Soap vs. Germs (Bonus: Cavities vs. Toothpaste)

I have one young child who has the remarkable ability to forget soap when washing their hands; the soap is right there, all nice-smelling and everything, yet it is ignored, often not given even a glance. I am continually reminding this child that the soap is the powerful stuff, otherwise it is just a wetting of the hands. After a search online for books to help this child understand the value of soap and its function, I came across Germs vs Soap. The author, Didi Dragon, calls this story a "hilarious hygiene battle," and she dubbed it perfectly! Although the battle in my home is not yet over, this book has been a valuable tool down the road towards germ-free kiddie paws.

In this picture book, Dragon touched on all of the major parts of hand washing that children need to know: why germs are on our hands, how germs affect our bodies, the importance of using soap to wash our hands, and even a step-by-step lesson on proper hand washing. Hmm, when I write it like that, it almost sounds like a Science textbook, but this book is anything but! Dragon begins with "Once upon a time...," and the reader is then whisked off on a brilliantly imaginative (and fact based) adventure about how pink, bubbly soap wins the battle against a crew of clever germs.

The germs are hilariously personified, with speech bubbles showcasing their conversations. (My son enjoys reading those parts while I read the rest of the book - a reading win on top of the great facts inside!) The colour palette is pleasantly simple and the illustrations are cute and silly, working to portray more complex ideas in an approachable manner for all ages.

I do not know if the author is a Mother or not, but I must compliment her on her thoroughness on this topic. My favourite page of this book is when the germs' "no-soap party" is interrupted by the approaching nose of a hand-sniffing adult. I can't even tell you the number of times that I have asked this one child of mine to come closer so that I could sniff for the clean scent of soap on their hands. We stopped here for a good chuckle together and it brought a lightheartedness to something that can often feel like an issue for nagging. Thank you, Didi!

Dragon's other book in her Hilarious Hygiene Series (which is actually the 1st in this series) is called, "Cavities vs. Toothpaste." Here she gathers us into the bathroom again to give fun language and educational backing as to why we insist our children brush their teeth both morning and night. An example of this fun language is that Dragon nicknamed lactic acid, "sugapoo,." I am a proponent of children using the correct words for body parts and scientific names, etc., but this word has actually been added to our everyday family vocabulary. It is silly and nonconfrontational and it when we use it, it brings to mind all of the other tooth brushing benefits that we read about together in this book...including the page with the six step tooth-brushing guide. It works great for us!

Perhaps here is a good place to mention... For anyone who may object at these sorts of words, I will let you know that in Germs vs. Soap, there is talk of "tooting" germs and one germ in particular exclaims that he has a "bubble butt" when the soap bubbles surround him and his buddies. And in Toothpaste vs. Cavities, a piece of bacteria yells out when a child is flossing - "I've got floss stuck to my butt!" - when the floss forms what could be considered a wedgie. These phrases have produced the expected childish giggles, but they have not caused any rude joking in our home, and they are such small parts of each book. But as some children can linger on these topics, much to our parental displeasure, I wanted to mention these instances just in case.

It has now been a couple of years since I purchased these books, and we still pick them up for a fun read or a necessary review. And I can still remember the laughter my children and I shared together while reading Germs vs. Soap for the very first time; a second reading was requested as soon as the first was done. I am thankful for books that my kiddos enjoy and that help me guide them to make healthy choices for their bodies. I firmly believe that this hygiene battling literary duo would be a fabulous addition to any children's home library.

And I would be remiss not to mention that this author has a small website as well. On it are a few quiz sheets for Kindergarten and up (perfect for review in a homeschool or classroom setting), more education on germs, and even a printable hand-washing chart that you can hang in your home bathroom. (I photocopied the one in the book to hang on our bathroom mirror before I realized she had this printable available.) Check out www.didivsdragon.com.

*Thank you for the permission to share a couple of pages from your books, Didi!

Germs vs. Soap by Didi Dragon

Published in 2020

Cavities vs. Toothpaste by Didi Dragon

Published in 2021