My First Book of Microbes

Science book for children

My First Book of Microbes reveals everything you need to know about these miniature marvels of nature.

You’ll discover what they are, where they come form, and what they do, as well as which ones are good and which can be harmful.

Microbes are essential to all life on the planet-included yours!

Illustration: Eduard Altarriba Bigas
Text: Sheddad Kaid-Salah Ferrón
An original idea by Alababalà

The word Microbe comes from the Greek micrós, ‘small’ and bíos, ‘life’.

Microbes, or as we also call them, Microorganisms, are the smallest beings on Earth. They are so small that we cannot see them with the naked eye and we can only observe them under a microscope.

Microbes were the first inhabitants on Earth. The oldest microorganism fossils date back over 3.7 billion years ago and they are the oldest form of life we know.

We can find microbes everywhere: in our bodies, in plants, in food, and even in the most inhospitable places, such as fumaroles on the ocean bed, surviving at temperatures higher than 212’F (100 °C), under the cold Antarctic ice, at less than 14’F (10 °C below zero), or several milles/kilometers below the earth’s surface with no light or oxygen.

Microbes are very important for life on our planet and without them we could not eat or breathe. Plants would have no nutrients to feed on either, and the oxygen in the atmosphere that we breathe would not exist. We also use them to produce food, such as cheese, bread and yoghurt, and to make medicines.

But not all microbes are good for us and some cause diseases in animals and plants.

Probably, in millions of years’ time, as the Sun gets older and even hotter, microorganisms will be the last life forms to vanish from Earth when our planet starts to become uninhabitable.

Welcome to the diminutive world of these fascinating creatures!

BRITISH BOOK DESIGN & PRODUCTION AWARDS 2022
Educational Books

British Book Design and Production Awards

2023 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books
Middle Grades Science Book category

sbfprize

Andana editorial: 285 x 285 mm / Hardcover / 64 pages / ES, CA
Button Books: 248 x 248 mm / Hardcover / 64 pages / EN
Beijin Diao Yuan Cult. Com.: Simplified Chinese
Erikcson: 285 x 2850 mm / Hardcover / 68 pages / IT
Grada: 285 x 2850 mm / Hardcover / 68 pages / CZ
Dourei: 285 x 2850 mm / Hardcover / 68 pages / KR
Nathan: 285 x 2850 mm / Hardcover / 68 pages / FR
Domingo: 285 x 2850 mm / Hardcover / 68 pages / TR
aspdkw (Advance Scientific Publishing and Distribution Company): 285 x 2850 mm / Hardcover / 68 pages / AR
AST: 285 x 2850 mm / Hardcover / 68 pages / RU
Foreign Rights contact: carlota@asteriscagents.com
Col·lecció Prof. Darwin

‘Prof. Darwin’ Collection

Prof. Darwin is a collection of books focused on life sciences and biology. In these books, we will cover topics such as genetics, disease, and immunology, our brain, or the difference between viruses and bacteria.

Published Titles: My First Book of Microbes
Construyendo Logros
Board Game Desing
Edited: Spanish Red Cross
Concept and development: Idealúdica S.C.P.
Illustrations & Design: alababala.com
The Change
Board Game Desing
Promoted by the YITEG project, supported by 7 organizations from 4 countries (Spain, Italy, Greece, and France) within the framework of the Erasmus+ program “YITEG.”
Vinculados
Board Game Desing
Edited: Spanish Red Cross
Concept and development: Idealúdica S.C.P.
Illustrations: Pau Gasol
Design: alababala.com

Editorial Projects

A Base on the Moon

The authors who brought us A City on Mars will take us on a journey from the Moon’s origins to its possible futures.

The Moon is our satellite and the only celestial body we’ve set foot on, and it could well become the door to the rest of the Solar System.

We’ll find out how it was formed, how it became the goal at the heart of the Space Race, what would happen to Earth if the Moon wasn’t there, and how it might – in a not-so-distant future – become a base from which we could start to explore the rest of our Solar System.

Dimensions: 245 x 315 mm
Pages: 56
Download the fact sheet (PDF)

Editorial Projects

Godzilla & Iris

Little One Collection

Little Iris has an unusual friend called… Godzilla.
Both of them like building towers and knocking them down.

This is an easy-to-read book for young learners, which strikes the right balance between day-to-day problems, feelings and imagination.

