I’m a Virus! [Science Buddies]
by Bridget Heos; illus. by Mike Ciccotello
Primary    Crown    40 pp.    g
3/22    978-0-593-30293-4    $16.99
Library ed.  978-0-593-30294-1    $19.99
e-book ed.  978-0-593-30295-8    $9.99

A friendly rhinovirus virion (a single “virus particle”) narrates this accessible and timely introduction to viruses, our immune system, and the benefits of vaccines. From an infected person’s sneeze to a new host’s nose to what happens on a cellular level, our blue-and-green guide delves into virology while keeping a young audience in mind. Both the lively text and the cartoon illustrations temper the science with a spoonful of entertainment (“Lots of us fly in droplets of snot”). After invading a nasal cell, the virion explains, “I shrug off my spiky jacket so RNA can do its job. Off it goes to deliver its chemical code message to Cell: Make more of me. Lots more!” Next, white blood cells programmed to fight back against the quickly replicating virus arrive via the bloodstream. And how about the human host? “You now have a headache and a runny nose.” Discussion about the role of antibodies leads to information about vaccines and how that development has helped eradicate the threat of heavy-hitters such as mumps, measles, and polio. A cameo by a COVID-19 virion brings the lesson home. Back matter includes information on how the first vaccine (for smallpox) was created, a guide to the different types of white blood cells, a helpful glossary, a three-book reading list, and a select bibliography. Gesundheit…now wash your hands!

From the March/April 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.