This is a great read for both children an adults - you will definitely learn something new! Illustrations are fabulous and help to understand the concepts discuss in the book. Moreover, there are quite a few diverse characters to follow. Highly recommend to unpack and explore the virus that changed the world as we knew it. 

A valuable contribution to the pandemic education, highly recommend, Mary (Verified purchase)

“The pandemic has taken young people out of school, clubs, gatherings, and group activities of all kinds to prevent further spread of SARS-CoV-2. This book makes the science behind those decisions accessible and explains the way back.” 

— DR. JACALYN NEWMAN (BIOCHEMISTRY, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, MICROBIOLOGY), MEDICAL WRITER & SCIENTIST

Sabbithry Persad, MBA has followed up her Garbology Kids waste management series with the release of What Is Coronavirus?: How It Infects, How It Spreads, and How to Stay Safe. To say such an addition is timely would be a massive understatement. The thing I loved when reading the book was how she designed and structured it narratively. It’s an image-driven book no doubt, complete with brightly colored, moderately stylized drawings that by themselves prove arresting. But on top of that, the book is structured like a series of conjoined flashcards, the text beautifully married to the arrangement of images themselves.The read is likely for an intermediate elementary audience, younger children likely won’t enjoy the design, but older kids may find comfort in having things explained in a way that isn’t excessive, but wholly informative. Persad and two editors who worked with her — Camilly P. Pires de Mello, Ph.D. and Viveca Giongo, Ph.D. respectively — seem interested in making what even for adults has proven incomprehensible as understandable as possible for the widest possible audience. It’s a valiant effort that pays off. Whenever the text becomes too wordy, you always have a beautiful illustration or evocation on the page, bookending one point or aptly worded statistic to the next.

“People talk a lot about viruses, but what are they?” Persad writes on page one. “Viruses are one of the four major types of germs: bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Viruses are microscopic organisms that have four main characteristics: structure, size, shape, and host dependency.” It’s through this sort of peeling onion technique that she’s able to instill a sense of calm, maybe even excitement, for the targeted reader. Something causing a big, scary world is suddenly shrunk to a level where kids can dissect it intellectually, laid out expertly from A to Z. This is further reflected in page two, titled Are viruses dead or alive? “Viruses challenge the concept of a clear distinction between living and dead,” Persad writes. “Scientists are not sure if viruses are living or nonliving. Biologists use a common set of criteria to understand if something is alive or not. Viruses do not meet most of these criteria.”Riffs on phrases like Truth is Power apply here. Indeed, by making kids feel empowered at such a historically torturous and divided time, Persad simultaneously performs a worthy literary feat, and something of a public service. What Is Coronavirus?: How It Infects, How It Spreads, and How to Stay Safe may very well have a place in a historical exhibit, at a later point in time. If not for its actual literary prowess, then simply for its place in time — an everyday example of a period that offered unfathomable difficulty for so many Americans. It’s tricky to think of an era existent after the Covid-19 pandemic. Of course, it is probably the second great American pandemic since the Spanish Flu post turn of the century. But books like Persad’s offer a glimmer of hope with respect to that. They reinforce that with careful implementations in place, one can successfully navigate their way through something gargantuan…

What is Coronavirus? How it Infects, How it Spreads, and How to Stay Safe is an illustrated book of choice for educators and parents who want not a light and simple cursory review, but an in-depth introduction to viruses in general and the special properties of the novel coronavirus in particular.

Many an adult who has difficulty understanding COVID-19, or who wants to review the basics, will find What is Coronavirus? well-detailed, well referenced, and filled with insights about why this virus differs from all others that have affected the human race in the past.

The book begins with the bare-bones basics of what a virus is and how it typically spreads, before moving to the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and its disease and peculiarities. It compares COVID-19 to typical colds and flu, outlines differences in its spread and impact, and moves to specifics of how COVID-19 affects various organs in the body, and how the body fights back.

Although there's a lot of physiology involved in this discussion, What is Coronavirus? always maintains an accessible tone, adding plenty of visuals to reinforce its pragmatic consideration of all the physiological, psychological, and social ramifications of the disease in a way that all readers can easily understand.

As What is Coronavirus? addresses these topics, no stone is left unturned, from historic to social investigations. Visuals reinforce information such as how various-sized droplets of coronavirus spread differently and require less distance to prove infectious.

The result is a visually appealing book with its diagrams, illustrations, and pages of detail. It's the perfect introduction for all ages that pinpoints both the science and the overall affects of the virus on human lives.

It helps that the editors of this book seasoned virologists with decades of experience, and are well versed in scientific process and technical accuracy. Persad covers a lot of territory about the world of viruses in only eight chapters. While it doesn’t shy away from naming the dangers of viruses, in particular COVID-19, this work focuses on reassuring young readers that progress is being made in the efforts to combat the virus. A useful addition for middle school libraries

While What is Coronavirus? will be chosen for young readers ages 12 and older, its value as a basic, fact-filled introduction should be considered as an important source for adults, as well. This is a recommendation that needs to move beyond the children's section in a library to reach out to the general public with much-needed facts presented in an easily digestible, eye-catching fashion.

