Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Sergio and the hurricane | by Wallner, Alexandra

A young boyﾒs family prepares for a hurricane in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At first, Sergio is excited, but after a whole day of getting ready for the storm, he falls asleep exhausted. The hurricane hits in the middle of the night so Sergio joins his parents in their bed, Papa tells him a story to ease his fears. For many weeks after the storm, the San Juan community clears the damage left by the wind and flooding. When school resumes, Sergioﾒs teacher gives a science lesson on hurricanes.

Keywords: author's note, beach, bedtime, cleanliness, community, destruction, family, fear, feelings, flood, hurricane, maps, parents, plants, preparation, puerto rico, radio, safety, school, shopping, storm, storytelling, technology, television, tree, water, writing

Why rabbit doesn't lie | by Mashiri, Pascal

While every animal of the forest is planning for next year's harvest, Rabbit decides to grow money. He lies to the chief and keeps the money for himself. Eventually the chief grows angry with Rabbit and demands the money Rabbit was supposed to grow. Rabbit deceives everyone in order to get out of his lie and he vows to never lie again.

Monster looks for a house | by Blance, Ellen // Cook, Ann

A friendly purple monster comes to a new city to look for a new place to live. Since this monster is different from others in the city, he must hunt for a house that fits him. After looking at many houses, he finally finds one that he can live in comfortably.

Keywords: buildings, change, community, comparisons, critical thinking, decision making, differences, environment, exploration, goal setting, home, monsters, moving, nonverbal communication, problem solving, sizes

Big surprise in the bug tank | by Horowitz, Ruth

Leo and his brother love their two giant pet cockroaches given to them by their mother. After the two cockroaches have babies, the boys try many different solutions to try to get rid of them. They finally find a solution after they receive help from their mom and local library.

Keywords: bug, chores, community, critical thinking, decision making, family, goal setting, insects, library, math, numbers, parents, pets, responsibilities, sexuality, siblings, stress management, verbal communication

Beyond turkey | by Herman, Debbie // Koffsky, Ann D.

Almost 400 years ago, pilgrims traveled to North America. They met and befriended the Indians of the area. The different cultures came together to prepare a harvest and a celebration. This celebration became known as Thanksgiving.

The giant apple | by Scheffler, Ursel

Every year there is a festival where all the farmers bring their biggest vegetables. The same people win the prize for the biggest vegetables every year. The people of Appleville decide they will do everything possible to win. The next year they win the contest and have to eat apples all winter long because that is all they planted.

Keywords: celebration, community, competition, farm, food, nutrition, seasons, winter

Messenger, messenger | by Burleigh, Robert

Being a bicycle messenger in a big city is a rigorous job, but someone has to do it. The messenger wakes early and works late to deliver the proper messages to their appropriate places. Nothing can stop him, not rain, snow, or distractions of others.

Keywords: african american, assertiveness, bicycle, biking, careers, cold, community, critical thinking, day, dedication, discipline, exercise, food, goal setting, hard work, loyalty, morning, multicultural, night, radio, rain, refusal skills, responsibilities, rhyme, rhythm, routine, snow, sun, technology, time, weather, wind, work

Come on, rain! | by Hesse, Karen

A heat wave hits Tess's town and she's sizzling like a hot potato. Mamma's plants are all dying and all Tess wishes for is a little bit of rain. As she feels the rain coming, she runs to get her friends and they all change into bathing suits. The rain comes down in big drops and the girls dance, laugh, and play in the cool raindrops.

Keywords: african american, beverage, celebration, clothing, community, dancing, decision making, diversity, exercise, feelings, friendship, happiness, multicultural, play, prevention, rain, running, seasons, self esteem, summer, sun, temperature, verbal communication, weather

Crackle creek | by Monsell, Mary Elise

A new newspaper comes to Crackle Creek. A fierce storm hits and floods the town, destroying one of the presses. The rival editors help each other.

Keywords: animals, community, conflict resolution, decision making, flood, goal setting, illness, newspaper, storm, stress management, weather

Old home day | by Hall, Donald

From the time when only plants and animals lived there, to the modern bicentennial celebration, the people who called the fictional village of Blackwater home remember its history.

