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Madoulina: A girl who wanted to go to school: A story from south africa

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.

Monkey for sale

Stanley, Sanna

Two little girls in Africa look forward to their village market day in the Congo. They must make wise choices for their spending. They make initial purchases, but later find a monkey they want to rescue. They creatively work together to find a solution.

Tags

african, animals, clothing, conflict resolution, congo, critical thinking, decision making, family, food, friendship, goal setting, market, money, monkey, multicultural, negotiation, parents, problem solving

April fool! Watch out at school!

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!

Where are you going manyoni?

Stock, Catherine

Manyoni, a little girl living near the Limpopo River in Zimbabwe, sees many different animals and wildlife on her walk to school.

Tags

african, animals, baboon, bodies of water, clothing, exercise, food, language, leopard, multicultural, plants, river, school, siblings, sleep, walking, zimbabwe

Bitter bananas

Olaleye, Isaac

Yusuf is a boy who lives in a jungle in Africa. His favorite drink is palm sap, and he sells what he doesn't drink. A family of baboons begins to steal his sap, so he tries many things to keep the baboons away.

Tags

african, animals, baboon, careers, decision making, fable, family, food, forest, jungle, learning, market, multicultural, nutrition, problem solving, rain, sounds, tree, weather

The wisdom bird: A tale of Solomon and Sheba

Oberman, Sheldon

Queen of Sheba, the wisest woman in the world, travels to Jerusalem after hearing about King Solomon, the wisest man in the world. She hopes to learn something new, but after asking for a palace made out of bird beaks, they both learn something important. This folktale is derived from Jewish, African and Biblical tales.

Tags

africa, african, birds, critical thinking, culture, folktale, israelian, Jewish, leadership, multicultural, religion, riddle, royalty, self esteem, ship, storytelling, teaching, transportation, travel, wisdom

Earth mother

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.

Tags

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

The hunter

Geraghty, Paul

Jamina goes looking for honey in the bush with her grandfather. She hopes to see an elephant, but her grandfather tells her that it is not likely since the hunters have come. Jamina tells her grandfather that she wants to be a hunter. When she helps a little elephant whose mother was shot by hunters, she realizes she never wants to be a hunter.

Tags

african, animals, community, elephant, family, grandparents, helping, hunting, lion, lost, multicultural, nature, recreation, rescue, rhinoceros, village, violence

A is for africa

Onyefulu, Ifeoma

The author, a member of the Igbo tribe in Nigeria, presents text and her own photographs of twenty-six things, from A-Z, representative of all African peoples.

Tags

affection, africa, african, alphabet, bodies of water, colors, exercise, family, food, friendship, games, grandparents, home, jewelry, jumping, jungle, language, multicultural, music, muslim, nonverbal communication, photograph, play, religion, river, school, spiritual, traditions, verbal communication, work

Food and festivals: West Africa

Brownlie, Alison

Describes the West African culture of food, including the kinds of food grown and eaten, and various feast days like Ramadan, Easter, naming ceremonies, and yam festivals.

Tags

africa, african, baby, beach, bodies of water, camel, cattle, celebration, ceremony, chicken, community, cooking, dancing, family, farm, food, friendship, fruit, ghana, goat, hard work, holidays, language, multicultural, music, muslim, parade, preparation, religion, respect, river

Galimoto

Williams, Karen Lynn

Kondi needs wire to make his galimoto, the word in Malawi Africa which means car. He thinks of clever ways to make his galimoto in the shape of a car. He falls asleep imagining what shape he might twist it into the next day.

Tags

africa, african, anger, car, collection, creativity, decision making, dreams, feelings, food, helicopter, imagination, language, robbery, sleep, toys, transportation, verbal communication

Somewhere in Africa

Mennen, Ingrid//Daly, Niki

A boy named Ashraf lives in a city in South Africa. He compares the city to the countryside of Africa.

Tags

africa, african, assertiveness, body parts, books, community, comparisons, critical thinking, dancing, differences, flowers, geography, imagination, instruments, library, multicultural, music, rhyme, song

Elephant moon

Letord, Bijon

In the plains of Eastern Africa, elephants live in great open spaces, eat many different things, and share their land with lots of other animals. The elephants take care of each other and are beautiful and peaceful animals.

