Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Rotten island | by Steig, William

Rotten Island is the dwelling place for horrible monsters. It is full of bad and ugly things--and one beautiful flower.

Keywords: beauty, island, mischief, monsters, nature, plants

A good morning's work | by Zimelman, Nathan

When Mitsuo hoes his garden, he finds rare things in nature which he tries not to harm. All the while, his dad makes sure he's working.

Keywords: asian, beauty, critical thinking, decision making, family, garden, hard work, multicultural, nature, nonverbal communication, parents, plants, responsibilities, sight, sun, verbal communication

Nightfall: Country lake | by Cunningham, David

Imagine the sights and sounds of summertime by a country lake. During bright mornings, hot afternoons, and clear summer nights, the lake is full of life and beauty. Watch deer drink out of the lake and listen to frogs croak with delight as summer arrives.

Keywords: amphibians, animals, beauty, birds, bodies of water, cat, deer, five senses, frog, insects, lake, nonverbal communication, owl, peace, seasons, sounds, summer, sun

Quiet, please | by Merriam, Eve

A variety of natural images are shown. These images ask the reader to pause and listen to their silent beauty.

Keywords: appreciation, awareness, beauty, five senses, nature, nonverbal communication, sounds

Carousel | by Wildsmith, Brian

Rosie becomes seriously ill after the fair leaves town. Everyone is worried until she dreams a beautiful dream about the fair and the carousel. This dream gives her the hope she needs to get well.

Keywords: beauty, caring, dreams, fair, friendship, illness, worry

Free fall | by Wiesner, David

After falling asleep with a book, a boy dreams of a magical adventure. He travels to a kingdom, a forest, and a city where he meets animals and many characters. (A Wordless Book)

Keywords: adventures, animals, beauty, bedtime, books, dragons, dreams, excitement, fun, magic, sleep, travel

Dad and me in the morning | by Lakin, Patricia

A young boy talks about going to watch the sunrise with his dad. He shares all the ways they can communicate with one another.

Keywords: beauty, decision making, disability, family, love, nonverbal communication, parents, sun, understanding, verbal communication

Presenting tanya the ugly duckling | by Gauch, Particia Lee

Tanya's ballet class is getting ready for their recital. Tanya is not sure why she was chosen to play the lead, after all she is only Tanya. During practices, Tanya has a hard time dancing like the ugly duckling. After the dress rehearsal, it is time for Tanya to find her character.

Keywords: accomplishment, acting, beauty, birds, clothing, dancing, duck, encouragement, exercise, french, language, learning, performance, practice, self esteem, teaching

Gardener george goes to town | by Moxley, Susan//Sharpe, S.

Gardener George has a wonderful garden at his house in the country. One day he goes to the city and gives the town a beautiful gift - a magical garden of beautiful flowers.

Keywords: beauty, community, garden, nature, nonverbal communication, plants, sharing

A frog prince | by Berenzy, Alix

This is a life lesson concerning love is in the eyes of the beholder. This story show how love turned a common frog into a prince.

Keywords: amphibians, assertiveness, beauty, body image, conflict resolution, decision making, fable, fantasy, frog, goal setting, love, nonverbal communication, peer resistance, refusal skills, self esteem, verbal communication

Poppy's puppet | by Gauch, Patricia Lee

Poppy is an amazing puppeteer who has the magical ability to listen to wood and carve beautiful marionettes. When he comes across the unique teakwood, Clarinda, he makes the mistake of not listening to what she wants to be. He wants her to be a ballerina, but that is not her passion. Will Poppy help this special marionette achieve her dream and allow her to blossom?

Keywords: art, beauty, bicycle, careers, conflict resolution, creativity, dancing, feelings, freedom, frustration, happiness, hard work, imagination, individuality, listening, music, nonverbal communication, performance, perspective, puppets, stereotypes, toys, travel, uniqueness, walking, wood

The dark princess | by Kennedy, Richard

The princess is so beautiful that others become blinded if they look directly at her; in fact, she is even blinded by her beauty. Many princes want to marry her, but only for her beauty, not for herself. Thus, the princess must look in a surprising place to find the meaning of true love.

Keywords: beauty, blindness, critical thinking, loneliness, love, marriage, royalty, self esteem

Only the cat saw | by Wolff, Ashley

While everyone else is busy, the cat sees beautiful sights. When the cat falls asleep, Amy sees the beautiful sights, too.

Keywords: animals, beauty, cat, five senses, nonverbal communication, responsibilities, sight, stress management, vision

The girl who loved the wind | by Yolen, Jane

Danina's father does not want her to experience life's harshnesses or sorrows. She is surrounded only by beauty. Then, the wind comes and tells her of another world. She accepts it's challenge by setting out to discover the real world and broadening her sheltered life.

Keywords: adventures, assertiveness, beauty, change, conflict resolution, curiosity, decision making, discovery, family, feelings, happiness, parents, refusal skills, sadness, security, verbal communication, wind

Picasso and the girl with the ponytail | by Anholt, Laurence

Sylvette is a shy young girl, until she meets Picasso. He has moved to France for the summer to work on his art. Seeing Sylvette through his window, he decides to use her as his new model. All summer they work together and become good friends. Picasso helps Sylvette unlock her secrets and artistic talent.

Keywords: anger, animals, art, author's note, beauty, biography, careers, dog, encouragement, feelings, french, friendship, fun, goat, happiness, history, monkey, multicultural, nonverbal communication, owl, photograph, sadness, seasons, secrets, shyness, summer, verbal communication

The earth and i | by Asch, Frank

The child in the story describes the reciprocity between himself,herself and the earth using activities such as playing, listening and growing and emotions and relationships, such as sadness and friendship.

Keywords: appreciation, assertiveness, awareness, beauty, caring, dancing, decision making, environment, exercise, feelings, food, friendship, fun, happiness, listening, nonverbal communication, nutrition, rain, respect, sadness, self esteem, song, support, walking, weather

Franny B. Kranny, there's a bird in your hair! | by Lerner, Harriet//Goldhor, Susan

Franny B. Kranny loves her wild and crazy hairstyle, but her parents say that she needs to get her hair done before the family reunion. Initially she is upset, but then a bird decides to make her new hairstyle its home. Everyone, including Franny, loves the hairstyle. They want her to keep it, but Franny decide it's now time to cut it.

Keywords: appearance, beauty, birds, body parts, bus, careers, cleanliness, embarrassment, family, feelings, hygiene, preparation, pride, reunion, sleep, teeth, television, transportation

A string of beads | by Reid, Margarette

A young girl and her grandma spend time together making necklaces from beads. Beads can come in all different shapes, sizes, textures, and materials. They were used by many cultures throughout time. When she puts her necklaces together she learns about each bead.

Keywords: appearance, appreciation, archeology, art, author's note, beauty, celebration, colors, creativity, diversity, egyptian, family, fossil, grandparents, history, multicultural, native american, plants, shapes, sizes, spiritual, storytelling, symbols

I wish I were a butterfly | by Howe, James

A little cricket is sad and wishes to be a beautiful butterfly. Through talking to an older cricket, the littlest cricket soon realized, that he too, was beautiful.

Keywords: acceptance, appearance, beauty, body image, cricket, dragonfly, feelings, happiness, insects, sadness, self esteem, spider, verbal communication

The rose in my garden | by Lobel, Arnold

Many different types of flowers are shown. Within the flowers is a sleeping bee, a scared fieldmouse, and a cat chasing the mouse.

Keywords: animals, beauty, bee, cat, garden, insects, mouse, plants, rhyme

Browse Abstracts (57 total)