Hands On--Health! Keep It Clean--Germ Free! by Cecilia Minden

SAM HAS A COLD.

Looking a bit under the weather, Sam lies on the floor, pushing one of his toy cars with one hand. His cold germs are now on the toy car.

JACK PLAYS WITH SAM'S TOY.

NOW JACK MAY GET A COLD.

What germs are and how kids spread their germs to others is the subject of Cecilia Minden's Keep It Clean: Germ Free (21st Century Basic Skills Library: Keep It Clean) (Cherry Lake Publishing).

Designed for preschoolers, this just-the-basics informational book answers the question of the nature of germs and how their spread can be controlled. Minden explains that germs are tiny living things, too small to see without a microscope, that can make other kids sick by being transferred from one child to child by touching each other or by touching something like a toy that another child has touched.

Having built a bit of suspense, the author goes on to explain how to keep from getting other people's germs by keeping hands away from faces and washing hands carefully so that germs can't make us sick. Color photos of preschoolers illustrate how germs are transmitted from a sick person to surfaces and from surfaces to the eyes, nose, or mouth of a well person simply by touching with the hands. Clear color closeup photos of children playing with toys, viewing germs under a microscope, and a knowledgeable-looking primary grader cheerfully demonstrating thorough hand washing skills to stay well will keep the attention of small kids who are focused on the very simple but significant narrative.

An appendix which includes Home and School Connection, a word list for beginning readers, a brief bibliography containing a book and website, a glossary of terms, and a real index equip this book with all the parts a serious book has, which this one is, given the current pandemic in which hand washing becomes one of the main defenses. Perfect for use with nursery and preschool aged children solo or with groups, this book could be paired with the prolific Cecelia Minden's companion book, Keep It Clean: Achoo! (21st Century Basic Skills Library: Keep It Clean)