Tags

african, animals, conservation, moon, multicultural, night, survival

The talking cloth

Mitchell, Rhonda

Aunt Phoebe has a collection of many wonderful things, each having an interesting story. The little girl's favorite thing is an adinkra cloth from Ghana. It has many colors and symbols to represent feelings, faith, power, and love.

To be a drum

Coleman, Evelyn

Daddy Wes whispers to his two young children about the history of Africans forced into slavery and how the pulse of the drum has moved through them over time. Daddy Wes promises his children that as long as they can hear the heartbeat of the earth, they will be free.

Tags

africa, african, art, bodies of water, careers, colors, community, culture, dance, five senses, freedom, hearing, history, instruments, language, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, ocean, playing, pride, rhythm, sea, ship, slavery, sounds, spiritual, storytelling, symbols, time, verbal communication, war

Somebody has done it, why can't you?

Annoh, G. Kwesi

Two sisters in Ghana pursue their dreams of becomming career women. They receive help from their parents and teachers, and work hard to study math and science. Abena becomes a mathematician and Akousa becomes a medical officer in public health.

Tags

african, careers, courage, determination, education, equality, family, fear, feelings, gender, ghana, health, math, multicultural, pregnancy, religion, school, science, stereotypes, teaching

African dancing

Thomas, Mark

Children explore African dance with music and movement.

Tags

african, dancing, exercise, feelings, fun, happiness, instruments, learning, music, nonverbal communication, performance, photograph, sadness, storytelling

The village of round and square houses

Grifalconi, Ann

In a village in West Africa, women live in round houses and men live in square houses. After supper, grandmother tells a story about the origin of these houses aand how it is related to the rupturing of volcanic mountain, Naka.

Tags

african, celebration, coping, family, folktale, generations, grandparents, mountains, multicultural, nature, parents, respect, shapes, siblings, storytelling, traditions

I lost my tooth in africa

Diakite, Penda

Amina and her parents take a trip to Mali to visit family. On the way, Amina realizes that her tooth is loose! While visiting her father's family, Amina loses the tooth and places it under a calabash tree. She receives a hen and a rooster from the African Tooth Fairy.

Tags

africa, african, airplane, animals, birds, body parts, cattle, change, chicken, community, cooking, cow, culture, differences, donkey, family, food, games, garden, goat, grandparents, language, loss, maps, morning, multicultural, music, night, parents, pattern, pheasant, play, prayer, recipe, singing, sleep, song, storytelling, teeth, traditions, travel, tree, vacation, village, wish

Where's Jamela?

Daly, Niki

A young girl named Jamela is upset when hearing the news from her mother that they will be moving to a new house. When itﾒs time to leave, everyone wonders where Jamela is and begin to search for her everywhere. Suddenly, she jumps out of a box from the back of the truck and agrees to go with her mother. On reaching her new house, she starts to like it and settles down in her room.

The most important gift of all

Conway, David

Ama wants to honor her newborn baby brother with a special gift, as is the custom of the people in her village. When Grandma Sisi suggests the gift of love Ama sets off in search of this important present, but how will she know when she has found it? This story celebrates a young girl's discovery of the most important gift of all.

Tags

africa, african, animals, baby, birds, birth, celebration, clouds, community, critical thinking, discovery, dreams, family, giraffe, grandparents, lion, love, multicultural, parents, rain, siblings, stars, tree, village

My painted house, my friendly chicken, and me

Angelou, Maya

Thandi, an eight-year-old Ndebele girl who lives in a village in South Africa with her mother, aunts, sisters, and mischievous younger brother, shares her secrets with her best friend, a chicken.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, bicycle, chicken, colors, customs, dragonfly, family, friendship, jewelry, language, mischief, multicultural, nonverbal communication, parents, pattern, photograph, play, siblings, storytelling, village

Dancing feet

Agell, Charlotte

Diversity in the world is shown through rhythmical lyrics and warm pictures. Diversity also includes the names of major body parts and functions.

