Immune Heroes

By: Namita Gandhi, PhD
Illustrated by: Tamika Bramwell
Publisher: Nimitry Books
Publication Date: January 23, 2024
ISBN: 978-1917095211
Reviewed by: Anne Hubbard
Review Date: June 9, 2024

Immune Heroes by Namita Gandhi, PhD tells the complex tale of how the human body works to heal itself, written in a whimsical and fun way that children will both understand and enjoy.

As the story begins, we witness siblings Mayu and Nimi riding their bikes when Mayu’s bike wheel hits a pebble, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground. In the process, he scrapes his knee and as Mayu cries that it hurts, Nimi offers comfort by telling him that the pain he feels is his body beginning the healing process. The story then shifts to illustrating what is happening internally under Mayu’s skin, where the scrape has occurred. The readers meet Captain T, the Helper T cell, neutrophils, platelets, microbes, macrophages, pseudomonas, and dendritic cells. As the story progresses, readers learn what each type of cell is responsible for during the healing process and how they work together to prevent infection and, ultimately, protect the person who was injured.

The author Dr. Gandhi, together with her illustrator Tamika Bramwell, do a superb job of taking a complicated issue and explaining it in such a way that is not only understandable to kids, but also amusing. The cells have adorable facial expressions throughout the story, and Captain T jumps for joy at the end when his team is effective against the enemy bacteria. Kids will love seeing the bacteria and cells “come to life” and will celebrate when the good guys are victorious at the conclusion.

While this book can certainly be appreciated for its amusing nature, Immune Heroes can also be utilized with young children as a teaching tool regarding the complex nature of the immune system. This book would be a welcome addition to a classroom, especially for teaching science-related subjects or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). The wording is simple enough for early readers, though kids will likely need help with the technical words identifying the different types of cells.

Quill says: Immune Heroes is a whimsical take on a complex topic that kids will enjoy for its fun, bright illustrations and parents will appreciate for the education that it provides.

For more information on Immune Heroes, please visit the author's website at: www.immuneheroes.com