In this high-interest, low-level series entry, vibrant photos do most of the work to introduce children to undersea animals. The one-hundred-word text, while intentionally spare, could have provided more narrative continuity; it's all a little random from spread to spread. However, the youngest readers are likely to enjoy identifying undersea life in this colorful and accessible early reader. Glos., ind.

OWEN, Ruth . Disgusting Food Invaders . ISBN 978-1-61772-126-7 ; ISBN 978-1-61772-171-7 . LC 2010044417. OWEN, Ruth . Gross Body Invaders . ISBN 978-1-61772-127-4 ; ISBN 978-1-61772-172-4 . LC 2010044416. OWEN, Ruth . Icky House Invaders . ISBN 978-1-61772-124-3 ; ISBN 978-1-61772-173-1 . LC 2010041241. ea vol: 24p. (Up Close and Gross: Microscopic Creatures Series). photos. bibliog. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Bearport . 2011. PLB $22.61; ebook $16.96. Gr 3-5 Never have the wonders of electron microscopy been more thrillingly displayed. From the back end of a flea burrowing into a human toe to a full-page, luridly red-lit, head-on view of a bedbug, these knife-sharp, all-too-explicit photos are riveting. The texts don't trail far behind in appeal either, offering a rousing commentary on the life cycles and feeding habits of houseflies, head lice, hookworms, molds, bacteria, stinging nettles, and other beastly neighbors beneath headers such as, "Attack of the Plant-Sucking Aphids" and "A Peanut Butter and Rat Hair Sandwich." For added value, each volume includes a boilerplate explanation of how microphotography is done.