Orbis Pictus Award facts for kids

The Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children recognizes books which demonstrate excellence in the "writing of nonfiction for children." It is awarded annually by the National Council of Teachers of English to one American book published the previous year. 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. 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".
• 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.
• 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."

Recipients

Multiple awards

Two writers and no distinct illustrators have won the Orbis Pictus Award more than once.

• Jim Murphy, 1994, 1996, and 2004
• Russell Freedman, 1991 and 2006