Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Hosni the dreamer: An arabian tale | by Ben-Ezer, Ehud

Hosni is a shepherd who spends his days telling stories to his sheep and his nights dreaming about the city. When he finally has the opportunity to travel to the city, his life changes. He hears some special words of wisdom from a wise old man.

Keywords: adventures, animals, arab, bodies of water, camel, change, critical thinking, culture, death, decision making, desert, dreams, excitement, fear, feelings, folktale, food, love, marriage, money, mountains, multicultural, night, nutrition, peer resistance, rain, river, sadness, sheep, storytelling, travel, verbal communication, weather

It was a dark and stormy night | by Ahlberg, Janet//Ahlberg, Allan

An eight-year-old boy named Antonio is kidnapped by thieves. The chief orders Antonio to tell a story, which he cleverly uses for his escape. His story includes all sorts of adventures.

Keywords: adventures, animals, bear, courage, critical thinking, deception, escape, imagination, storytelling, verbal communication

Nicky and the big, bad wolves | by Gorbachev, Valeri

Little Nicky is having a bad dream when his cries for help wake everyone up. After telling his mom about the dream, Nicky realizes it wasn't as bad as it seemed. He scared his brothers and sisters though, so mom has to go outside and pretend to get rid of the scary wolves so everyone can sleep.

Keywords: animals, caring, counting, dreams, family, fear, feelings, night, numbers, parents, pretend, rabbit, siblings, sleep, storytelling, verbal communication, wolf

When grandma almost fell off the mountain and other stories | by Porte, Barbara Ann

Grandma tells stories to her grandchildren of a car trip to Florida she took with her family and grandparents when she was younger. Her vacations were usually filled with exciting adventures and amusing mishaps.

Keywords: adventures, car, conflict resolution, critical thinking, family, grandparents, storytelling, transportation, travel, vacation, verbal communication

Little fox goes to the end of the world | by Tompert, Ann

Little fox tells his mother about traveling to the end of the world. He tells elaborate stories of the things he encounters. At the end, he tells his mother that he misses her and comes straight home.

Keywords: animals, assertiveness, change, coping, decision making, family, feelings, fox, loss, nonverbal communication, parents, storytelling, travel, verbal communication

Treasure nap | by Havill, Juanita

On an afternoon when it is too hot to sleep, a young girl asks to hear a story. The story is about her great-grandmother who comes to the U.S. from Mexico, bringing a special treasure.

Keywords: birds, critical thinking, family, grandparents, mexican, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, parrot, self esteem, sleep, storytelling, travel

Let's dance | by Ancona, George

Children from all backgrounds move and dance to different rhythms of their culture. Dances range from tap to folk dances and from Native American dance to Tibetan dance. There are many forms, types, and styles of dance a person can do to express their emotions. There are different dances for men, women, animals, and puppets too!

Keywords: acrobat, afghani, african american, american, appalachian, body parts, celebration, child care, chinese, clothing, congo, creativity, culture, dancing, england, feelings, greek, india, indian, instruments, jumping, korean, mexican, moving, multicultural, native american, nature, puppets, relationship, rhythm, sadness, scottish, singing, spain, storytelling, turkish, yak

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

Grandpa's face | by Greenfield, Eloise

Tamika loves spending time with her Grandfather. They enjoy walking, talking, and going to theatre together. One day, Tamika gets afraid while watching her Grandfather rehearse for a play. Tamika learns about different emotions, and especially that her Grandfather will always love her.

Keywords: actor, african american, aging, anger, body parts, books, communication, creativity, exercise, family, fear, feelings, food, friendship, generations, glasses, grandparents, imagination, love, nonverbal communication, nutrition, parents, relationship, storytelling, theatre, tree, walking, worry

Up home | by Grant, Shauntay

A young woman of African decent recalls her childhood in her native homeland of Preston, Canada. She remembers long hot days of summer playing with cousins, singing on Sunday mornings, climbing trees and picking blueberries. Gatherings with her family are special celebrations.

Keywords: african american, body parts, canada, celebration, church, climbing, clothing, cooking, family, flowers, food, friendship, fun, garden, glasses, grandparents, history, instruments, love, memory, multicultural, music, nutrition, park, quilt, seasons, song, spiritual, storytelling, woods

I lost my tooth in Africa | by Diakite, Penda

Amina and her parents take a trip to Mali to visit family. On the way, Amina realizes that her tooth is loose! Amina's father tells her that if she looses her tooth in Africa, she will receive her very own chicken from the Africa tooth fairy. When Amina finally looses her tooth, she finds more than just a chicken in return!

Keywords: africa, airplane, animals, birds, body parts, chicken, cow, culture, differences, donkey, family, food, goat, grandparents, language, maps, morning, night, parents, pattern, pheasant, prayer, recipe, song, storytelling, teeth, traditions, travel

The magician and McTree | by Coombs, Patricia

An old magician accidentally creates a potion that makes his cat, McTree, talk. Although he is supposed to keep his new talent a secret, McTree ends up a famous attraction at the palace. But when McTree loses his appeal, the King and Queen order the old magician to be kidnapped so he can make all of the castle's pets talk. McTree must use his sense to outwit the royal party and save his old companion.

