Informational picture books for children PDF
Preview Informational picture books for children
Page i Informational Picture Books for Children Patricia J. Cianciolo Page ii Some images in the original version of this book are not available for inclusion in the netLibrary eBook. While extensive effort has gone into ensuring the reliability of information appearing in this book, the publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, on the accuracy or reliability of the information, and does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in this publication. Project editor: Louise D. Howe Cover design by Lesiak Design Text design by Dianne M. Rooney Printed on 50pound white offset, a pHneutral stock, and bound in 10point coated cover stock by Data Reproductions. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.481992. Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data Cianciolo, Patricia J. Informational picture books for children / by Patricia J. Cianciolo. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0838907741 1. Children's literature, English Book reviews. 2. Picture books for children—United States Book reviews. I. Title. Z1037.A1C54 1999 028.1'62—dc21 9939597 Copyright © 2000 by the American Library Association. All rights reserved except those which may be granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Printed in the United States of America. 04 03 02 01 00 5 4 3 2 1 Page iii To the memory of my parents who valued education and who were convinced that education could lead one to knowledge, wisdom, and morality and to the best of their ability provided the example, encouragement, and means so that their children would realize that end; and to my teachers (especially Dr. Martha L. King) who modeled and dedicated their lives to helping their students appreciate the merits and importance of being lifelong learners and independent thinkers. Page iv To furnish the means of acquiring knowledge is . . . the greatest benefit that can be conferred upon mankind. It prolongs life itself and enlarges the sphere of existence. —John Quincy Adams in the Report on the Establishment of the Smithsonian Institute (1846) Page v Contents List of Illustrations vii Preface ix Informational Picture Books: Definitions, Selection Criteria, and Trends 1 The Natural World 28 Numbers and Arithmetic 70 The Physical World 79 Finding New Worlds 98 Children and Families 103 Peoples and Cultures 113 Language 167 Arts and Crafts 175 Index 197 Page vii List of Illustrations 1. Ghost Liners: Exploring the World's Greatest Lost Ships 20 2. The Secrets of Animal Flight 29 3. Animal Dads 31 4. Look to the North: A Wolf Pup Diary 44 5. The Ding Dong Clock 77 6. Fly, Bessie, Fly 95 7. I Love My Hair 109 8. Anasazi 123 9. Pearl's Eight Days of Chanukah 138 10. Lacrosse: The National Game of the Iroquois 143 11. The Dalai Lama: A Biography of the Tibetan Spiritual and Political 159 Leader 12. Jazz: My Music, My People 181 13. Talking with Tebé: Clementine Hunter, Memory Artist 191 Page ix Preface Informational Picture Books for Children is intended to serve as a timely resource for any persons who are working (or are preparing to work) with children in the elementary and middle school age range and who are responsible for selecting quality trade books for use in school and public libraries, classrooms, or the home. This includes school and public library personnel, curriculum developers, teachers, and parents. It is also hoped that this publication will serve as a source through which these professional and nonprofessional book selectors and curriculum leaders can acquire background knowledge about evaluating and using informational picture books. Over two hundred fifty informational picture books are described in this publication. They reflect the kinds of topics children ages six months through fourteen years are interested in having read aloud to them or reading independently in their free time. They also reflect the kinds of topics teachers and librarians tend to focus on in their work with students in the nursery school and kindergarten through grade nine. A small number of informational picture books are available for infants and toddlers and also for young adults. The small sampling for those at these extremes of the age range is not by choice; it just happens there are relatively few informational picture books addressed to children in these age ranges. The informational picture books represented in this publication include factual books, concept books, and biographies and autobiographies. The eight major subject matter areas Page x under which these informational picture books are classified are The Natural World, Numbers and Arithmetic, The Physical World, Finding New Worlds, Children and Families, Peoples and Cultures, Language, and Arts and Crafts. Most of the informational picture books discussed here were published from 1994 through 1999, although there are a few from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Although I did include a few informational picture books that were discussed in Picture Books for Children, fourth edition (American Library Association, 1997), I tried for the most part to avoid repetition. It was not an easy decision, for those books are still timely and very worthwhile. The reader is therefore advised to refer to the current edition of Picture Books for Children to supplement the recommendations in this new publication. I would like to take this occasion to say I am grateful to several people who encouraged and helped me in various ways to accomplish my goal of writing a book that will assist teachers, librarians, and parents to introduce children to many of the excellent contemporary informational picture books. To my editor, Patrick J. Hogan, Editorial Director of ALA Editions, I would like to offer a hearty thank you for his encouraging me to write Informational Picture Books for Children and even for his occasional telephone calls to check on my progress and to nudge me (actually, quite gently!) to finish this book sooner rather than later. I appreciate the help my sister Polly, a former librarian and editor, gave me with the initial organization of the hundreds of books included in this publication, thereby making what I thought at that point was a daunting task seem possible. I am particularly indebted to Louise D. Howe, project editor, for her careful reading of the text and her helpful suggestions to make this a more polished publication. Page 1 Informational Picture Books: Definitions, Selection Criteria, and Trends Definitions What Is an Informational Book? Perusal of the professional literature about informational books will reveal that some of the noted authors and critical reviewers differ considerably in how they define this kind of literature. There also is significant disparity in expectations of its effects on readers' mental capabilities. For example, David Macaulay, awardwinning author of informational books, went to great length in his 1989 Zena Sutherland lecture to take issue with the nomenclature commonly used to define and describe informational books. He describes the process that led him to prefer the term "informational book" rather than "nonfiction" for the kind of books he writes and explains that an informational book is one that is designed to impart information, to communicate knowledge. 1 Margery Fisher, internationally known and respected critic of children's literature, is a bit more precise about what the function of informational books should be. She emphasizes that authors of this kind of literature for children in the elementary school through the middle school age range should strive to communicate facts and ideas as a teacher in the broadest sense would: they should lead young readers in a way that fosters in them both the will and the mental ability to assess facts and ideas and moves them toward a carefully planned and prudent independence of thought and action. She says that to accomplish this authors are obliged to expose
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