The NCTE Orbis Pictus Award® for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children was established in 1989 to promote and recognize excellence in the writing of nonfiction for children. Orbis Pictus commemorates the work of Johannes Amos Comenius: Orbis Pictus—The World in Pictures (1658), considered to be the first book actually planned for children.
Congratulations to the 2026 Winner
Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Written by Megan Clendenan
Illustrated by Brittany Cicchese
(Charlesbridge)
What would happen if disasters all over the world wiped out seed producing plants? The Svalbard Global Seed Bank under the ice and snow of a Norwegian Island in the Arctic Circle aims to store samples of all the seeds stored in seed banks around the world.
Honor Books
The Keeper of Stories by Caroline Kusin Pritchard, illustrated by Selina Alko (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
A powerful story of a community coming together to salvage books damaged in a fire at the Jewish Theological Library, showing how essential it is to preserve our stories for future generations.
At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerro Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom by Erin Entrada Kelly (Greenwillow Books)
This middles grades biography redefines what it means to be a war hero through the story of Joey Guerrero, a diminutive Filipino woman who served as an Allied spy during World War II, despite being affected by Hansen’s disease.
Recommended Books
About the Orbis Pictus Award
Nomination Deadline: September 15, 2026 [Please note: this deadline was changed in 2026 to reflect an earlier date.]
The Orbis Pictus Award® was established in 1989 to promote and recognize excellence in the writing of nonfiction for children. The name Orbis Pictus, commemorates the work of Johannes Amos Comenius, Orbis Pictus—The World in Pictures (1657), considered to be the first book actually planned for children.
Members of the Orbis Pictus Award® Committee select the award recipient and up to five Honor books annually. Up to eight additional Recommended books are also selected.
Learn more about the Committee and apply to be a member.
Books must have been published or distributed in the United States or its territories during the current year. Please see submission information for details on how to submit books published in October through December of the calendar year. Any title of nonfiction literature which has as its central purpose the sharing of information may be nominated. This includes biography, but excludes textbooks, historical fiction, folklore, and poetry.
Nonfiction books are defined as those written, designed, and organized to interpret documentable, factual material for children. Books must be an original work. (See below for additional criteria.)
The following are ineligible: compilations, adaptations of adult texts, translated books, and book reissues.
In identifying an “outstanding” book for children, the Committee members will consider the following:
• Accuracy of presentation in both text and illustrative material, as well as appropriate documentation, avoidance of anthropomorphism and teleology, distinction between fact and theory, and balanced treatment
• Organization of material (e.g., general to specific; specific to general) that contributes to clarity and accessibility
• Style of writing that is engaging and distinctive in its use of language
• Style of illustration that is engaging, informative, and complementary to the text
• Appropriateness of book design based on the topic or subject and with respect to the different age groups for which the topic or subject may be appropriate
• Nonfiction that was published in the United States during the previous calendar year
• Potential contribution to the K-8 curriculum
The award is presented annually by the Orbis Pictus Award® Committee at the Children’s Book Awards Luncheon during the NCTE Annual Convention.
The award-winning author and/or illustrator receives a plaque and is the featured keynote speaker at the Luncheon in the year following the announcement.
The Honor book author(s) and/or illustrator(s) are recognized at the Children’s Book Awards Luncheon the year following the announcement, receive a certificate, and may be invited to present at related NCTE Children’s Book Awards sessions.
The Recommended book author(s) and/or illustrator(s) are recognized at the Children’s Book Awards Luncheon the year following the announcement and may be invited to present at related NCTE Children’s Book Awards sessions.
Nominations for 2027 must be submitted to the Award Committee by September 15, 2026. Please note this deadline has been updated in 2026.
We request early submission whenever possible to give the committee enough time to review all submissions. One copy of each nominated book should be sent to the committee members for examination. Digital copies are welcome and can be emailed directly to the committee members. Advance copies or galley proofs are acceptable and encouraged, especially for books published in September and October due to their proximity to the deadline. Hard copies are still requested in addition to the digital versions so that the committee can fully evaluate each work. Books published October through December have the option to be considered for the next Award cycle instead if an advanced copy is not available. Publishers should contact NCTE as soon as possible to confirm submission details.
NCTE members: Nominate using the submission form on the Children’s Book Award homepage.
Nonmembers: Contact bookawards@ncte.org with the title(s), author(s), and publication date(s) of the books you are nominating, as well as the award for which you would like to be considered. We will work with you on next steps. No other forms are required.
Orbis Pictus Award® seals are available to accompany winning books and their future printings. The seals serve to endorse the excellence of the books and distinguish them from among the thousands of books published each year.
Complimentary digital seals are available to the winning authors and their publishers. These are available in color or black and white. Please contact Sarah Miller, bookawards@ncte.org, to make this request.
Physical sticker seals can be purchased in our webstore. They are available in gold for winning books, silver for Honor books, and bronze for Recommended books.
The Orbis Pictus Award® Committee has gathered resources related to the 2018 award winning books to share with educators.
The Orbis Pictus Award® Committee has gathered resources related to the 2019 award winning books to share with educators.
The Orbis Pictus Award® Committee has gathered resources related to the 2021 award winning books to share with educators.
Many of the Orbis Pictus Award® Winner, Honor, and Recommended books are available in one place on Bookshop.org at NCTE’s shop. (NCTE and independent bookstores receive a small commission for purchases made through this link.)