https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/7834/

by Ailsa Wild, Aviva Reed, Briony Barr and Gregory Crocetti

CSIRO Publishing

ISBN: 9781486309603

AUD$24.95

While targeted at school aged children, Zobi and the Zoox is such a beautifully crafted and informative book that it was a pleasure to read and even I – a 38 year old marine ecologist (!) – learnt something. As the book jacket states, this is a story about coral bleaching, told by the tiniest creatures on the reef. And it so much more than this too!

With ‘Zobi’ (a rhizobia bacterium) as the lead protagonist, and friend ‘Cy’ (the cyanobacteria), their adventure easily highlights the coral polyp ↔ zooxanthellae symbiosis as being more complex than most (non-coral biologists) assume. The truly artistic illustrations (courtesy of Scale Free Network art-science collaborative), together with a relatable narrative and explanatory text, are a mesmerising first introduction to the fascinating world of microbiology.

Within their home, a single coral polyp, Zobi senses pending trouble as the temperature rises. On Cy’s advice, they set out on a journey (in their polyp home) to check on the zoox (zooxantellae). They find the zoox are overactive, creating toxic molecules that damage the polyp’s DNA, and are ultimately expelled as the coral bleaches. As the coral inevitably starts to starve, a determined Zobi rallies her rhizobia family to create food (ammonia) for the few remaining zoox. These are, in turn, able to produce sugar and feed the polyp back to good health.

Aside from being a delightful read, this book would be an invaluable resource for primary and early secondary school teachers. It will captivate young audiences and effortlessly provide real-world context for classroom discussions addressing the following fundamental concepts: coral biology, invertebrate zoology, microbiology, biochemistry, symbiosis, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation and ocean warming. The latter being pertinent now, more than ever.

Following the story, a further 17 non-fiction pages and illustrations are dedicated to reiterating, and providing further detail on, ‘the science behind the story’.  Any secondary student would be envious of the chemistry graphics …, why were reactions in my high school chemistry textbook not punctuated by explosive text boxes saying ‘BOOM!’, ‘BANG!’?

As far as children’s books go, take your time with this one. Read slowly, and enjoy taking the time – one page at a time – to allow the concepts to sink in to your budding young scientists. That is the magic of Zobi and the Zoox.

Reviewed by Beth Toki