Keywords: aggression, aging, american, animals, author's note, autumn, baby, barn, baseball, birds, birth, bodies of water, bones, careers, celebration, change, community, conflict, conflict resolution, cow, death, decision making, deer, family, farm, farmer, forest, future, generations, goal setting, grandparents, hard work, history, hunting, lake, love, marriage, memories, nature, neighbors, nonverbal communication, parade, parents, peer resistance, plants, pond, reunion, seasons, settlers, snow, sports, spring, summer, war, water, weather, wilderness, winter, work

Down huckleberry hill | by Weisgard, Leonard

While a dogcatcher is in the barber shop, his wagon full of dogs outside the window starts rolling down Huckleberry Hill. As the wind blows harder and harder, the wagon rolls faster and faster. The door eventually flies open and the dogs are free.

Keywords: accidents, animals, careers, cleanliness, community, crisis, dog, transportation, wagon

Sweet dried apples: A vietnamese wartime childhood | by Breckler, Rosemary

It is wartime in Vietnam, and a little girl who lives in the country is faced with the prospect of her father leaving for the army. Her father, the village herb doctor, comes to stay with them until he dies. Their village is bombed and the little girl and her family must flee Vietnam.

Keywords: change, community, death, grandparents, language, loss, market, plants, siblings, travel, vietnamese, war

Trashy town | by Zimmerman, Andrea//Clemesha, David

Mr. Gilly gets up every morning to go to work. He drives the trash truck which cleans up the garbage all around town. When he is finished he has to clean up one more thing...himself!

Keywords: bath, careers, cleanliness, community, environment, hard work, nonverbal communication, park, pollution, school, transportation, truck, verbal communication

Round trip | by Jonas, Ann

The story of a visit to the city. When the book is turned upside down, the pictures form new pictures that show the trip back to the country.

Keywords: community, images, nonverbal communication, transportation, travel

The little fireman | by Brown, Margaret Wise

A small fireman and a large fireman attempt to fight fires of comparable dimensions to their size.

Keywords: animals, careers, community, decision making, differences, dog, fire, fire engine, five senses, health, helping, noise, safety, sizes, sleep, transportation

The hallelujah flight | by Bildner, Phil

James Banning fixes up an old plane to fly across the country from California to New York. James' courage, and perseverance allows him to overcome many challenges during his 1932 trek across the United States (e.g., California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York).

Keywords: accomplishment, adventures, african american, airplane, anger, bias, biography, bodies of water, celebration, challenges, community, courage, crowd, day, determination, direction, discrimination, dreams, feelings, food, geography, hard work, helping, heroism, kindness, machines, maps, monument, mountains, multicultural, night, numbers, performance, prejudice, relationship, sky, storm, transportation, tree

Freedom school, yes! | by Littlesugar, Amy

Jolie shows courage in her community by protecting the school that will educate her and others. Jolie is afraid others will burn down the school. Jolie never gives up hope, and learns about famous African Americans who were brave and made a difference in their community, just like Jolie.

Keywords: african american, anger, art, body parts, books, bravery, buildings, careers, change, church, community, courage, education, family, fire, freedom, god, hard work, history, music, neighbors, poetry, quilt, relationship, religion, running, school, slavery, song, spiritual, stars, teaching

In the time of the drums | by Siegelson, Kim L.

Mentu and Twi tell the story of an African family newly arrived in the Americas. Twi never gives up on returning to her native Africa. Twi tells stories of cooking, planting, music and dancing from her native land.

Keywords: african, african american, bodies of water, community, creek, culture, escape, farm, feelings, five senses, folktale, freedom, generations, grandparents, history, home, instruments, island, language, magic, music, mythical, relationship, repetition, rhythm, sadness, secrets, ship, slavery, song, sounds, storytelling, transportation

Papa's mark | by Battle-Lavert, Gwendolyn

Simms teaches his father how to write. For many years Simms' father struggled writing his own name. However, Papa learns just in time so he can vote in the first election which gave Blacks the right to vote.

Keywords: accomplishment, african american, american, animals, bedtime, buildings, change, church, community, cow, crowd, discrimination, education, election, equality, family, food, freedom, hard work, helping, horse, learning, letters, multicultural, night, parents, prejudice, quilt, relationship, school, shopping, signs, teaching, writing

Kumak's fish: A tall tale from the far north | by Bania, Michael

Kumak takes his family ice fishing. Kumak uses his uncleﾒs amazing hooking stick. Kumak patiently waits for a fish which results in enough fish to share with the entire village.

Keywords: community, dancing, eskimo, exercise, family, feelings, fishing, happiness, ice, lake, language, multicultural, parents, patience, running, sharing, teamwork, verbal communication, village, winter

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