Orbis Pictus Award
Awarded forExcellence in the writing of nonfiction for children
PresenterNational Council of Teachers of English
CountryUnited States
Year1990
Websitencte.org/awards/orbis-pictus-award-nonfiction-for-children

The Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children recognizes books which demonstrate excellence in the "writing of nonfiction for children."[1][2] It is awarded annually by the National Council of Teachers of English to one American book published the previous year.[3] Up to five titles may be designated as Honor Books. The award is named after the book considered to be the first picture book for children, Orbis Pictus (The World in Pictures), by John Amos Comenius, which was published in 1657.[4][5] The award has recognized one book annually without exception since it was inaugurated in 1990.

Criteria

  • The book must be "nonfiction literature which has as its central purpose the sharing of information". Biographies are welcome, but not "textbooks, historical fiction, folklore, or poetry".[2][6]
  • The book must have been published during the previous calendar year in the United States.
  • The book must meet the literary criteria of accuracy, organization, design and style.[7][8]
  • Additionally, the book "should be useful in classroom teaching grades K-8, should encourage thinking and more reading, model exemplary expository writing and research skills, share interesting and timely subject matter, and appeal to a wide range of ages."[9]

Recipients

Orbis Pictus Award winners
YearTitleWriterIllustratorRef.
1990The Great Little MadisonJean Fritz
1991Franklin Delano RooseveltRussell Freedman
1992Flight: The Journey of Charles LindberghRobert BurleighMike Wimmer
1993Children in the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch CampJerry Stanley
1994Across America on an Emigrant TrainJim Murphy
1995Safari Beneath the Sea: The Wonder World of the North Pacific CoastDiane Swanson
1996The Great FireJim Murphy
1997Leonardo da VinciDiane Stanley[10]
1998An Extraordinary Life: The Story of a Monarch ButterflyLaurence PringleBob Marstall
1999Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance Jennifer Armstrong
2000Through My EyesRuby Bridges
2001Hurry Freedom: African Americans in Gold Rush CaliforniaJerry Stanley
2002Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850Susan Campbell Bartoletti
2003When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson: The Voice of a CenturyPam Muñoz RyanBrian Selznick[11]
2004An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793Jim Murphy
2005York's Adventures with Lewis and Clark: An African-American's Part in the Great ExpeditionRhoda Blumberg
2006Children of the Great DepressionRussell Freedman[12]
2007Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New GuineaSy MontgomeryNic Bishop (photos)
2008M.L.K.: Journey of a KingTonya Bolden
2009Amelia Earhart: The Legend of the Lost AviatorShelley TanakaDavid Craig[13][14]
2010The Secret World of Walter AndersonHester BassE. B. Lewis
2011Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian SpringJan Greenberg and
Sandra Jordan		Brian Floca[15]
2012Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's ParadeMelissa Sweet
2013Monsieur Marceau: Actor without WordsLeda SchubertGérard DuBois
2014A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace PippinJen BryantMelissa Sweet
2015The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial RussiaCandace Fleming
2016Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina & New OrleansDon BrownDon Brown
2017Some Writer!: The Story of E.B. WhiteMelissa SweetMelissa Sweet
2018Grand CanyonJason ChinJason Chin[16]
2019Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went from the Football Field to the Art GallerySandra Neil WallaceBryan Collier
2020A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a NationBarry WittensteinJerry Pinkney[17]
2021Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed BasketballJen BryantFrank Morrison
2022Nina: A Story of Nina SimoneTraci N. ToddChristian Robinson[18]
2023Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the SkyNana Ekua Brew-HammondDaniel Minter

Multiple awards

Five writers have won the Orbis Pictus Award more than once.

References

  1. ^ Cullinan, Bernice E. and Diane Goetz Person. The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature. New York: Continuum, 2001.
  2. ^ "Orbis Pictus Award (Nonfiction for Children)". National Council of Teachers of English. Archived February 24, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  3. ^ Moss, Barbara. Exploring the Literature of Fact: Children's Nonfiction Trade Books in the Elementary Classroom: Solving Problems in the Teaching of Literacy. Guilford Publications, 2002.
  4. ^ "Award-Winning Books for Children". Reading Is Fundamental. Archived October 14, 2003 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  5. ^ "Bulletin board". Children's Literature Association Quarterly 15.4 (Winter 1990): 227.
  6. ^ "Awards Prizes and Organizations". Children's Literature Association Quarterly 19.2 (Summer 1994): 72-73.
  7. ^ Wilson, Sandip. "Getting Down to Facts in Children's Nonfiction Literature: A Case for the Importance of Sources". Journal of Children's Literature 32.1 (Spring 2006): 56-63.
  8. ^ "The Orbis Pictus Award". jfklibrary.org. Archived December 22, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  9. ^ Bamford, Rosemary and Janice V Kristo, editors. Making Facts Come Alive: Choosing Quality Nonfiction Literature K-8. Christopher-Gordon Publishers, 2003.
  10. ^ "Biographies". Diane Stanley. Archived from the original on 1999-11-09.
  11. ^ "Pam Muñoz Ryan". Scholastic. Archived from the original on 2010-02-07. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  12. ^ Dawes, Erika Thulin. 2006 Children's Literature Award Winners: Classroom Response Guide. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2006.
  13. ^ Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 62.8 (April 2009): 343–45. "Children's Book Awards 2009."
  14. ^ "The 2009 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for outstanding Nonfiction". Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews. March 19, 2009. Archived July 8, 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
  15. ^ "DiCamillo Wins Newbery, Floca Wins Caldecott". Shelf Awareness. 2014-01-28. Archived February 23, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  16. ^ "Jason Chin: 2022 Caldecott Medalist". Shelf Awareness. 2022-01-26. Archived May 17, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  17. ^ "Awards: Staunch Book Winner; NCTE Award Winners". Shelf Awareness. 2019-11-26. Archived January 27, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  18. ^ "2022 Orbis Pictus and Charlotte Huck Awards Announced". School Library Journal. 2021-11-21. Archived March 30, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  19. ^ "Jim Murphy". www.jimmurphybooks.com. Archived from the original on 2004-06-12.