An upcoming children’s book is exploring how Dr. Anthony Fauci went from a kid growing up in Brooklyn to the nation’s top infectious disease specialist.

The pandemic has made the 80-year-old doctor a household name, and now little readers will get the chance to know him better. Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor! explores not just his prominent career but also his childhood full of questioning and curiosity about the world.

“He was a kid with a million questions, about everything from the tropical fish in his bedroom to the things he was taught in Sunday school,” author Kate Messner said in an interview with CNN .

Messner, who has written more than 50 titles for kids, said she’d actually contacted Fauci with questions about another book on famous scientists. But as the two started corresponding back and forth, she realized that he was fascinating enough to merit a book in his own right—from his boyhood days delivering prescriptions on his bike for his dad’s pharmacy, to his time working with seven different U.S. presidents.

“I was aware that I was asking for time from someone who was literally one of the busiest people in America as he provided public health guidance during the worst of the pandemic,” Messer explained . “But I also knew that Dr. Fauci understands how essential education is in public health.”

The book also includes a factsheet for children on vaccines and how they work, as well as tips from Fauci himself for kids hoping to become scientists someday.

The 48-page book is targeted at kids between 4 and 8 years old. It’s due out June 29 and is available for pre-order below!

We independently select and share the products we love—and may receive a commission if you choose to buy. You’ve got this.

The latest

Motherly Stories

Viral Instagram posts and TikToks show how toxic photo editing apps can be

Motherly Stories

Here’s to the friends who stick around despite time and distance

Motherly Stories

The way we raise boys impacts everyone—so it is everyone’s responsibility

Motherly Stories

What it’s like to be the mom of a neurodivergent child