When Hudson catches a mystery bug, Juliette ventures out on the path of discovery. She finds out how she can keep herself safe from the mystery bug by using masks, sanitizers, social distancing, and vaccines. As COVID-19 reared its head, Terry Shepherd wrote Juliette and the Mystery Bug to help children learn how to protect themselves from this foreign illness. These were written under the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control with illustrations and a poetic style to grab the children’s interest and ensure they retain all that they read. The focus of this book is to keep children vigilant and healthy whenever a mystery bug arrives. After the mystery bug, Shepherd launched two other books in this series; Juliette and the Masked Hero and Juliette and the Vaccine.

Terry Shepherd has brilliantly written these books to make them relatable for children with information about germs, how to stay healthy and not fall sick with simple preventive measures that they can follow. Children have a general fascination with life and break down complex issues with simple questions, and this book answers all their questions and more using a simple yet captivating tone.

A magical mix of fun and education has makes Juliette and the Mystery Bug a household and classroom favorite because educating kids about mystery bugs and the importance of protecting themselves has never been easier. This pandemic has been hard to comprehend for adults, let alone children. Through this book, Shepherd has helped normalize the pandemic life, and placing it in a family setting with siblings has made it relatable for many. With sanitization, masks, and vaccines being so important in today’s world, this book is a must-read for anyone with kids in the house and a great tool to help them navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic and these truly unusual times.