Parrots Over Puerto Rico

By Susan L. Roth, Cindy Trumbore
Out of Stock

A nonfiction picture book about the history of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican parrot, which was brought back from the brink of extinction. Also available in Spanish.

Front cover for Cotorras sobre Puerto Rico by Susan L. Roth; Cindy Trumbore and Susan L. Roth
This book is also available in Spanish
Cotorras sobre Puerto Rico
By Susan L. Roth, Cindy Trumbore

Description

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.

About the Creators

Susan L. Roth
Susan L. Roth

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.

Cindy Trumbore

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.

Awards

  • Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award

    American Library Association (ALA)

  • Best Books

    Kirkus Reviews

  • Best Children's Books of the Year

    Bank Street College of Education

  • Junior Library Guild Selection

    Junior Library Guild

  • Américas Award

    Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs

  • Best Books of the Year

    School Library Journal

  • Teachers' Choices

    International Literacy Association (ILA)

  • Editors' Choice

    Booklist

  • Children's Books of the Year

    Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

  • Best Books of the Year

    Publishers Weekly

  • CCBC Choices

    Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

  • Green Earth Book Award

    The Nature Generation

  • Riverby Award for Young Readers

    John Burroughs Association

  • Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Honor

    National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)

  • AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books Finalist

    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Reviews

  • * "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
  • * "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
  • * "Like this team's The Mangrove Tree (Lee & Low, 2011), this title offers an engaging and hopeful look at environmental restoration."

    - School Library Journal
  • * "A thoughtful and thorough examination of the ways human action can both help and harm animal populations."

    - Publishers Weekly
  • * "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

Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781620140048
  • Publication Date Oct 20, 2013
  • Trim Size 10.25 × 9 in
  • Weight 1.0625 lbs
  • Page Count 48
  • Word Count 1882
  • Paperback

  • ISBN 9781643790817
  • Publication Date Jan 21, 2025
  • Trim Size 10.25 × 9 in
  • Weight 0.1875 lbs
  • Page Count 48
  • Interests

  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JNF / Science & Nature / Environmental Conservation& Protection
  • BISAC Category 2 JNF / Animals / Birds
  • BISAC Category 3 JNF / People & Places / Caribbean & Latin America
  • Themes Animal / Biodiversity / Plant Adaptations, Animals, Collaboration, Comparing / Classifying / Measuring, Conflict resolution, Education, Empathy / Compassion, Environment / Nature, Evolution, Exploring Ecosystems, Friendship, Geography, History & Civics, How-to / Instructional Nonfiction, Human Impact On Environment / Environmental Sustainability, Informational / Expository Nonfiction, Kindness / Caring, Latinx / Latino / Hispanic, Leadership, Multiple Ethnicities Represented, Nature / Science, Nonfiction, Optimism / Enthusiasm, Overcoming Obstacles, Persistence / Grit, Pride, Respect / Citizenship, Responsibility, Self Control / Self Regulation, Similarities and Differences, Social Justice & Activism, STEM / STEAM
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 6 - 11
  • Grade Range Grades 1 - 6
  • Guided Reading T
  • Spanish Guided Reading T
  • ATOS Book Level 5.7
  • DRA 44
  • Interest Level Grades 1 - 6
  • Lexile Level 890
  • Reading Level Grades 4 - 5
  • SRC 7.5
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
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