Dimensions: 190 x 190 mm
Pages: 24

Editorial Projects

What will things be like

A journey to discover what our future will be like.

With this project, we wish to share the changes to come—both scientifically and technologically speaking—which will inevitably shape the world we will live in.

Dimensions: 215 x 276 mm
Download the fact sheet (PDF)

Editorial Projects

Communication

Discover the many ways we have people to communicate and share ideas.

Like all animals, people communicate, but we have been able to go much further, creating languages and symbols to explain ideas, feelings and abstract concepts. Thought communication we are able to do science, create art, lie or do publicity and, in order to communicate faster and farther, we have created technologies ranging from writing to the Internet.

Dimensions: 255 x 310 mm
Pages: 64
Download the fact sheet (PDF)

Proyectos editoriales

Godzilla & Iris

Colección primera infancia

La pequeña Iris tiene un amigo muy poco común, se llama… Godzilla. A los dos les gusta construir torres y luego derribarlas.

Se trata de un libro de lectura muy fácil para niños muy pequeños, que busca el equilibrio entre los problemas diarios, los sentimientos y la imaginación.

Dimensiones: 190 x 190 mm
Pages: 24

Proyectos editoriales

Cómo funcionarán las cosas

Un viaje para saber cómo será nuestro futuro.

En este proyecto queremos mostrar los cambios que llegarán tanto en el ámbito científico como en el tecnológico y que, inevitablemente, moldearán el mundo en el que viviremos.

Dimensiones: 215 x 276 mm
Tres volúmenes: Presente y futuro próximo, En medio siglo, Más de un siglo
Descárgate la ficha (PDF)

Proyectos editoriales

Comunicación

Descubre las muchas maneras que tenemos las personas de comunicarnos y compartir ideas.

Como todos los animales, las personas nos comunicamos, pero nosotros hemos sido capaces de ir mucho más allá, creando idiomas y símbolos para explicar ideas, sentimientos y conceptos abstractos. Con la comunicación somos capaces de hacer ciencia, crear arte, mentir o hacer publicidad, y para comunicarnos más rápido y más lejos, hemos creado tecnologías que van desde la escritura hasta internet.

Dimensiones: 255 x 310 mm
Pages: 64
Descárgate la ficha (PDF)
Drugs
By Idea Lúdica
Playing card design
Vall de Néspola
Editorial Desing
Koalatext
English tools for primary school
Web design
Pla Clima
Ajuntament de Barcelona
Illustration
Factor Blau
Aigües de Sabadell
Illustration
Pequeñas grandes ideas de ciencia
Market Text, Science Collectible
Encàrrec editorial / Encargo editorial /editorial assignment

Koalabooks

English textbooks for primary school
Editorial Commission

Ask Why

Editorial commission by Marc Gascón
A Critical Thinking Book for Kids and Adults
Published by Zahorí
Projectes editorials

Godzilla & Iris

Col·lecció petits infants

La petita Iris té un amic molt poc comú: es diu… Godzilla. A tots dos els agrada construir torres i després enderrocar-les.

Es tracta d’un llibre de lectura molt fàcil per a nens i nenes molt petits, que busca l’equilibri entre els problemes diaris, els sentiments i la imaginació.

Dimensions: 190 x 190 mm
Pages: 24
Projectes editorials

Com funcionaran les coses

Un viatge per saber com serà el nostre futur

En aquest projecte volem mostrar els canvis que han d’arribar, tant en l’àmbit científic com tecnològic, i que, inevitablement, modelaran el món on viurem.

Dimensions: 215 x 276 mm
Descarrega’t la fitxa (PDF)
Projectes editorials

Comunicació

Descobreix les moltes maneres que tenim les persones de comunicar-nos i compartir idees.

Com tots els animals, les persones ens comuniquem, però nosaltres hem estat capaços d’anar molt més enllà, creant idiomes i símbols per explicar idees, sentiments i conceptes abstractes. Amb la comunicació som capaços de fer ciència, crear art, mentir o fer publicitat, i, per tal de comunicar-nos més ràpid i arribar més lluny, hem creat tecnologies que van des de l’escriptura fins a internet.

Dimensions: 255 x 310 mm
Pages: 64
Descarrega’t la fitxa (PDF)