Never give up Dr. Kati Karikó and the race for the future of vaccines

Gr 2--6--Katalin "Kati" Karikó became fascinated with science from a young age. Born in 1955 and raised in Hungary, she grew up on a farm where she was often curious about life and what comprised it. At school, her thirst for knowledge only increased as she learned about cells and saw them under a microscope. Not surprisingly, Karikó grew up to work in a lab where she was interested in mRNA, a part of DNA that is useful when illness strikes. Sure she could find a way to train cells to cure illness, Karikó persevered despite her colleagues' doubts. To learn more, she moved to the United States where she lost one job and was demoted in another because she simply would not give up on her idea. Dr. Anthony Fauci, a fellow doctor of infectious diseases, is quoted as saying, "She was, in a positive sense, kind of obsessed with the concept of messenger RNA. It's going to be transforming." It wasn't until Karikó met another scientist that things changed. By working together, Karikó and Drew Weissman came up with a breakthrough that led to the founding of Moderna and was key to the development of the COVID-19 vaccine at Pfizer. Bright, beautiful illustrations are rendered in pencil and finished digitally. Back matter includes a time line, glossary, resources, and more. VERDICT Informative as well as inspiring, this book shows how Karikó's tenacity is proof to never give up. A first purchase for all biography collections.--Tracy Cronce

The inspiring story of a passionate scientist whose persistence pays off. A childhood on a farm in a Hungarian village might not seem a promising path to immunological fame, but Kati Karikó (b. 1955) strides undeterred toward her dreams. Her curiosity is empowering, and she knows that discipline (like choosing the Science Olympics over a vacation) is nonnegotiable. Asking unexpected questions, she embarks on a long-shot quest: enabling bodies to heal themselves via messenger RNA. Other (male) scientists deride the goal, but she is not discouraged, even when it means personal sacrifice. A chance meeting suggests a new approach, and it works. Karikó takes her research to BioNTech. Then Covid-19 breaks out, but Pfizer/BioNTech are able to quickly make millions of doses of reliable vaccine thanks to Karikó's unswerving focus: As we're told early on, "Making one small change could have a huge impact." The restrained but realistic illustrations use lots of matte color, subtle linework, changes of perspective, and clever layout to provide visual interest and convey complex information. Quotes from Karikó and others in her field--including Anthony Fauci--are interspersed throughout. Karikó is White; background characters are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An engaging look at scientific dedication and the timely development of effective vaccines. (timeline, vaccine-development stages, author's note, glossary, source notes, further study) (Informational picture book. 6-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.