Thank You, Dr. Salk!: The Scientist Who Beat Polio and Healed the World

Description

When Jonas Salk sees his neighbors incapacitated by the polio virus, he knows it's his chance to apply the Jewish concept tikkun olam-healing the world. By reading books, learning math, and training to become a scientist, Salk invents the vaccine that would cure polio across the globe. Dean Robbins's captivating prose and Mike Dutton's colorful illustrations demonstrate how one person's bravery and altruism can help heal the world. With an informational author's note and a timeline of the invention and implementation of vaccines, this picture book with STEM connections will appeal to history buffs, science lovers, librarians, and teachers alike.

Dean Robbins is a journalist and children's book author. His picture books include Two Friends: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass; Miss Paul and the President: The Creative Campaign for Women's Right to Vote; Margaret and the Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Saved the First Lunar Landing; and The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with his family. Find him at deanrobbins.net. Mike Dutton is the illustrator of Food Truck Fest by Alexandra Penfold, Donovan's Big Day by Leslea Newman, and the comic One Swoop Fell. He has drawn numerous Google Doodles, including one of Dr. Jonas Salk. He is an art director at animation studio Tonko House, and lives with his family in Berkeley, California. duttonart.net.

A National Science Teaching Association's Best STEM Book of the Year "A hardworking title, this is a great choice for allaying vaccination fears, communicating the importance of science and medicine, showing that heroes come in many forms, and explaining that education, creativity, resilience, and dedication can lead to achievements and concrete results. An engaging blend of history, biography, science, and epidemiology that is sure to inspire and inform." --Booklist "Robbins' biography is particularly timely within the context of the coronavirus epidemic, and his direct, streamlined account connects well with early primary listeners, who may take some comfort in knowing that science has managed to get other epidemics under control." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Thank You, Dr. Salk is as timely as a book can be and will offer an easy entry to discussions of epidemics, scientific research, vaccines, and working together as a community . . . This is a true story that will help kids think deeply about the past, make connections to the present, and inspire hope for the future." --The Sydney Taylor Schmooze