Parrots Over Puerto Rico
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award - American Library Association (ALA)
A nonfiction picture book about the history of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican parrot, which was brought back from the brink of extinction.
Above the treetops of Puerto Rico flies a flock of parrots as green as their island home... These are Puerto Rican parrots. They lived on this island for millions of years, and then they nearly vanished from the earth forever.
Puerto Rican parrots, once abundant, came perilously close to extinction in the 1960s due to centuries of foreign exploration and occupation, development, and habitat destruction. In this compelling book, Roth and Trumbore recount the efforts of the scientists of the Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Program to save the parrots and ensure their future. Woven into the parrots' story is a brief history of Puerto Rico itself, from before the first human settlers to the present day.
With striking collage illustrations, a unique format, and engaging storytelling, Parrots Over Puerto Rico invites readers to witness the amazing recovery efforts that have enabled Puerto Rican parrots to fly over their island once again.
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Susan L. Roth's vibrant, unique, mixed-media collage illustrations have appeared in numerous outstanding picture books, including Parrots Over Puerto Rico, winner of the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal; Prairie Dog Song; The Mangrove Tree; Every Month Is a New Year, Malala Yousafzai: Warrior with Words, and most recently Butterfly for a King. Roth and her husband live in New York. Visit her online at susanlroth.com.
Cindy Trumbore has been involved with young people's literature for most of her career. A former editor in children's book publishing, she now writes children's books, edits books for classrooms, and teaches writing. She has collaborated with her friend Susan L. Roth on several award-winning titles, including Parrots Over Puerto Rico, which won the Robert F. Sibert Medal for Nonfiction; The Mangrove Tree; Prairie Dog Song, and most recently Butterfly for a King. She lives with her husband in Delaware. You can visit her online at cindykane.net.
Susan L. Roth's vibrant mixed-media collage illustrations have appeared in numerous outstanding picture books, including Parrots Over Puerto Rico, winner of the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal; Prairie Dog Song; The Mangrove Tree; and most recently Every Month Is a New Year and Malala Yousafzai: Warrior with Words. Roth and her husband live in New York. Visit her online at susanlroth.com.
* "Every paper-and-fabric collage is frame-worthy, from depictions of waterfalls and rain forest to sailing ships, hazards and, of course, parrots. From the commanding cover illustration to the playful image on the back, simply spectacular." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "Few nonfiction picture books attempt this level of ambition, and even fewer succeed. . . . Roth's stunning artwork--fluttery, textural collages of fabric and paper with a three-dimensional quality--compliment the high-interest narrative and are arranged vertically across dual pages to make the most of the tall trees and the related human actions taking place below. A triumphant reminder of the inescapable connection between people's actions and the animals in the wild." -- Booklist, starred review
* "Like this team's The Mangrove Tree (Lee & Low, 2011), this title offers an engaging and hopeful look at environmental restoration." -- School Library Journal, starred review
* "A thoughtful and thorough examination of the ways human action can both help and harm animal populations." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "This gorgeously illustrated history of the critically endangered Puerto Rican parrot, along with the settlement and development of Puerto Rico, underscores the environmental consequences of human populations on indigenous animal species." -- The Horn Book, starred review
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award - American Library Association (ALA)
AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books Finalist - American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Américas Award - Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs
Best Books - Kirkus Reviews
Best Books of the Year - Publishers Weekly
Best Books of the Year - School Library Journal
Best Children's Books of the Year - Bank Street College of Education
CCBC Choices - Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Children's Books of the Year - Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Editors' Choice - Booklist
Green Earth Book Award - Children's Nonfiction - The Nature Generation
Junior Library Guild Selection
Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Honor - National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
Riverby Award for Young Readers - John Burroughs Association
Teachers' Choices - International Literacy Association (ILA)
