Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Lucky and the giant | by Elkin, Benjamin

Lucky, the little boy, has to outsmart the giant, Elmo, in order to get his parents back. He does three tasks to get them back as well as the brook that the giant stole. In the end, the family is together again, and Elmo becomes their friend.

Keywords: conflict resolution, cooperation, critical thinking, deception, forgiveness, friendship, giants, mythical, stress management, verbal communication

Good driving, amelia bedelia | by Parish, Herman

Amelia Bedelia is a maid who is not quite together. She misunderstands everything she is told to do, always with hysterical results. What will happen if Mr. Rogers lets her test drive his car?

Keywords: adventures, birthday, car, celebration, challenges, conflict resolution, confusion, cow, decision making, farm, forgiveness, friendship, frustration, humor, literal interpretation, mischief, stress management, verbal communication

David goes to school | by Shannon, David

David is quite the mischievous student, full of energy and always keeping his teacher on her toes. His entertaining antics make it impossible not to enjoy him.

Keywords: assertiveness, author's note, behavior, chaos, conflict, curiosity, discipline, disobedience, feelings, forgiveness, frustration, goal setting, learning, mischief, patience, play, refusal skills, rules, school, self esteem, teaching, verbal communication

The peddler's gift | by Schur, Maxine Rose

Shnook the peddler arrives in the town of Korovenko with his assortment of beautiful, hand-carved dreidels. Leibush notices on that is left behind and makes excuses for keeping it. He soon realizes that the peddlers ways may be a cover for wisdom and forgiveness. As Hanukkah approaches, Shnook leaves Leibush a gift that will last a lifetime.

Keywords: anger, apology, beliefs, critical thinking, culture, decision making, feelings, forgiveness, hanukkah, holidays, honesty, Jewish, misbehavior, multicultural, peace, religion, resentment, russian, spiritual, stress management, toys, verbal communication

It's so nice to have a wolf around | by Allard, Harry//Marshall, James

An old man and his three old pets needed someone to look after them. The wolf came and helped them get their spirits up. The man and his cats did not know that the wolf was wanted for bank robbery. The wolf was set free because he was so nice to the old man and they all lived happily ever after.

Keywords: animals, cat, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, forgiveness, kindness, robbery, self esteem, wolf

I swapped my dog | by Ziefert, Harriet

In an effort to find the perfect pet which he believes he should be able to ride, a countryman exchanges his dog for a mare. However he soon finds that the mare is not what he expected which begins a long series of unsuccessful pet exchanges, including a goat, a sheep, a cow, and a rooster among others. In the end, however, the countryman makes a successful exchange, in which he acquires his dog who is always by his side.

Keywords: animals, cat, companion, cow, dog, exploration, forgiveness, friendship, goat, horse, market, mistake, mule, neighbors, nonverbal communication, pig, rat, relationship, rhyme, security, selfishness, sheep, uniqueness

Smoky night | by Bunting, Eve

A riot breaks out in a young boys neighborhood which leads to his apartment building catching on fire. This tragedy brings together people from different backgrounds when they share in the trauma of both losing their cats and having their homes taken over by fire.

Keywords: animals, cat, community, conflict, conflict resolution, death, destruction, fire, forgiveness, loss

Miss Flora Mcflimsey's valentine | by Mariana.

Miss Flora McFlimsey sends anonymous valentines to all her friends. Her cat, Pookoo, is supposed to deliver them but does not. Even though Pookoo made a mistake, things work out in the end.

Keywords: animals, assertiveness, birds, cat, conflict resolution, decision making, dolls, forgiveness, holidays, rabbit, secrets, selfishness, valentine's day, verbal communication

George and martha round and round | by Marshall, James

George and Martha are two hippos who learn about friendship, not hurting others' feelings, using their imagination, and learning forgiveness in five short stories.

Keywords: anger, animals, caring, feelings, forgiveness, friendship, hippopotamus, imagination, learning

Lilly's purple plastic purse | by Henkes, Kevin

Lilly wants to be a teacher like Mr. Slinger. She always says wonderful things about him until one day he takes her purple plastic purse away. For revenge, Lilly draws a nasty picture of Mr. Slinger which makes her feel worse than before. This teaches Lilly that revenge is the wrong way to resolve conflict.

