Illustration for Award winning childrens' book about microorganisms
When kids learn about microorganisms, they mostly learn about dangerous bacteria. But did you know that there's a whole world of microorganisms who play an important role in our health? And that they support plant growth, help bees make honey, and can even glow in the dark? They have so many superpowers, many of which scientists are only discovering at this moment!
In this non-fiction children's book young readers learn about the important roles microorganisms play in our everyday lives through playful and informative storytelling. The book encourages curiosity in scientists of all ages and fosters a new level of respect for the unseen heroes that make our world thrive on a microscopic level.
The author Jane Jott is a microbiologist who created a fantastic manuscript from her phd thesis, partly to answer her children's questions about what mom does at work. Follow Jane on Instagram to learn more about her work.
It was such a fun challenge to create these illustrations to help kids access the wonderful world of microorganisms. In 2023 the book won the Sartorius Prize for New Communication which awards easy-to-understand life science communication.
Our superhero microorganisms:
A closer look at microorganisms working in the colon:
A closer look at microorganisms functioning like little factories:
Scribbles vs. final artwork
I always love seeing other artists' processes so here are my rough layout sketches that I sent the author vs the final pieces that made it into the book.
Thanks for checking out my work! Let me know if you have any questions, suggestions or feedback! And please get in touch if you want to work together :)
