Stories covering how scientists use nature to inspire new technology, the history of vaccines, a guide to observing the night sky, and a look at how animals have evolved in fascinating ways have earned the 2022 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books.

The winners exemplify outstanding and engaging science writing and illustration for young readers. Sponsored by Subaru of America, Inc., the award program, which is now celebrating its 16th year, is intended to encourage the creation of science books that can help readers of all age groups better understand and appreciate science. Awards are given in four categories: children’s science picture book, middle grades science book, young adult science book and hands-on science book. The prizes are presented to the authors, except in the case of the picture book award, which is given to both the author and the illustrator.

Judged by panels of librarians, scientists and educators, the winning works feature accurate science and cannot perpetuate misconceptions or stereotypes. The criteria also require that each book be age-appropriate: For the youngest readers, a winning picture book should pique their curiosity about the natural world around them; for older readers, books should encourage the discussion and understanding of scientific ideas. Hands-on science books for any age must include inquiry-based activities that encourage problem-solving skills.

This year’s winners receive a cash prize and a commemorative plaque.

The Winners:

Children’s Science Picture Book:

Mimic Makers: Biomimicry Inventors Inspired by Nature, by Kristen Nordstrom. Illustrated by Paul Boston. Charlesbridge, 2021.

Who's the best teacher for scientists, engineers, AND designers? Mother nature, of course!

When an inventor is inspired by nature for a new creation, they are practicing something called biomimicry. Meet ten real-life scientists, engineers, and designers who imitate plants and animals to create amazing new technology. An engineer shapes the nose of his train like a kingfisher's beak. A scientist models her solar cell on the mighty leaf. Discover how we copy nature's good ideas to solve real-world problems!

Kristen Nordstrom is a full-time teacher at a STEAM Academy teaching biomimicry and other science topics. This Title One, public elementary school was started by a group of dedicated teachers and one amazing principal, to bring the power of hands-on science to second language learners and socio-economically challenged students. Kristen is a member of NSTA and Mimic Makers is her first book.

Paul Boston is the author and illustrator of Map Your Way, Find Your Way Under the Sea, and several other children's books. He starts all his artwork with his trusty ballpoint pen and brings the drawings to bright, bold, busy life on his computer.

Middle Grades Science Book:

A Shot in the Arm!: Big Ideas that Changed the World, by Don Brown. Amulet Books, 2021.

A Shot in the Arm! explores the history of vaccinations and the struggle to protect people from infectious diseases, from smallpox—perhaps humankind’s greatest affliction to date—to the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlighting deadly diseases such as measles, polio, rabies, cholera, and influenza, Brown tackles the science behind how our immune systems work, the discovery of bacteria, the anti-vaccination movement, and major achievements from Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who popularized inoculation in England, and from scientists like Louis Pasteur, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, and Edward Jenner, the "father of immunology." Timely and fascinating, A Shot in the Arm! is a reminder of vaccines’ contributions to public health so far, as well as the millions of lives they can still save.

Big Ideas That Changed the World is a graphic novel series that celebrates the hard-won succession of ideas that ultimately changed the world. Humor, drama, and art unite to tell the story of events, discoveries, and ingenuity over time that led humans to come up with a big idea and then make it come true.

Don Brown is the award-winning author and illustrator of many nonfiction graphic novels and picture books. His books have been called “masterful” and “a must for youth graphic collections.” Brown has received an Eisner nomination, two Sibert Honors, a Horn Book Best Book honor, a YALSA award, and multiple starred reviews, among other awards and notices. He lives in Hudson Valley, New York, with his family.

Hands-on Science Book:

Sky Gazing: A Guide to the Moon, Sun, Planets, Stars, Eclipses, and Constellations, by Meg Thacher. Storey Publishing, 2020.

In this highly visual guide to observing the sky with the naked eye, kids aged 9–14 will delve into the science behind what they see. This captivating book offers a tour of our solar system and deep space, explaining how objects like Earth’s moon were formed and introducing the “why” behind phenomena such as eclipses, northern lights, and meteor showers. Sky gazers will learn how to find and observe planets — no binoculars or telescopes required — and star charts will show them how to spot constellations through the seasons and in both hemispheres.

Meg Thacher is a lab instructor in Smith College’s astronomy department and the academic director for the Summer Science and Engineering Program for high school girls at Smith. A regular contributor to national children’s science magazines, she teaches astronomy workshops for school groups and scout troops. She has a BA in physics from Carleton College and an MS in astrophysics from Iowa State.

Young Adult Science Book:

Great Adaptations: Star-Nosed Moles, Electric Eels, and Other Tales of Evolution’s Mysteries Solved, by Kenneth Catania. Princeton University Press, 2020.

In Great Adaptations, Kenneth Catania presents an entertaining and engaging look at some of nature’s most remarkable creatures. Telling the story of his biological detective work, Catania sheds light on the mysteries behind the behaviors of tentacled snakes, tiny shrews, zombie-making wasps, and more. He shows not only how studying these animals can provide deep insights into how life evolved, but also how scientific discovery can be filled with adventure and fun. Beginning with the star-nosed mole, Catania reveals what the creature’s nasal star is actually for, and what this tells us about how brains work. He explores how the deceptive hunting strategy of tentacled snakes leads prey straight to their mouths, how eels use electricity to control other animals, and why emerald jewel wasps make zombies out of cockroaches. Catania demonstrates the merits of approaching science with an open mind, considers the role played by citizen scientists, and illustrates that most animals have incredible, hidden abilities that defy our imagination. Examining some strange and spectacular creatures, Great Adaptations offers a wondrous journey into nature’s grand designs.

Ken Catania A neuroscientist by training, Ken has spent much of his career investigating the unusual brains and behaviors of specialized animals. These have included star-nosed moles, tentacled snakes, water shrews, alligators, crocodiles, insects, and most recently electric eels. His studies often focus on predators that have evolved special senses and weapons to find and overcome elusive prey. He is considered an expert in extreme animal behaviors and studies specialized species to reveal general principles about brain organization and sensory systems. Catania was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2006, a Guggenheim Fellow in 2014, and in 2013 he received the Pradel Research Award in Neurosciences from the National Academy of Sciences. Catania received a BS in zoology from the University of Maryland (1989), a Ph.D. (1994) in neurosciences from the University of California, San Diego, and is currently a Stevenson Professor of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University.

Learn more about the 2022 winners from AAAS here. Nominations for the 2023 awards will open this spring.