What Is Coronavirus? is not only a question on the lips of millions of people, it is also the name of a very informative book on the subject by Sabbithry Persad. Sabbithry seeks to clear the air concerning the what, how, why, and how long of coronavirus in current times. Viruses and viral diseases are not easy to understand. Therefore, Sabbithry takes this complex subject and explains it to the layperson. This book will help most people come to a better understanding of all things coronavirus. In addition, this book covers the history of viruses and the history of attempts to prevent the spread of viruses. One question I have heard often has to do with how the vaccine for COVID-19 came about so fast. Sabbithry explains the answer. This book is comprehensive in its exploration of COVID-19.

Sabbithry Persad has tackled the challenging subject of the current pandemic crisis in What Is Coronavirus? While Sabbithry has a bachelor’s in sociology, she navigates the medical field like a pro. She claims she writes for children and young people but her style of writing and clarity of explanation will be engrossing for adults too. This book will help even the most curious find answers concerning the virus. The pandemic and all the hype surrounding it is scary for everyone, especially young people. However, Sabbithry explains everything so well that she allays fear and replaces it with knowledge. This book is exceptionally well written and is a must-read during this time of confusion.

Sabbithry Persad, MBA, along with Camilly P. Pires de Mello, Ph.D. and Viveca Giongo, Ph.D. serving in editorial positions, has achieved the impossible. An intermediate children’s book that pulls no punches, but never at the expense of comfort. It’s titled What Is Coronavirus?: How It Infects, How It Spreads, and How to Stay Safe. Like its title would suggest, the book is an illustrated how-to guide on its subject matter, detailing in candid but non-excessive prose and blurbs the origins and traits of the virus itself, and with that how to handle its existence in the current climate. The sense of calm Persad and her literary team radiate is crucial to the book’s success in its genre. It’s clean, informative, and should make older children and preteens feel empowered. The book’s content is divided into several distinctive sections, titled accordingly: Virus Basics, Understanding Coronaviruses, Coronavirus and the Body, Coronavirus and the Environment, Combatting Coronavirus, plus an extensive glossary section.

Persad is a graduate of New York University and the University of Central Florida, with a sociology degree and an MBA formerly and with respect to the latter. Works like What Is Coronavirus?: How It Infects, How It Spreads, and How to Stay Safe are clearly right in her wheelhouse. Her previous literary accomplishments include the Garbology Kids waste management series, having enjoyed success both in American and Canadian markets. She’s also the founder of Firewater Media Group and Green Solutions Magazine, a publication specializing in solving environmental issues with environment-friendly solutions. Her sense of paying it back is matched by her attention to detail. What Is Coronavirus?: How It Infects, How It Spreads, and How to Stay Safe is literally beautiful to look at. From the evocative and colorful illustrations, to the overall design of the book. Right down to the text.

“During this time of change and uncertainty, it is important to practice self-care and maintain a structured schedule,” Persad writes in one of the book’s key sections. “There are many ways to stay healthy while SARS-CoV-2 infections fluctuate. Take some time to care for your body and your mind. Increase your immune strength so you feel your best.” True to form, Persad uses this as something akin to a thesis statement or a generalized topical christening, breaking the rest of the chapter down into illustrated blurbs showcasing various ways to achieve that. From featured passages highlighting the need for physical activity and hydration, to basics such as eating a healthy diet, ensuring consistent good quality sleep, fighting fatigue with walks and physical stimulation, avoiding stressful triggers, monitoring and mitigating physical symptoms, and staying in consistent contact with a medical professional.

This is pretty much the design of each of the specialized chapter sections, another standout in this vein titled Mind Your Mental Health. In this part of the book, Persad writes, “SARS-CoV-2 and health measures to prevent its spread have disrupted all our lives…The impact can affect our mental health, including our emotional and psychological well-being. Even when the pandemic outlook improves, recognizing psychological distress like depression and stress is key to managing mental health.”

An easy-to-follow illustrated guide to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Persad, the author the Garbology Kids book series about waste management, provides a comprehensive discussion of the novel coronavirus, addressing how it spreads throughout a community, the development of vaccines to fight it, and how the pandemic has affected people’s mental health, among other issues. Persad’s logically organized work simplifies the subject of Covid-19 research, beginning with a basic examination of viruses in general, including their size and structure, and how they replicate within the body. Other fundamental topics include a discussion of how mutations can lead to the creation of new viral strains that can spread from humans to animals. Persad offers an examination of other prevalent global viruses, as well as historical pandemics, but, as one might expect, much of the book is dedicated to an analysis of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern, including the Delta variant, which is dominant as of this writing. The author outlines exactly what makes this virus particularly deadly for some people, and it also assists readers with distinguishing the symptoms of Covid-19 from other common ailments, which will help many readers to understand when to seek medical help. This work will be particularly useful for younger readers, due to the inclusion of Persad’s lively illustrations, colorful charts, and text boxes, but there’s valuable information here for people of all ages, presented in a simple, straightforward style. In a time of medical and economic uncertainty, discussions of the pandemic can be emotionally challenging, but Persad consistently provides interesting side stories to keep readers engaged, such as how an understanding of cowpox led to the creation of a smallpox vaccine. The early material effectively lays the groundwork for a deeper understanding of pandemics in general, and offers clues to our own future.

A succinct and compelling Covid-19 analysis, packed with valuable information for readers young and old.