Tag: kate messner

Dr. Fauci: How a Boy From Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor (Kate Messner)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Dr. Fauci: How a Boy From Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor, written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Alexandra Bye, a biography of one of the most notable names of the last year, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

As a boy, Anthony had an insatiable curiosity for the world around him, and his family encouraged him to question and learn all he could. Anthony took this to heart, and absorbed all he could from the world around him; not only information, but the importance of values like determination, perseverance, empathy, and cooperation. Anthony worked his way through college and medical school to become Dr. Fauci, working at the NIAID on efforts to combat diseases like AIDS and, most lately, the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Fauci is proud of his efforts, and how the global health community came together to develop a COVID vaccine, but he knows there will always be more problems to solve – and more to learn.

Informative and inspiring. Covering Fauci’s early life and career in a series of impactful moments and themes, Messner’s text does a wonderful job of painting a picture of how “America’s doctor” developed his passions for medicine and helping people in a way that is brisk yet engaging enough for young readers. The art is similarly charming and straightforward, using layout and color cleverly to create a great sense of mood on each spread. Backmatter includes information on vaccines and a message from Fauci himself encouraging young scientists. The length is best for K+ bookworms, and JJ enjoyed the art immensely, especially the breathtaking spread of sea creatures in the night sky. A lovely look at a modern hero of the scientific world, and we loved it. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Over And Under The Snow (Kate Messner)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Over And Under The Snow, written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal, a look at the wondrous natural habitats that animals form during snowy winter.

A little girl and her father cross-country ski through a quiet wood, the trees bare and the ground covered in pure white snow. The girl sees a red squirrel disappear through a snowbank, and asks her father where the squirrel went. “Under The Snow,” he replies. As the girl and her father continue on their trek, they spot tracks and animals making their way through the frozen forest, while the reader is shown the animals who have made their shelter beneath the snowdrifts and the girl’s very feet.

This was a really pretty book with a lot of interesting information about how animals’ habitats can change in snowy climates. Between the tranquil, understated text that describes the activity above and below the snow and the serene simplicity of the mixed-media illustrations, the story achieves an almost meditative quality that is very soothing. For curious little readers, there is an informative appendix that expands on the information about the animals and habitats introduced throughout the book. The length is good, though I will say that the calmness of the text and the mostly-winter whites palette did not seem to hold JJ’s attention for long. This one would be best for slightly older bookworms, especially those interested in nature – animal lovers will treasure the gorgeous art and informative text. Overall, a lovely look at winter creatures, and Baby Bookworm approved!

How To Read A Story (Kate Messner)

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Hello, everybody! Today, we read How To Read A Story, written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Mark Siegel, an adorable instructional manual for baby bookworms!

Step one of how to read a story: find a story to read. And from there, the reader is taken step by step through the process of enjoying a good book: find a suitable reading buddy, a comfortable spot, do the character’s voices, etc. Last but not least, if you enjoyed the book, you can always start all over again – stories, like this one, were made to be enjoyed again and again.

This was a very sweet book that is awesome for little ones who are avid readers and book lovers. The text and illustration is whimsical yet earnest, encouraging little bibliophiles to enjoy books to the fullest, and showing the joy and adventure that they can bring. The illustrations are simple, colorful and fun, and compliment the text and theme of the story well. It’s a great length for little ones, and JJ had a lot of fun with it. We liked this one a lot, for obvious reasons! Baby Bookworm approved.