Tags

acceptance, african, asian, body image, body parts, community, dancing, diversity, equality, exercise, family, food, friendship, lyrics, multicultural, poetry, rhyme, walking

How sitali learned a lesson

Mashiri, Pascal

As the oldest in his family Sitali is supposed to hunt and provide for his younger sisters. He learns a lesson about self-control and hard work after being made chief and then losing it all.

Tags

african, african american, apathy, conflict resolution, critical thinking, family, folktale, laziness, multicultural, obedience, parents, peer resistance, refusal skills, responsibilities, river, siblings, storytelling, village

Going home, coming home

Tran, Truong

Ami Chi is going on a trip to Vietnam with her parents. Not very happy, Ami Chi sees her grandmother and her uncle. Along the way she meets a girl named Thao at the market. Thao shows Ami Chi all around the market. Ami Chi finally goes back to her grandmother's house, where her parents are worried. Now with an appreciation for her other home, Vietnam, she goes back home to America.

Magic beach

Johnson, Crockett

Two children draw different words in the sand. As the tide washes over the word, the object written in the sand appears. They explore the land they created by writing in the sand.

Tags

adventures, alphabet, animals, beach, beverage, bodies of water, books, cabin, cow, critical thinking, decision making, fantasy, farm, fish, fishing, food, horse, hunger, magic, nutrition, peer resistance, picnic, royalty, sand, sea, shells, storytelling, tree, verbal communication, village, writing

The promise quilt

Ransom, Candice

A little girl, living in the mountaintops of Virginia, wants to go to school. Her father promises to send her when she is old enough, but he goes off to fight in the civil war. During the war the school and books are burned. Find a special way to build a new school.

Tags

books, critical thinking, decision making, family, fear, feelings, goal setting, history, loss, parents, poverty, prayer, quilt, reading, rhyme, sadness, siblings, war, writing

Myrtle

Pearson, Tracey Campbell

Myrtle the mouse has a very happy life until Frances the bully moves in next door. The bully won't leave her and her brother alone, so myrtle refuses to play outside anymore. Myrtle's aunt from Africa convinces her to come back outside and arms her with a plan to stop the bully.

Tags

african, animals, assertiveness, bully, conflict resolution, family, fear, feelings, goal setting, happiness, mouse, multicultural, parents, problem solving, sadness, self confidence, shyness, siblings, stress management

Just like new

Manson, Ainslie

It is a time of war and children in England won't have Christmas presents. A little girl's class decides to give gifts they love that are like new. The little girl unselfishly gives up her most cherished doll and inserts a note, and a girl from England becomes her pen pal after receiving the gift.

Tags

books, canada, charity, christmas, church, correspondence, critical thinking, decision making, dolls, empathy, england, family, feelings, food, friendship, happiness, history, holidays, maps, multicultural, nutrition, parents, sadness, ship, siblings, toys, transportation, verbal communication, war

Welcoming babies

Knight, Margy Burns

People celebrate the gift of a new baby in different ways around the world. Babies are welcomed into their families using different customs like singing, kissing, touching, blessing, naming, and other special actions.

Tags

adoption, afghani, african, cambodian, correspondence, customs, family, food, glossary, grandparents, indian, iranian, Jewish, korean, language, multicultural, muslim, native american, pakistani, parents, puerto rican, quakers, siblings, spanish, spiritual, traditions, vietnamese

Do like Kyla

Johnson, Angela

A little girl looks up to her older sister Kyla. Anything Kyla does, her little sister mimics. Her adoration for her sister is evident from waking up to bedtime.

Tags

activities, affection, bedtime, body parts, books, clothing, exercise, family, food, friendship, nutrition, parents, reading, relationship, seasons, self esteem, sequence, shopping, siblings, snow, verbal communication, walking, winter

Beautiful blackbird

Bryan, Ashley

Colorful birds in the forest want to be like the blackbird. The blackbird teaches the other birds that each one is beautiful in its own unique way and that beauty does not come from a color.

