Gr 2–6— Katalin "Kati" Karik&3; 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, Karik&3; 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, Karik&3; 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 Karik&3; met another scientist that things changed. By working together, Karik&3; 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 Karik&3;'s tenacity is proof to never give up. A first purchase for all biography collections.— Tracy Cronce

Dadey profiles Hungarian American biochemist Kati Karikó, whose pioneering work with mRNA led to the development of Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines. Born in rural Hungary, Karikó showed an early interest in the sciences, emigrated to the U.S. to work at Temple University after earning her PhD, and experienced snubs throughout her career from peers who felt her work would never yield any useful results. Throughout, Dadey emphasizes Kariko's conviction that mRNA could be used to teach cells to produce compounds useful to the body. Oakley's colorful pencil-and-digital illustrations depict mid- to late-twentieth-century styles and fashions, lab settings, and include several diagrams of mRNA. Some of the illustrations employ COVID molecule shaped frames that allow multiple scenes to be depicted in one spread, and relevant quotes from Karikó and other scientists are included in the art. Generously appended with an illustrated time line, stages for U.S. vaccine approval, a glossary, source notes, and a bibliography, this is a fascinating and up-to-date choice for primary science, health, and women's history units.

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)