, couldn't resist.
Sure, you'll want to boot while reading it which means a certain type of kid will love it as much as mosquitoes like cheesy feet.
Sorry, couldn't resist.
July 11, 2016
Suurepäraste piltidega, väga mõnusa tekstiga raamat, mis annab kiire ja kerge ülevaate parasiitide maailma. Arusaadav lastele ning hea sirvimine ka täiskasvanutele.
Soovitan kõigile, keda (enda) tervis huvitab.
Soovitan kõigile, keda (enda) tervis huvitab.
April 5, 2023
Hämmastavalt põnev raamat!
January 3, 2019
This is a brilliant non-fiction book that chn LOVE. It's gory and bluerggh but such fun and very informative. It's set out well and easy to access. Watch out for A week in the life of a tick and the 2 host Tapeworm game. Deeply yuck! And guaranteed to get you scratching!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
October 14, 2020
A great book for science teaching about parasites and headlice. It could be useful for a whole-school assembly if there was a headlice outbreak to help the children understand and learn about it.
October 13, 2025
Zasługuje na wyróżnienie! Nawet o ekto- I endopasożytach można mówić z wdziękiem i lekkością. Pouczające i, mimo makabry, rozbrajająco zabawne.
July 16, 2020
Very informative.
February 24, 2015
I'm all itchy and freaked out now...there are some fascinating and some very nasty parasites floating around Earth...
December 20, 2025
I gave this zero stars for a reason.
December 25, 2019
I was given this book by my local librarian as not many kids reading this book. To my surprise, my 6 years old son kept reading it and he was obviously facscinated by the facts and pictures in this book. He interested in science and particularly interested in bacteria, germs and parasites and how it affect human bodies. He just kept talking about it for 30 minutes non-stop and shown me all the pictures. He loves the the tapeworm games in the book. It is an excellent book for kids who loves microorganism (it's rare!).
I found the book interesting and unique, so happy I got this from the librarian. Thanks to the author, it is well written and a good lesson for my little scientist.
I found the book interesting and unique, so happy I got this from the librarian. Thanks to the author, it is well written and a good lesson for my little scientist.
June 14, 2021
Tak táto bola perfektná. Vtipné ilustrácie a plné hodnotných informácii. Páčilo sa mi, že veci boli pomenované pravými odbornými názvami aj keď to bola kniha pre deti (napr. ektoparazity, endoparazity). Dokonca postrašila 8 ročného chlapca - už pozná najnebezpečnejšie "zviera" plazmódium, ktoré spôsobuje maláriu. Ako on rád hodnotí, ťahalo ho to k nej a bola veľmi poučná.
March 12, 2019
Wow did this make my skin itch. This book is not for those with weak stomachs, but is very interesting and I found it fun to engage with, and very information if you are trying to learn about parasites and their life cycle.
January 30, 2020
This was a really good children's book. It captured the "ewww" factor of parasites without tipping over into sensationalism, and copious fun illustrations balanced the text for an easy read. It won't be for every kid, but some will really dig it.
March 20, 2021
This is just dipping your toe into the water of the world of parasites, but it will still make your skin crawl - whether you're its intended audience (kids) or not! Whets the appetite for parasitical knowledge!
August 25, 2017
This is great for older kids. It has a lot of text with great information but didn't quite hold the younger crowds attention.
April 12, 2019
Loved this book. Great and interesting.
August 2, 2021
Itchy and icky and awesome!
July 8, 2022
Super way to teach kids about parasites & take the ickiness out of it
Really enjoyed it
Really enjoyed it
October 27, 2022
Disgusting and fascinating at the same time. The illustrations are hilarious.
Want to Read
December 19, 2022this book was part of my childhood so yes I'm reading this no you cant stop me
March 23, 2009
Clearly based in scientific facts and lots of good humor, this will provide hours of fun for young readers curious about the secret lives of parasites. Slimy frogs, hairy dogs, tough sharks, even people have parasites living on their skin and inside their bodies. Davies uses a conversational style, paired with Layton’s funny, cartoon-like drawings, to introduce the reader to real scientific terms and ideas. Parasites’ adaptability to their environment is crucial for their survival.