Keywords: aggression, anger, animals, apology, appreciation, attention, careers, caring, compromise, conflict resolution, consequences, dancing, decision making, embarrassment, emotions, envy, excitement, exercise, family, feelings, food, forgiveness, fun, honesty, learning, mouse, parents, performance, play, pretend, resentment, respect, revenge, role model, sadness, school, teaching, truth, worry, writing

Brian's bird | by Davis, Patricia

Brian receives a bird for his birthday. The two quickly become friends after Brian overcomes his fear. When Brian's brother Kevin carelessly lets the bird escape, Brian becomes upset. Will he ever see Scratchy again?

Keywords: african american, birds, birthday, blindness, celebration, conflict resolution, direction, disability, family, fear, feelings, forgiveness, happiness, multicultural, parakeet, presents, sadness, siblings, teaching, trick

Dear willie rudd | by Gray, Libba Moore

Elizabeth remembers a wonderful woman named Willie Rudd that had an extraordinary impact on her childhood. Elizabeth writes Willie Rudd a letter which tells her she loves her and apologizes for any wrongs commited due to Willie's race.

Keywords: african american, aging, closeness, coping, dedication, discrimination, forgiveness, friendship, growing up, memory, multicultural, storytelling

The best place | by Meddaugh, Susan

After talking with a bird on his lovely screen porch, an old wolf realizes that he may be missing out on some wonderful places because he's spent so much time admiring his porch with the beautiful view. Determined to see the world, the old wolf sells his house to a young rabbit family and sets out on his travels. However, after a trip down a river, an afternoon in the hot desert, and a tour of London drowned in rain, the wolf realizes that his front porch really is the best place in the world. However, the rabbits have settled and will not give the wolf his house back. Saddened he runs far…

Keywords: adventures, anger, animals, appreciation, behavior, celebration, companion, conflict, cooperation, embarrassment, exploration, family, feelings, food, forgiveness, friendship, happiness, hard work, helping, misunderstanding, moving, neighbors, nutrition, rabbit, raccoon, sadness, teamwork, weather, wolf

So far from the sea | by Bunting, Eve

Laura and her family are moving, so they are coming to visit the Manzanar War Relocation Center one last time. Years ago, this center was used to house anyone living in the United States that were of Japanese descent. These people were forced to leave their homes and come to the center because Japan bombed the United States. The center is bare now except for all of the memories and the cemetary, including her grandfather's grave.

Keywords: acceptance, airplane, american, anger, anticipation, assertiveness, author's note, awareness, bias, bravery, change, citizen, cold, community, conflict, confusion, critical thinking, crow, culture, death, differences, discrimination, diversity, family, fear, feelings, flowers, forgiveness, generations, ghosts, grandparents, growing up, history, illness, japanese, loss, memories, monuments, mountains, moving, prison, sea, sky, snow, survival, verbal communication, war

Metropolitan cow | by Egan, Tim

Bennett Gibbons, the only calf in his neighborhood, often feels very bored and alone. When the Andersons, a family of pigs, move in next-door, Bennett instantly becomes friends with Webster, the youngest Anderson. Come join Bennett and Webster in the joy and pains of friendship.

Keywords: acceptance, adventures, anger, animals, apology, beliefs, boredom, caring, courage, cow, culture, equality, family, feelings, forgiveness, friendship, fun, happiness, loneliness, neighbors, nonverbal communication, parents, pig, play, sadness, self esteem, stereotypes, verbal communication

My brother, ant | by Byars, Betsy

Anthony is a wild and creative little brother who, in the course of four different stories, tests the patience of his older brother.

Keywords: acceptance, activities, bedtime, caring, challenges, coping, correspondence, creativity, family, fear, fight, forgiveness, growing up, helping, imagination, mischief, monsters, patience, siblings, storytelling, worry, writing

Browse Abstracts (36 total)