Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Octavia and her purple ink cloud | by Rathmell, Donna//Rathmell, Doreen

Octavia Octopus and her sea-animal friends love playing camouflage games to practice how they would hide from a ﾓbig, hungry creature.ﾔ Octavia, however, just cannot seem to get her colors right when she tries to shoot her purple ink cloud. What happens when the big, hungry shark shows up looking for his dinner? Learn your basic colors along with the camouflage techniques of various sea animals, and you'll be on your way to being a marine biologist!

Keywords: accomplishment, bodies of water, careers, feelings, fish, friendship, frustration, ocean, octopus, plants, practice, protection, relief, reptiles, stress management, turtle

The best nest | by Mueller, Doris

Long ago, magpie nests were the envy of all other birds. To help the other birds, Maggie Magpie patiently explains how to build a nest. But some birds are impatient and fly off without listening to all the directions, which is why, to this day, bird nests come in all different shapes and sizes. This clever retelling of an old English folktale teaches the importance of careful listening.

Keywords: adaptation, amphibians, animals, baby, birds, butterfly, diversity, frustration, grasshopper, lizard, nonverbal communication, owl, parents, patience, raccoon, reptiles, sadness, teaching, tree, turtle, verbal communication

Where am i sleeping tonight? | by Ekster, Carol Gordon

Mark and Evan have a hard time keeping up with all the changes in their lives. Their parents are divorced and it's not easy remembering all the things they need to do. Mark's teacher, Mrs. Demott helps Mark, Evan and their parents get organized and also teaches them how to cope with divorce.

Keywords: acceptance, bedtime, behavior, closeness, communication, comparisons, confusion, coping, disappointment, divorce, family, forgetful, frustration, goal setting, parents, responsibilities, siblings, stepfather

If I had my way | by Klein, Norma

Ellie wishes that - for just one day - she could have her way. She is tired of being told what to do! Why canﾒt she have a say? In her dreams, the tables turn and Ellie finds herself in charge. Giving her parents orders and trading in her baby brothers are Ellieﾒs first orders of business. Her old life doesnﾒt seem quite so bad.

Keywords: assertiveness, baby, change, conflict resolution, discovery, dreams, fantasy, feelings, frustration, growing up, learning, love, parents, self esteem

The two Tyrones | by Hudson, Wade

Tyrone Rashon Williams goes to school on the first day, excited about his new sneakers that he bought himself. He is disappointed when he gets there and finds that everyone has the same ones, and there is a new student, Tyrone Rashon Williams. Tyrone must deal with both of his problems, and get things back to normal.

Michael Rosen's sad book | by Rosen, Michael

Michael Rosen discusses sadness. He describes his sadness about the death of his son. Sometimes being sad makes him feel angry. Sometimes, he likes to talk about it. Other times, he wants to keep his sadness to himself. Rosen writes about his personal sadness and the various ways he tries to cope with this feeling.

Keywords: anger, birthday, celebration, communication, conflict resolution, coping, critical thinking, death, depression, emotions, family, feelings, frustration, nonverbal communication, parents, sadness, stress management, verbal communication

Madoulina: A girl who wanted to go to school: A story from south africa | by Bognomo, Joel Eboueme

Madoulina has dreams of becoming a doctor. She doesn't, however, go to school because her mother needs her to sell fritters in the marketplace to earn money. Madoulina meets her brother's new teacher, who convinces her mom to find a way to let her go to school.

April fool! Watch out at school! | by DeGroat, Diane

It's April Fool's Day so Gilbert is excited to trick his friends. Throughout the day, his friends keep on tricking him, but he can't seem to trick anyone else. Gilbert doesn't give up though: he has one more trick in mind. The rest of the afternoon, he's extra nice to Lewis. Lewis gets so nervous about what Gilbert's trick is, the other classmates manage to trick him. At the end of the day, Lewis finds out Gilbert didn't have a trick after all. He had been tricked!

Keywords: accidents, animals, anticipation, assertiveness, books, creativity, critical thinking, feelings, food, frustration, humor, mischief, opposites, patience, reading, school, self esteem, sequence, sounds, trick, verbal communication

Earth mother | by Jackson, Ellen

The day begins by Mother Earth tending to her plants and animals. As the day progresses, Mother Earth comes upon a man, a frog, and a mosquito. Each tell Mother Earth what can be changed in their life.

Keywords: african, animals, appreciation, assertiveness, birds, communication, cycle, decision making, dedication, diversity, earth, environment, fantasy, firefly, frog, frustration, hawk, insects, loyalty, mosquito, multicultural, nature, nonverbal communication, otter, peace, plants, seasons, snow, summer, verbal communication, whale, wildlife, winter

Always in trouble | by Demas, Corinne

Emma's dog Toby always seems to be in trouble. When Emma gives him more attention, he still gets into trouble. At dog training school, he is the best dog and receives a diploma after all the classes, but he still gets into trouble. So Emma takes him back to the school, and leaves Toby with the teacher for a week. When he comes back, Toby seems like the perfect dog, but Emma soon finds out, no dog is perfect.

