Estonian children's history textbook crowned Europe's best
An Estonian fifth-grade history textbook by historian Maarja Merivoo-Parro won top honors at the international Best European Learning Materials Awards (BELMA) in Frankfurt.
With "History for 5th Grade Kids" ("ajalooLASTE õpik 5. klassile"), Merivoo-Parro said she aimed to present history in a way that's logical and interesting to fifth-graders.
"Every one of them has already heard something about history — hopefully this textbook will help them build a systematic understanding of it," she said.
The author also included topics not required by Estonia's standard curriculum. An overview of ancient and modern Wonders of the World, for example, may make distant civilizations feel more familiar to children who have traveled with their families.
The BELMA award was presented last week at a formal ceremony during the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Each year, the BELMA competition features dozens of Europe's leading textbook publishers, highlighting educational materials that stand out for their innovation, quality, child-friendliness and design.
"As a writer, this means so much," Merivoo-Parro wrote in a social media post announcing the win, inviting anyone at the book fair to go give her publishers a high-five.
"I'm sure the illustrator Dora Grents, designer Mare Kõrtsini and editor Airi Kuusk are celebrating as well, each in their corner of the world," she added.
"History for 5th Grade Kids" was published by Koolibri.
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Editor: Karmen Rebane, Aili Vahtla
