Established in 2001 by the Association for Library Service to Children is the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, an award is given to those whose informational books have “made a significant contribution to the field of children’s literature” (Vardell, 2014). Another achievement that provides a barometer of quality is the Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, created by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), an annotated book list that the organization considers under curriculum standards for social studies. The similarities and differences between each award will be examined using a 2014 Sibert winner, Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore, and NCSS selection, Frog Song by Brenda Z. Guiberson.
Parrots Over Puerto Rico talks about parrots who have become endangered animals due to the deforestation and events that occurred in Puerto Rico. The book offers a unique perspective with its vertical format. Compared to Frog Song, Roth and Trumbore provides more informational text with the history of Puerto Rico with an extensive afterword as well as a timeline of important dates. Interestingly enough, the resources used in the book includes personal interviews and professional documentation.
Although Guiberson supplied websites to find frog facts and a note mentioning the endangerment of these species, the book uses simple information for a younger audience with bibliography that come from resources like National Geographic. In addition, the writing style uses onomatopoeia for frog sounds, which provides entertainment for the kids to imitate. The illustration for both books are beautifully depicted, with one incorporating paper-and-fabric collages and the other using mixed media. In the end, the authors have a high regard towards birds and amphibians, respectively, as well as preservation for the environment.
References
Guiberson, B. Z. (2012). Frog Song. New York, NY: Henry Holt.
Horning, K. T. (2010). From cover to cover : Evaluating and reviewing children’s books (Rev. ed.). New York: Collins.
Roth, S. L. & Trumbore, C. (2013). Parrots over Puerto Rico. New York, NY: Lee & Low Books Inc.
Vardell, S. M. (2014). Children’s literature in action : a librarian’s guide (2nd ed.). Santa Barbara, CA : Libraries Unlimited, An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC.
V's Blog 