Follow Your Gut

Meet the ecosystem inside you ...

A timid Bifidobacterium named Biffy is forced to leave their family and become part of a new community, in the gut of a newborn human baby.

Follow Your Gut is a comic that ate a biology textbook. It's an epic adventure set over the first three years of a new life, exploring one of the most important relationships you will ever have--the one with your gut microbiome.

Created by artists, scientists, and educators, this story is for anyone who's curious about the human-microbe symbiosis, and what all those trillions of bacteria are doing down there in your intestines!

Inspired by the latest research, Follow Your Gut includes a fascinating and detailed appendix that explains the amazing science behind the story.

'We fell in love with Biffy, the adorable Bifidobacterium. We also learnt about the scientific process of growing up, and the not-so-secret universe that we have inside us!' -- Kira and Catherine, Year 7, University High School, Melbourne

'A wildly entertaining science lesson that will change how you see your own body.' -- Dr Nat Bannan, high school science teacher

"What a fun, educational, and very accessible adventure."
--Sandor Ellis Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation

"Follow Your Gut is a standout example of modern nonfiction, especially in the Australian context, seamlessly blending comic book-style illustrations with current scientific knowledge. The story ... is both interactive and engaging, with elements of character development that draw readers into the world of gut bacteria. Suitable for a broad audience, from young readers to adults, the book combines detailed information with humor, supported by illustrations that reinforce the content ... making complex topics more accessible ... The collaboration between artists, comic book creators, and microbial scientists results in a visually stunning and informative book that effectively engages the reader without sacrificing accuracy ... This book serves as both an educational tool and an entertaining read, making complex scientific ideas accessible and engaging for readers of all ages, particularly preteens and those new to the subject."
--Judges' comments from the 2025 CBCA Book of the Year Awards

"The interaction between the immune system and the microbiome--both of these topics are so complicated that they make my head spin, but in Follow Your Gut you are led through this complex topic, meeting one player in the system at a time. The authors have done an amazing job of using character and narrative to draw you in, but they haven't compromised on the science. Where else could you find an inspirational bacterium quoting a 13th-century Persian poet?"
--Lindell Bromham, Professor of Evolutionary Biology, Australian National University

"Follow Your Gut is a standout example of modern nonfiction ... seamlessly blending comic book-style illustrations with current scientific knowledge. The story ... is both interactive and engaging, with elements of character development that draw readers into the world of gut bacteria. Suitable for a broad audience, from young readers to adults, the book combines detailed information with humour, supported by illustrations that reinforce the content ... making complex topics more accessible ... The collaboration between artists, comic book creators, and microbial scientists results in a visually stunning and informative book that effectively engages the reader without sacrificing accuracy ... This book serves as both an educational tool and an entertaining read, making complex scientific ideas accessible and engaging for readers of all ages, particularly preteens and those new to the subject."
--Judges' comments from the 2025 CBCA Book of the Year Awards

"'A delightful and imaginative journey into microscopic realms. Learn how to empathize with tiny creatures who are integral to human health and wellbeing. Fun to read for kids and experts alike. Surprising dynamics come to life!"
--Eben Kirksey, Professor of Anthropology, University of Oxford

"It's different, it really is dramatically different ... You've got things to work at ... and it's a wonderful adventure."
--Robyn Williams, The Science Show

Praise for The Invisible War:

"A candidate for the first truly modern, 21st-century graphic novel."
--Dorion Sagan, author

Praise for The Invisible War:

"What a great way to learn some pretty extensive science."
--David Suzuki, scientist, environmentalist, and broadcaster

Praise for The Invisible War:

"A touching, harrowing story ... rivetingly interesting."
--The Canberra Times

Praise for The Invisible War:

"Strikingly original ... and though the yuck factor is high, that's exactly what will draw children in to learn about both World War I and microbiology."
--The Age

Praise for The Invisible War:

"Readers will alternately be gripped with anxiety, filled with wonder at the amazing defences of the human body, and grossed out. Fabulous."
--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Praise for The Invisible War:

"Set on the macroscopic and microscopic level, The Invisible War is a revolutionary approach to cross-curricular learning (science & history) ... and contains a wealth of extension material."
--Judges' report from the 2017 Australian Educational Publishing Awards (awarded Most Outstanding Resource of the Year)

Praise for The Invisible War:

"The Invisible War provides detailed and clever insights into what life was like before modern medicine. The use of a graphic novel format to tell this historical human and medical story is very effective. That it presents an historically accurate portrayal of life for service personnel in World War I, as well as factual medical science at the time, is commendable. This media, in its static or digital form, is suitable for the Year Nine target audience. The supplied resources are developed to a high standard, encouraging the students to develop higher order thinking skills while engaging with the content. The resources would be great to support meaningful integration of science and humanities in classrooms. I think The Invisible War: a tale on two scales, would be a fascinating resource for students and teachers alike."
--Fiona Trapani, lecturer in science and biology education, University of Melbourne

Praise for The Invisible War:

"It's wonderful to see a book written for youth tackle the complex subject of viruses and the human microbiota in such an entertaining way. No bacteria is left unturned in this book, and the explanations in the Appendix about ideas, phrases, and concepts covered in the story add to the understanding of the often complex processes and information presented. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about the human gut, microbiology, viruses, cross-infection, and WWI Western Front history."
--The Children's Book Council of Australia

"Beautiful, and an entertaining and informative read. Microbiologists or history aficionados who are also comic book fans should particularly love this."
--American Society for Microbiology

"A delightful and imaginative journey into microscopic realms. Learn how to empathize with tiny creatures who are integral to human health and wellbeing. Fun to read for kids and experts alike. Surprising dynamics come to life!"

Ailsa Wild is an author and performer with a history of circus performance and deep collaboration. She has written two junior fiction series, the Squishy Taylor books and the Naughtiest Pixie books, and is the lead writer for Scale Free Network, where she works with scientists to translate complex science into compelling illustrated narratives.Ailsa has two nonfiction books for adults, You'll Be a Wonderful Dad: advice on becoming the best father you can be and The Care Factor: a story of nursing and connection in the time of social distancing. She has been published in Spain, Brazil, the US, the UK, Egypt, South Korea, Israel, and China.Dr Lisa Stinson is a perinatal microbial ecologist at the University of Western Australia. Her research interests include the infant and human milk microbiomes and the developmental origins of health and disease. In 2020, she was selected as one of the ABC's Top 5 Scientists. Lisa is currently a Research Fellow in the Australian Breastfeeding and Lactation Research and Science Translation (ABREAST) group, where she co-directs the Human Milk Biobank and the BLOSOM birth cohort. Lisa's work aims to support and improve early microbial assembly for lifelong health.Ben Hutchings is co-founder of Melbourne's first comic studio, Squishface Comic Studio, where he works as a comic book publisher, animator, and coin designer.His previous works include Avanti! Tutta! for Lingopont, Mini Mel & Timid Tom, and The Invisible War: a tale on two scales.Briony Barr is a visual artist who uses process-based drawing to explore ideas around structure, emergence, and the impact of different boundaries and generative limits. She regularly collaborates with scientists, writers, musicians, and dancers on a diverse range of interdisciplinary projects including making picture books and graphic novels about symbiotic microbes, designing large-scale, participatory drawings exploring complex systems, and performing live drawing to improvised music. She is co-founder of Scale Free Network.Dr Gregory Crocetti is a microbial ecologist, science educator, writer, and advocate for microbes. His PhD and post-doctoral research explored the roles of different populations of bacteria in a range of environments -- including those found in mouse intestines, sponges, seaweed, stromatolites, and sewage -- with his peer-reviewed scientific articles having been cited over 1,000 times. He is co-founder of Scale Free Network.Gregory also co-creates award-winning picture books and graphic novels about microbes and their symbiotic partnerships with larger forms of life, including the Small Friends Books series .

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