Our debut picture book · Coming September 2026
The Brave Fuzzy
A story about belonging, resilience, and the trillions of tiny helpers living inside us — inspired by real microbiome science, written for ages 3–8.
A story about belonging, resilience, and the trillions of tiny helpers living inside us — inspired by real microbiome science, written for ages 3–8.
Pen & Pipette creates picture books where the story stands on its own — and doubles as a doorway into real, developing science. The Brave Fuzzy is our first.
A tale of leaving home, finding your place, and discovering that no one thrives alone.
When a small orange Fuzzy sets out from everything it knows, it must find its way in a world of unfamiliar faces — and learn that a community is strongest when everyone in it is different.
Read it as a warm adventure, or follow the thread underneath: a living metaphor for the gut microbiome, the bustling world of microbes that keeps us healthy.
Inside our gut lives an interconnected world of trillions of bacteria — so essential to our health that scientists call it an “extra organ.” It shapes how we digest, how we heal, even how we feel.
The Brave Fuzzy grew out of this emerging research. Every Pen & Pipette book closes with a science page connecting the story to the discoveries behind it — and beyond our books, we’re building ways to bring real science, and the people doing it, closer to young readers.
We love sharing the messy, wonderful process of making a science picture book — the sketches, the wrong turns, the watercolors, and the real research underneath. Our interactive talks pull young readers right into the studio, and they even help shape our next book.
★ Got a local teen who’d shine? Recommend them and we’ll train them to lead the talk — or our team comes to you.
Every spread travels a long road — from rough pencil ideas to color studies to final painted art. Here’s a look at that journey. All artwork is created by our illustrator, Johanna Gousset.
Meet the Fuzzies, play, and discover the tiny science living all around — and inside — you.
Coming before launch
Bring a free behind-the-scenes book talk to your classroom or library. Your readers help shape our next book.
Request a book talk
Love science, art, or storytelling? Join our mission and help bring science stories to younger kids.
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