June Almeida, Virus Detective! The Woman Who Discovered the First Human Coronavirus is a beautifully illustrated, non-fiction picture book chronicles the scientist, June Almeida, and her scientific process of identifying and naming viruses, specifically the group of “crowned” coronaviruses.
June Almeida, Virus Detective! The Woman Who Discovered the First Human Coronavirus. By Suzanne Slade Illustrated by Elisa Paganelli Published by Sleeping Bear Press (April 2021), Ages 4-8.
“I wanted to give young readers more confidence in the (pandemic) world we live in by educating them about an important, influential, but unknown woman scientist – June Almeida.” Suzanne told me. Like all of us, Suzanne felt unsettled by the COVID pandemic Spring 2020. She searched for answers. A National Geographic article about June Almeida provided answers and inspiration.
Learning that coronaviruses were discovered 30 years ago by a “forgotten woman scientist”, Suzanne knew she had to bring June’s story to the world. Suzanne Slade put her other book projects on hold. Sleeping Bear Press brought Elisa Paganelli on board and this amazing, inspiring picture book biography was born. I am so thankful they did. June Almeida, Virus Detective! perfectly captures how a dedicated, passionate scientist brings forth new understanding to the larger body of scientific knowledge.
Author Suzanne Slade weaves together June’s interests in nature and photography and passion for solving medical mysteries. On the surface, June Almeida, Virus Detective! is a chronological walk through the life of the scientist who first discovered and photographed coronaviruses. Yet, the book is much more than that. Through June’s story, readers learn about the process of science: passion, creativity, collaboration, discovery, rejection, and building scientific knowledge. In pandemic COVID times, understanding the process of science is more important than ever. Suzanne Slade expertly guides us through the scientific process while educating us about a key “hidden figure” in microbiology.
Passion and Creativity Drives Science
Scientists are people of passion, devoting a lifetime to study what seems to the outside world as an obscure subject. What drives the passion? Often, it is a personal experience. A life-changing event. Susan Slade does a fabulous job uncovering the personal event and passion that drove June Almeida’s discoveries. Fueled by her 6-year-old, little brother’s death from diphtheria, June’s passion for biology grows. Her family’s financial troubles led her to take a job as a hospital lab technician screening patient’s samples. Her prowess at this first job set her on an incredible path in science.
June Almeida, Virus Detective! illustrates (literally and figuratively), how creative pursuits in a scientist’s life benefit their research. Microscopes, light and electron, revolutionized microbiology and remain an essential tool for understanding the invisible side of our world. I love that June’s passion for photography and pursuit to capture the ideal micrograph is highlighted as fundamental in her career success. Though underappreciated, the creative side pursuits and hobbies of scientists often propels science forward. Hobbies give a restful reprieve, an expanded skill-set, and different perspective to research. These “side” pursuits subtly enrich science, as June’s microscopy illustrates.
Collaboration is Key
Collaboration, networking, and recognition also are key drivers of science. June Almeida was the first to discover and name the group of Coronaviruses due to their “crown” of spikes. A structure and image we all are very familiar with now. Yet these were only a few images of the many micrographs of viral diversity June made. Her knowledge and collection led her to develop a naming system based on viral shape still used today. June also pioneered many techniques still used today. So many have built on the firm foundation she built.
June’s expertise and collaborations in the 1960’s led to the discovery of coronaviruses. In turn, the SARS-CoV2 pandemic spurred the largest global collaborative research ever done. Sharing data, techniques, treatment, and knowledge speeds our understanding of how to treat and prevent disease from this new viral pathogen. Many scientists and medical personnel sharing their individual research information benefit us all.
Discovery, Rejection, and Adding to Our Understanding
The thrill of discovery and the disappointment of rejection are common refrains in science. Discovering a new organism, developing a technique, or designing a key experiment – all are key to the process of science. Scientists do this work individually or in small groups. Yet science is not an individual process. Science is building a shared understanding of the world. Having other scientists examine your work and ideas before a paper is published is essential to catching mistakes and unintended biases. Rejection is a common step in this process. Rejection is normal and to be expected at many stages of science. It’s not something that I understood deeply until going through the process myself. Suzanne Slade does her young readers quite a service by including rejection and then acceptance as part of both June’s journey and the process of science. Scientific knowledge builds over time. What is first considered odd, incorrect, or even anathema with more supporting data can become a standard chapter in textbooks! It is perseverance after rejection and bringing more details to light that is essential in science. June’s persistence in finding multiple disease-causing coronaviruses leads to acceptance by her scientific peers.
Illustrating the Process
Finally, I love that in June Almeida, readers are stepped through the process of how June produced the negatively stained transmission electron micrographs of viruses. Negative staining is essential for microbiology, especially virology. It shows fine details that can’t be seen otherwise. The description and illustration of negative staining in the book transported me back to the many microscopy labs where I’ve sat preparing samples. Illustrator Elisa Paganelli clearly did her research to convey this process extremely well. It is certainly magical to put a paper-thin metal wafer smaller than the width of your pinkie fingernail in the transmission electron microscope and see what emerges on the glowing screen. June Almeida, Virus Detective! captures that magic and the importance of what then shows on the microscope’s screen.
June Almeida, Virus Detective! is an amazing contribution to the thankfully, growing collection of kids non-fiction biographies featuring women in science. The best gift for young readers is beautifully written stories of the diversity of scientists who drive science forward. As a young girl excited by the microscopic world, I would have devoured this book. Would I have been more confident that indeed I deserve a place in science? Most certainly! June Almeida, Virus Detective! has certainly joined my list of top microbiology kids books. I hope it inspires many kids and we continue to see more books of “hidden figures” of science. For me, I’m looking forward to more women science biographies by Suzanne Slade including A Computer Called Katherine, Astronaut Annie, Out of School and Into Nature: the Anna Comstock Story. I hope you’ll do the same.
Let me know what you think about this book or other microbially-themed books in the comments below. For more microbially-themed kids and adult books see the MostlyMicrobes Book Review page.
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