An upcoming children's book stars a new household name as the main character — Dr. Anthony Fauci
A new children's book is set to detail the life of America's most well-known doctor: Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Simon & Schuster is releasing "Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America's Doctor," written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Alexandra Bye, on June 29. It will chronicle both the doctor's life and provide information on vaccines for children.
On Twitter on Sunday, Messner revealed the cover of the picture book, which features a young Fauci riding a bike in front of his family's Brooklyn store, "Fauci Pharmacy," which his family lived above in an apartment, as well as an illustration of the doctor as he appears today.
A blurb on the book, which is now available for pre-order, calls it the "definitive picture book biography" for Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, who has led the nation through the COVID-19 pandemic.
It's cover reveal day for DR. FAUCI: HOW A BOY FROM BROOKLYN BECAME AMERICA'S DOCTOR!
— katemessner (@KateMessner) March 21, 2021
I'm so excited to share Alexandra Bye's amazing cover art for our picture book biography - out 6/29 from @SimonKIDS.
Available for pre-order now: https://t.co/f8OxdyPeTf pic.twitter.com/xyF195JNHO
"Before he was Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci was a curious boy in Brooklyn, delivering prescriptions from his father's pharmacy on his blue Schwinn bicycle," the blurb reads. "His father and immigrant grandfather taught Anthony to ask questions, consider all the data, and never give up — and Anthony's ability to stay curious and to communicate with people would serve him his entire life."
According to the description, Messner interviewed Fauci himself for the book, which follows the doctor through his Brooklyn childhood, medical school, and career working with seven U.S. presidents to tackle the nation's biggest public health crises.
In addition to Fauci's personal timeline, the book also recommends other reading for children, features facts about vaccines and details Fauci's tips for budding scientists.
Fauci recently told CBS News that upcoming data on the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines for high-school-age kids may allow them to be vaccinated starting this fall. He said that data on younger children won't be available until early next year.
"Given the kinds of things we've seen with the adults, I would think that by the time we get through with the testing both in high school-age children, as well as in elementary school children, we don't project that there is gonna be any issues," he said of vaccine safety in kids.
Simon & Schuster is a division of ViacomCBS.