Did you know that a tapeworm inside a human intestine can grow to 60 feet long?! “They don’t need a mouth or a gut of their own, because they just float around in your digested food and soak it up through their skin.” Eeww!! But what 10 year old won’t love telling this at the dinner table? Davies writes in a funny and engaging way; she shares information in bite-sized pieces, perfect for reluctant readers who need to be drawn into a book. The writing style reminded me somewhat of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid style, in its informal approach – but this has much more content. Have fun – but be prepared for some disgusting dinner conversations!
Did you know that a tapeworm inside a human intestine can grow to 60 feet long?! “They don’t need a mouth or a gut of their own, because they just float around in your digested food and soak it up through their skin.” Eeww!! But what 10 year old won’t love telling this at the dinner table? Davies writes in a funny and engaging way; she shares information in bite-sized pieces, perfect for reluctant readers who need to be drawn into a book. The writing style reminded me somewhat of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid style, in its informal approach – but this has much more content. Have fun – but be prepared for some disgusting dinner conversations!
April 24, 2008
Ever wanted to know more about parasites that live in humans? This sounds inconceivable, but quirky illustrations and playful text make this book is a joy to read and a great suggestion for kids 9-12 who have to do a science project. There’s even a tapeworm board game!
CIP: Lively description of parasites and the places they call home.
"Even readers who are a mite squeamish may find themselves sucked in."the Horn Book
"A definite gross-out appeal that students will enjoy."School Library Journal
CIP: Lively description of parasites and the places they call home.
"Even readers who are a mite squeamish may find themselves sucked in."the Horn Book
"A definite gross-out appeal that students will enjoy."School Library Journal
May 4, 2012
Another interesting book about gross things from Nicola Davies. It's a huge topic (bigger than you realise really), and so the book jumps around a bit, but is presented in a fun way for kids (and adults). Great facts such as that there are 430 different kinds of parasites that can live on/in humans. That there are 3,000 different kinds of lice. That some lice are so specialised that they can only live on a birds head, or a wing. That chimps deliberately eat spiky leaves and bitter pith to eradicate worms.
February 16, 2014
This book approached a creepy subject with humor and wit. With excellent adorable drawings along the pages, What's Eating You? takes the young reader through all of the fun facts and life histories of different parasites that prey on humans and other animals.
A fun and interesting read, my favorite fact learned was that there is : "a copepod call Cymothoa that eats a fish's tongue, then lives inside its mouth as a replacement tongue!
So cool!
A fun and interesting read, my favorite fact learned was that there is : "a copepod call Cymothoa that eats a fish's tongue, then lives inside its mouth as a replacement tongue!
So cool!
March 12, 2014
This book delves into the world of parasites in both humans and non-human animals. It's humor and absolutely gorgeous colors make it great for younger readers but the scientific language/names makes it good for older readers, too. So ideal ages would be 10+, but assisted younger readers (7+) would also enjoy this book. It'd work great for science classes, or writing classes as an example of a nonfiction picture book.
March 1, 2015
Nicola Davies never disappoints with non-fiction! Learn about ectoparasites and endoparasites, how parasites get to their "habitat", and how they survive once there. I couldn't help but feel a bit squeamish at times but know children love reading about things that can get a little gross! The book ends with how to avoid getting parasites and how some parasites can be helpful! The book includes an extensive index and glossary.
January 6, 2014
I like Nicola Davies as an author, and this book doesn't disappoint. There are lots of lovely sentences, great paragraphs, and effective word choices to make for lots of lessons on language and writing. Maybe I read it too close to That's Gross!, but the there were lots of icky facts about parasites that I wish I didn't know and hope I can forget.
February 18, 2010
Very interesting book about parasites. Is definitely accessible and interesting to children, especially in elementary school. The illustrations are cute and funny. I would have liked to seen some end notes though, or some suggestions for further reading.
December 8, 2008
Great!
September 5, 2008
Extremely interesting, full of grossness and scatalogical factoids, definitely worth recommending to the 3rd-6th grader who enjoys a bit of yuck.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews