https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/7852/

By Ailsa Wild, Aviva Reed, Briony Barr, Gregory Crocetti and Linda Blackall

ISBN: 9781486309900

AU$24.99 (hardback)

The Squid, The Vibrio and The Moon is an enchanting story of the symbiotic relationship between Sepio (a bob-tailed squid) and the Vibrio bacteria that live inside him and provide protection by producing an invisibility cloak. They do this by lighting him from within against the bright surface of the water and thus providing a very unique form of camouflage. Who knew bacteria could be such powerful characters? Like all good stories there are battles between bacteria and a chase between the scary predatory lizard fish and the squid but luckily Sepio lives to see another day after using his other defence of inking with the the lizard fish left eating his smoke screen. My son did wonder why the lizardfish did not check the seaweed where Sepio took cover? And we questioned the intelligence of the lizardfish.

My six year old son’s comments on the book, “I like the life-forms that glow” and he particularly wanted to know “how the bacteria got in there?” but perhaps most compelling question he had was “how did the scientists figure it out?”

The illustrations are fantastic too, really what is there not to like about this book? The authors should be commended for distilling science into a readable format for our younger generation of future scientists. Probably best suited to 6 years of age or older.

Reviewed by Holly Raudino