Under the Microscope

C G Salamander
Pratham Books, (free on StoryWeaver)

Under the Microscope is an 18-page online book published by Pratham books, a non-profit publisher aiming to bring books to the children of India to improve their reading skills. Freely available online in a number of languages, this book introduces children to the main groups of living organisms that can be found in pond water which include amongst others; hydra, diatoms, paramecia and cyanobacteria.

Concentrating on what can be seen when viewing a drop of pondwater under a microscope, each page is illustrated with colourful artwork by Ipsa Jain. The text on the first 16 pages is brief, consisting of a handful of words. The common names are used and links are made to the organism’s movement or lack of, for example, ‘tardigrades stroll’. The final three pages add more detail, explaining what microbes are and how many live in a drop of pond water and then a little about each organism.

It would have been useful for some of this general information to come at the start of the book to ‘set the scene’ but it is helpful to include this to provide some background for parents and educators. Overall, this is a delightful little book for young explorers which will hopefully pique their interest in microscopy and the living world around us.

Janet Preece MRSB