Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America's Doctor

April 26, 2021
“Don’t get discouraged,” Anthony Fauci’s pharmacist father told him anytime the boy had homework problems. “Think about it carefully and try to work it out.” Anthony loved to play basketball, but he wasn’t as tall as the other players, so he thought about it carefully and worked out that he’d be speedy instead, a tack that resulted in his becoming team captain. With a love of talking to people, and listening to what they had to say, Fauci’s curiosity and persistence led him to graduate first in his medical school class, and then to a career specializing in “what makes people sick... and how to make them well.” Bye (Fly, Girl, Fly!) illustrates with animation-style artwork, bathing Fauci family lore in a golden-hour glow—except for the scenes depicting the Covid-19 epidemic, which lean toward steely blues. In straightforward prose, Messner (the History Smashers series) underscores the support and love Fauci got from his family as well as his ability to relate to people, gifts that grounded his professional success as an adult. Back matter includes information about how vaccines work and vaccine safety, and “Dr. Fauci’s five tips for future scientists.”Ages 4–8.

June 15, 2021
A new kind of hero! From early childhood, Anthony Fauci was curious and a problem solver, asking questions about science, sports, and religion, and trying to figure out the answers himself. Clear, straightforward text and appealing illustrations show how he also learned how to get along with almost everyone, from the tough kids on the Brooklyn streets to his father's pharmacy customers (Anthony delivered prescriptions). By high school, he knew he wanted to be a doctor, and after many years of study, he embarked on a career of medicine and research on infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS and Covid-19, providing information and describing preventative measures throughout the U.S. and around the world. The text emphasizes his skill and knowledge while giving equal time to social-emotional skills, in particular his ability to listen and communicate and his resilience and compassion. Youngsters who already know of Dr. Fauci will enjoy hearing about how he came to be the person he is today while those unfamiliar will glean new information and insight. The end pages include child-appropriate questions and answers on Covid-19 and vaccinations as well as Dr. Fauci's tips for future scientists: "Keep an open mind. Don't be afraid to fail. Get excited about discovery. Remember that science is self-correcting. Keep learning." In scenes from the 1980s to the present, Bye takes care to surround her White protagonists with a racially and ethnically diverse cast. A satisfying and informative biography of Dr. Fauci that is sure to inspire. (timeline, recommended reading, bibliography, author's note) (Picture book/biography. 5-10)

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June 1, 2021
Grades K-3 Kids hearing about Dr. Anthony Fauci in the news will get an inviting introduction to the public health official in this amiable, breezy picture-book biography. Messner begins with Fauci's inquisitive childhood and hits a few high points in his school career before focusing on his work with the National Institutes of Health, culminating in his high-profile work on COVID-19. The through line of Messner's text is Fauci's guiding principle of focusing on solving a problem with hard work, cooperation, and determination. With a pleasant, cartoonish look, Bye's warm full-color artwork carries this through with scenes of labs and offices bustling with people of varied body shapes, skin tones, and cultural backgrounds. Robust back matter offers additional notes, including one about the safety of vaccines. Details about Fauci's life are fairly general, and there's little mention of the more political components of his career, but as a text emphasizing the tenacity and credentials of one of the nation's foremost authorities on public health, this might go a long way in helping assuage children's fears about the pandemic.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2021
Fauci's role in helping the country through the current global pandemic was preceded by decades of work studying infectious disease and public health response. In her timely and engaging biography, Messner portrays Fauci as an effective leader and problem solver whose interest in other people's viewpoints has served him well. Richly colored digital illustrations add warmth to the admiring and respectful narrative. Back matter includes discussions of vaccines and vaccine safety, Fauci's tips "for future scientists," a timeline, a reading list, sources (including Messner's two interviews with Fauci), and ten black-and-white photos (including six family photos).

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)