Based on the cover of the book, I thought this would be a bit of a light read with intriguing factoids, but this was a surprisingly well-researched compilation of information on parasites. Disconcerting, but very educational. As a cat owner, I was a particular fan of the Toxoplasma gondii parasite. Fascinating!

I will note that, like many educational texts, this is a bit of a slow read. However, for anyone interested in parasites, this information is down-to-earth and accessible. A very good reference for learning about these fascinating but reviled organisms.

Super informative book, very entertaining and very engaging. Dense with facts and knowledge about all different types of parasites. However, the only backmatter is a glossary. Definitely needs more resources for kids who will want to continue learning about the topic, which I believe many will because this is a great book otherwise.

I LOVE reading about parasites. I ended up choosing Medical Microbiology and Immunology for my undergraduate degree because one of my cats had a tapeworm, and I was FASCINATED. My favorite class ever was Parasitology -- I loved memorizing their bizarre life cycles and collecting disturbing funfacts to spring on people.

Because of this background, many of the organisms were familiar favorites of mine -- like Toxoplasma gondii, Yersinia pestis, Dipylidium caninum, Dicrocoelium dendriticum (and the wasps that lay their eggs inside caterpillars (!!!)), but Dr. Wood's focus on marine ecology introduced me to many new organisms, which was fun! The illustrations were good - I kept laughing at how every animal was giving its parasite some side-eye. I do hope that in the final version there are a few more labels included in the illustrations - like noting the secondary host and what each lifecycle stage is called just to make it all super clear for younger readers.

Love the pronunciation guides throughout (though there were a few additional terms and Latin names that maybe should have been included) and appreciated the small glossary at the back. Clear, approachable language (lots of poop and butts) will make this appealing to kids. It does mention "sexual reproduction" in the context of worms -- this was very closed-door, zero spice, and 100% age-appropriate and very sciencey -- but since some people freak out about everything, I figured I should mention it (even though those people should calm down).

Overall, this book would be a fun addition to an elementary or middle school library - ages 10+