Simon & Schuster puts an end to “Dr. Fauci: How a Brooklyn Boy Became an American Doctor,” a book written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Alexandra Bye.
The publisher said Sunday that the picture book will hit bookstores on June 29th.
“There are so many things in her story that will resonate with children today: riding her Schwinn bike through Brooklyn to deliver prescriptions to her father’s pharmacy, playing stickball on the streets of a neighborhood where she learned to understand with all kinds of people and always asking questions about the world, ”Messner told CNN Business.
Previous children’s books on prominent figures such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg have found considerable success in the market.
Now it’s Fauci’s turn. He is not engaged in approving books, but a spokesman for Simon & Schuster said the book was written with his permission and approval, and that he and his team were consulted the entire time.
“Last spring,” Messner said, when asked about the origins of the project, “I contacted Dr. Fauci’s office with a quick question about another children’s book I was working on, about the childhood passions of people who grew up to be great scientists. “
Fauci responded to Messner by email, and the more Messner learned about his background and childhood, the more he thought there might be an independent story to tell about him. He arrived at his office in the fall with the idea of a picture book biography and asked for an interview.
“I was aware that I was asking for time from someone who was literally one of the busiest people in America, as it provided public health guidance during the worst time of the pandemic, but I also knew that Dr. Fauci understands how to educate. it is essentially in public health, ”he said.
Messner interviewed Fauci a couple of times “on the verge of his long work days,” he said, once in a Zoom call as he drove home from the office and another early in the morning. She also pulled from her public speeches and interviews. He then incorporated stories about his education into the book.
He said he was surprised by his “certain curiosity” and his effectiveness as a communicator.
“Before Tony Fauci was the doctor in the United States, he was a kid with a million questions, from the tropical fish in his room to the things he was taught in Sunday school,” he said. “I am really hopeful that the curious children who read this book, with whom we count on solving tomorrow’s scientific challenges, will look into the pages of Dr. Fauci’s story and set their goals as well.”