Tags

african, assertiveness, beauty, birds, colors, comparisons, dancing, differences, envy, exercise, feelings, multicultural, poetry, rainbow, rhyme, rhythm, self esteem

Start saving Henry

Carlson, Nancy

Henry gets $5 every week for his allowance, but he spends it immediately on something that catches his eye. One day he sees Super Robot Dude, but his mother won't buy it for him and tells him he has to save his allowance. Whenever Henry is close to $30, something happens to make him lose his money again. One day, his grandma has a surprise for Henry, and he learns that working hard to save money will pay off in the end!

Tags

books, decision making, family, giving, goal setting, grandparents, hard work, learning, library, money, numbers, parents, persistence, presents, refusal skills, responsibilities, sharing, verbal communication

Henry & the crazed chicken pirates

Crimi, Carolyn

The Buccaneer Bunnies live a happy life until one day they receive a message in a bottle from the Crazed Chicken Pirates. Henry worries about the note and starts writing plans even through the other bunnies don't believe the note. The day the chickens invade, Henry has to be brave and think of a way to save the other bunnies!

Tags

animals, assertiveness, books, bowling, bravery, chicken, correspondence, critical thinking, decision making, feelings, island, peer resistance, pirates, rabbit, reading, ship, stress, transportation, trick, worry, writing

First pooch: The Obamas pick a pet

Boston Weatherford, Carole

Throughout their father's twenty-two month campaign for president, Malia and Sasha Obama beg their parents for a dog. Finally, when their father becomes the forty-fourth president of the United States, he rewards their patience and good behavior in his victory speech: Malia and Sasha will get their new puppy. What type of dog will they choose? Finally, on April 14th, 2009, a new puppy moves into the White House. It is a Portuguese water dog, and the girls name him Bo.

Tags

allergies, american, animals, author's note, comparisons, decision making, dog, family, health, history, numbers, pets, president, secrets, sequence, siblings, success, united states

In control, Ms. Wiz?

Blacker, Terence

It all seems so simple. To stop the local library from being closed down, Ms. Wiz sprinkles her special powder over a few books to bring them to life. But soon the greediest man in the world, some Flopsy Bunnies, and a very royal couple are on the loose. Jack and Podge are worried- this time, is Ms. Wiz really in control?

Tags

books, careers, feelings, greed, humor, library, magic, reading, worry

The tooth fairy meets El Raton Perez

Lainez, Rene Colato

The Tooth Fairy and El Raton Perez see their signal for a new tooth. When they get to the house, they meet each other for the first time. They start fighting over whose tooth it is which causes the tooth to fly across the room. The tooth lands in the bookshelf. El Raton Perez can't climb up and the Tooth Fairy can't fit in small places. They decide to work together and share the tooth.

Tags

american, author's note, bedtime, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, fairy, language, moon, mouse, multicultural, night, problem solving, sleep, spanish, teeth, travel, verbal communication

Letters to a soldier

Falvey, David// Mrs. Julie Hutt's fourth-grade class

A collection of letters written by Mrs. Julie Hutt's fourth grade class to 1st Lieutenant David Falvey during his tour in Iraq. Read the students' letter to Lieutenant Falvey and his responses back to each individual student. Pictures of the letters, students, and Lieutenant Falvey's safe arrival back to the states are included!

Tags

american, animals, baseball, buildings, careers, cat, correspondence, desert, dog, flag, helicopter, iraq, muslim, pets, photograph, president, school, sports, travel, united states, war, writing

Bartleby Speaks!

Cruise, Robin

Bartleby is a very quiet baby. He learns to crawl, walk and explore, but he still doesn't talk. His family and even the dog try to get him to talk by singing, dancing, playing instruments, but Bartleby still won't speak. On his birthday he speaks his first word: listen, and for the first time his family stops and listens.

Tags

animals, balloon, bicycle, birthday, books, careers, celebration, dancing, dog, flowers, german, grandparents, growing up, instruments, italian, language, music, nonverbal communication, parents, toys, verbal communication

Three names of me

Cummings, Mary

Ada is a Chinese American girl. Ada shares her experiences of being adopted and moving to a new country. She collects new names that melt into one compelling identity for her.