Keywords: animals, birds, cat, dog, fame, fish, forest, friendship, greed, guilt, heroism, insects, kidnap, magic, medicine, moth, pig, royalty, secrets, song, speech, storytelling, trick

The man who called the crocodiles | by Mashiri, Pascal

Gyiii-eee! This is the sound that calls a crocodile. In this land, the wealthy king takes Lulaba as his new wife. She eventually has Gobango as her only son. She tells Gobango of stories about her father calling crocodiles. Eventually Gobango has to flee from his mom or the dead kingﾒs enemies will kill him. He flees to meet Lulabaﾒs father, his grandfather. He goes on a fishing trip and meets one of the fishermanﾒs beautiful daughters, Nanjobe. Gobango asks her father if he can marry her. He says no because he isnﾒt rich enough to take care of his daughter. Therefore, he…

Keywords: adventures, africa, anger, assertiveness, crocodile, decision making, family, feelings, fish, fishing, folktale, glossary, grandparents, happiness, health, love, multicultural, refusal skills, reptiles, royalty, sadness, siblings, storytelling, stress management, uganda, verbal communication

Mzimba and the crowned cranes | by Mashiri, Pascal

Keywords: africa, animals, birds, crane, elephant, folktale, glossary, kenyan, magic, multicultural, storytelling, vulture

Olivia saves the circus | by Falconer, Ian

After making breakfast for her two younger brothers, Olivia dresses herself and heads to school. Today is Olivia's turn to tell the class about her vacation. She tells of a time when all the circus people are sick and she has to run the entire show. She uses her imagination to tell about her experiences as a lion tamer, juggler, and more. Olivia then heads for home, talks with her mother, and goes to bed.

Keywords: acrobat, animals, bedtime, circus, dog, elephant, history, imagination, lion, photograph, pig, presentation, school, storytelling, vacation, verbal communication

Elephant prince: The story of Ganesh | by Novesky, Amy

In this mythical story, that takes place in India, a girl grows up listening to her motherﾒs and grandmotherﾒs stories. As a princess, she meets her love and is married. He promises her a baby and has one within a year. When gods gather around the babyﾒs head vanishes. Another god helps save the baby with the help of an elephant offering his life. The little boy was saved and became the elephant prince, listening to his motherﾒs stories everyday.

Keywords: animals, assertiveness, baby, bodies of water, elephant, family, feelings, god, goddess, happiness, india, loneliness, love, marriage, multicultural, mythical, parents, presents, river, sadness, storytelling, stress management, verbal communication, wish

My pal, Victor | by Bertrand, Diane Gonzales

Dominic and Victor have a special friendship in spite of Dominicﾒs disability. They laugh, tell jokes, and do many fun things together on the baseball field, at the amusement park, and during sleepovers.

Keywords: animals, baseball, birds, disability, dog, duck, elephant, friendship, frog, language, multicultural, park, parrot, running, sleep, spanish, sports, storytelling, swimming, verbal communication, vocabulary, walking

In the small, small night | by Kurtz, Jane

A young boy moves to America from Ghana. He is worried about forgetting his past. Thanks to his mother, he is able to go back to the world he once knew.

Keywords: acceptance, africa, bedtime, birds, challenges, child, conflict resolution, decision making, eagle, friendship, ghana, multicultural, nonverbal communication, parents, relationship, reptiles, storytelling, time, turtle, verbal communication, village, wisdom, worry

Going north | by Harrington, Janice N

Goodbye, Alabama, hello, Lincoln, Nebraska! This family moves from the South to the North so that the papa can find a better job. During their trip up North the family endures a couple struggles, such as the children not wanting to leave their home, the baby crying, and getting restless, and lastly, almost running out of gas! They make it to Nebraska and realize they are together and need to be brave and pioneering.

Keywords: african american, car, cooking, decision making, emotions, family, food, goal setting, listening, maps, multicultural, parents, pioneers, refusal skills, sadness, siblings, song, sounds, storytelling, transportation, travel, verbal communication

The monster behind the wall | by Herbert, Barbara N.

Danny moves to a new house and discovers a monster on the other side of their garden wall. The monster throws Dannyﾒs soccer ball back to him, talks, plays, and eats candy with Danny. At school the next day, Danny plays soccer and gets tripped. Both boys yell nasty names at each other. Then, Danny goes home to talk to the monster, Fred, but he wasnﾒt there. Later, a huge thunderstorm tears down the wall, and Danny sees that ﾓFredﾔ is the child that tripped him during soccer. They become fast friends, tear the wall down, and play soccer together

Keywords: accidents, activities, anger, books, bravery, conflict resolution, decision making, emotions, family, friendship, injury, monsters, nonverbal communication, parents, play, reading, secrets, soccer, sports, storytelling, verbal communication

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