Extraordinary Informational Picture Book Power (Part 3)

Read to Child 11 4 2014

“Freedom of teaching and of opinion in book or press is the foundation for the sound and natural development of any people.”― Albert Einstein

This blog is a continuation on the eight factors for evaluating informational picture books. These factors are:

  1. Both the text and the illustrations should explain the information clearly. They should be interesting, stimulating and entertaining.
  2. It should be clear from the beginning what topic the book covers.
  3. The author should inform the reader exactly what the book facts include. Stereotypes must not be presented.
  4. The book’s facts or concepts should be accurate.
  5. The author should give a clear overview of the subject material.
  6. The informational book’s content should appeal to a wide age range.
  7. Books about special interest to a small percentage of the student population, along with those of interest to a large percentage of students should also be included.
  8. The format (layout) of the book should be both attractive and readable.

Today I want to talk about factor three and factor four above which are …

Factor Three – The author should inform the reader exactly what the book facts include. Stereotypes must not be presented.

There is good news that stereotyping (gender, age, race, religion, mental capacity, physical or mental disabilities) is rarely found in children’s books.[10] It is still very important that children be taught how to recognize and handle stereotypes.

It is also important for children to learn if the information in the book is actually authentic. Reading more than one book on the particular subject can accomplish this. Also, any references given can easily be researched using the Internet.

Factor Four – The book’s facts or concepts should be accurate …

It has been shown that most publishers, authors and illustrators are all too professional to disclose inaccurate facts in their books for children.[11] They all take too much pride in their work and have too much respect for their readers to present content that is lacking authenticity. However, it is important to check the publication date to make sure you have the most recent findings on your particular subject.

In my next blog, Extraordinary Informational Picture Book Power (Part 4), I’ll talk about how the concept book should appeal to a wide audience range.

Related Posts

Extraordinary Informational Picture Book Power (Part 2) (October 30, 2014)https://www.kobeemanatee.com/extraordinary-informational-picture-book-power-part-2/

Extraordinary Informational Picture Book Power (Part 1) (October 16, 2014)https://www.kobeemanatee.com/extraordinary-informational-picture-book-power-part-1/

Children Discover Joy of Reading from Book Loving Parents (June 21, 2014) https://www.kobeemanatee.com/children-discover-love-of-reading-from-book-loving-parents/

How Children Benefit from Informational Picture Books (July 25, 2014)https://www.kobeemanatee.com/how-children-benefit-from-informational-picture-books/

Harness the Power of Picture Books (July 22, 2014) https://www.kobeemanatee.com/harness-the-power-of-picture-books/

~ Robert Scott Thayer