Tags

acceptance, adoption, airplane, american, author's note, body parts, chinese american, culture, differences, family, feelings, food, grandparents, happiness, identity, language, love, multicultural, orphan, parents, poverty, sleep, stars, transportation, travel, writing

I am eyes-nimacho

Ward, Leila

A young girl from Kenya wakes up one morning by saying Nimacho, which means I am awake or I am eyes in Swahilian. Her eyes lead her to observe brilliant things that appear in the African environment and landscape.

Tags

african, animals, crab, crustaceans, elephant, environment, giraffe, multicultural, nature, observation, pelican, sight, vision

Cool dog, school dog

Heiligman, Deborah

Tinka is a cool dog, a breaking-all-the-rules dog! A hall dog, a ball dog, a crash-into-the-wall dog! Join Tinka, a dandy, sandy Golden Retriever, as she unexpectedly visits her owner at school and helps his class learn to read.

Tags

animals, autumn, books, disobedience, dog, family, feelings, glasses, learning, loneliness, parents, reading, sadness, school, seasons, toys, tree

Why the bush fowl calls at sunrise

Tredgold, Margaret

In this folktale from Zimbabwe, a repeated sequence of inadvertent events between people, animals, and objects lead to the bush fowlﾒs eggs being crushed. The bush fowl is too sad to call the sun in the morning so the Great Spirit intervenes. As each participant is questioned by the Great Spirit, the sequence is repeated and deconstructed. Finally, the buzzing fly is restricted to saying only ﾓBUZZﾔ and the bush fowl promises to always call the sun in the morning.

Tags

african, animals, birds, elephant, fly, folktale, insects, multicultural, rat, sequence, snake, sounds, zimbabwe

Meet the gizmos

Tocco, John V.

Pong, a young Chinese Gizmo, journeys to the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time. She is welcomed by Gizmos from other parts of the world, such as Russia, Africa and America. The other Pong is given a tour of the station while sharing the creative and imaginary world of the other Gizmos. The Gizmos do a fabulous job in working as a team to welcome Pong into her new space.

Safari journal

Talbot, Hudson

Carey is a young boy who goes on vacation to Kenya with his aunt. While there he learns about the culture and all of the animals.

Tags

african, airplane, animals, birds, buffalo, car, cattle, critical thinking, crocodile, culture, decision making, desert, egret, elephant, giraffe, goat, habitat, hunting, hyena, kenyan, leopard, lion, multicultural, observation, rhinoceros, safari, stress management, transportation, vacation, verbal communication, village, wilderness, wildlife

Babu's song

Stuve-Bodeen, Stephanie

Bernardi lives with his grandfather, Babu, who is mute and makes toys. Because they do not make much money, Bernardi can not afford to go to school in his native Tanzanian town. Bernardi wants to go to school and play soccer with the other children. Through the unconditional love of Babu, Bernardi learns that sacrifice leads to achieving the impossible dream.

Tags

african, bicycle, family, grandparents, handicap, illness, love, market, money, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, poverty, school, soccer, sports, tanzanian

Mama Elizabeti

Strure-Bodeen, Stephanie

Elizabeti has been taking care of her rock doll, Eva, and is not worried when it comes time for her to take care of Obedi, her younger brother. Throughout the day, Elizabeti quickly finds out Obedi is a handful compared to her rock doll Eva, but is rewarded with Obedi's love at the end of a difficult day.

Tags

african, baby, change, child care, critical thinking, culture, dolls, family, helping, love, multicultural, parents, siblings, stress management, toys

Mufaro's beautiful daughters: An African tale

Steptoe, John

The king of Zimbabwe is choosing a new wife. Mufaro sends his two beautiful daughters to be considered. The main difference between the daughters is that one has a kind temperment and the other has a bad temper.

Tags

african, differences, family, feelings, folktale, jealousy, marriage, nonverbal communication, parents, plants, royalty, self esteem, siblings, verbal communication, zimbabwe

Doctor De Soto goes to Africa

Steig, William

Dr. and Mrs. De Soto travel all the way to Africa to fix an elephant's tooth. When the elephant's enemy kidnaps Dr. De Soto, the elephant worries that Dr. De Soto will never get away.

Tags

african, animals, careers, dentist, determination, elephant, escape, jungle, missing, monkey, mouse, multicultural, stress management, teeth, travel, worry

No! No! No!

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.

Tags

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

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