Keywords: animals, attention, critical thinking, Days of The Week, decision making, dog, family, feelings, frustration, goal setting, misbehavior, obedience, pets, responsibilities, sequence, stress management, verbal communication

Billy Twitters and his blue whale problem | by Barnett, Mac

When Billy Twitters doesn't brush his teeth or finish his peas, his mother says we are going to buy you a whale. This does not worry Billy, because he knows how large blue whales are and he couldn't possibly have one delivered. To his surprise, one morning there is a blue whale sitting outside his house, and it is his responsibility. The whale causes problems at school because Billy's classmates pick him at gym. And it just gets worse: his parents give him the owner's manual for the whale. While feeding him, Billy realizes that when he's inside the whale, nobody's laughing and nobody's…

Keywords: animals, bridge, bus, cleanliness, colors, community, comparisons, critical thinking, decision making, dinosaur, feelings, five senses, food, frustration, history, hygiene, language, loneliness, numbers, parents, park, perspective, problem solving, responsibilities, school, sight, sizes, smell, teeth, time, transportation, whale

The steel pan of Harlem | by Bootman, Colin

The city of Harlem has rats everywhere in houses, subways, restaurants, stores and business, and the citizens are fed up! One day, a steel pan man comes to the subway station and when he plays his music everyone is entranced, even the rats. He tells the mayor that he will fix the rat problem if the mayor pays him a million dollars. The mayor reluctantly agrees and the man keeps his promise. However, the mayor, does not keep his end of the bargain, so he is given what he deserves!

Keywords: african american, anger, animals, body parts, cat, citizen, conflict resolution, dancing, exercise, feelings, frustration, instruments, magic, money, multicultural, music, neighbors, politics, rat, subway, transportation, trust

Cork and fuzz: Short and tall | by Chaconas, Dori

Cork and Fuzz are best friends, but there's one problem, and it's not that one is an opossum and the other is a muskrat. The problem is that Cork is older than Fuzz, but shorter than him. Bothered by this difference, the pair try to make Fuzz shrink and Cork grow. Fortunately, they realize that friendship is more important than a difference in height.

Keywords: acceptance, animals, comparisons, conflict resolution, critical thinking, differences, food, friendship, frustration, height, helping, individuality, muskrat, opossum, self esteem, similarities

Gerald Mcboing boing | by Dr. Suess

A little boy makes unique noises instead of talking. He doesn't seem to fit in anywhere and is lonely. He is found by a man who has a radio station. He appreciates the boy's abilities.

Keywords: acceptance, challenges, conflict resolution, differences, family, feelings, frustration, loneliness, nonverbal communication, parents, radio, rhyme, rhythm, sadness, sounds, technology, uniqueness, verbal communication

Ella Sarah gets dressed | by Chodos-Irvine, Margaret

A young girl named Ella knows what she wants to wear and no one in her family can convince her otherwise. She refuses each person's suggestions for alternative clothing choices. Ella shows confidence and determination as she chooses her own style and presentation.

Keywords: appearance, assertiveness, clothing, colors, determination, family, feelings, friendship, frustration, independence, individuality, nonverbal communication, opinions, parents, pattern, refusal skills

The enemy: A book about peace | by Bloch, Serge//Cali, Davide

There are two soldiers, each in a hole, with an order to kill the other. They both are tired and want the war to end. Finally one gives up and goes off to kill the other, only to find he has done the same. He sees that the other soldier is more like himself than he thought. In a desperate measure to end the war he doesn't understand, he launches a message in a bottle to the other hold.

Keywords: conflict resolution, correspondence, decision making, empathy, family, feelings, frustration, goal setting, hunger, moon, night, obedience, peace, photograph, sadness, war, weather, writing

No! No! No! | by Rockwell, Anne

It's been a terrible day and nothing has gone this young child's way. Fortunately, Mom knows just what to do and reads a bedtime story which helps the young boy fall asleep.

Keywords: anger, baby, bedtime, books, caring, family, feelings, frustration, parents, rain, sadness, sleep, storytelling, weather

Murmel murmel murmel | by Munsch, Robert

A little girl finds a baby in a hole in her sandbox. She walks him around town but no one is willing to take him. She is only five years old!What will she do with a baby?

Keywords: assertiveness, baby, child care, conflict, frustration, goal setting, identification, play, sand, self esteem, stress management, transportation, truck, verbal communication

It's hard to share my teacher | by Prestine, Joan Singleton

Josh is having a hard time learning to share in school. He is especially frustrated when his teacher is busy helping other students. He wants to share his artwork with his teacher and his classmates. He ends up learning why sharing is so important.

Keywords: art, basketball, colors, conflict resolution, feelings, frustration, helping, nutrition, patience, school, self confidence, self esteem, sharing, sports, teaching

Thank you, mr. falker | by Polacco, Patricia

Trisha loves being read to and loves being at school because she can draw there. When it is Trisha's time to read, she is teased and feels dumb. Thanks to Mr. Falker, one of her teachers, she gains confidence and learns how to read.

Keywords: books, conflict resolution, emotions, family, feelings, frustration, grandparents, helping, learning, nonverbal communication, reading, sadness, school, teaching, teamwork, teasing

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