Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Anno's magic seeds | by Anno, Mitsumasa

Jack is given two magic seeds by a wizard. He is told to plant one seed and eat one seed, but Jack figures out a more lucrative method. How many seeds does each harvest yield?

Keywords: decision making, hurricane, magic, math, plants, survival, weather

Heckedy peg | by Wood, Audrey

A mother goes to market. While she is gone, a witch persuades her children to let her in the house. The witch turns the children into her supper, but the mother arrives home in time to save her children and chase the witch away.

Keywords: conflict resolution, deception, decision making, family, food, magic, nutrition, parents, peer resistance, refusal skills, safety, shelter, verbal communication, witches

Jahdu | by Hamilton, Virginia

Jahdu uses creativity to outwit his shadow in order to recover his magic dust.

Keywords: assertiveness, body image, creativity, critical thinking, decision making, goal setting, magic, shadows, verbal communication

Milo's hat trick | by Agee, Jon

Milo the magician had one more chance to pull a rabbit out of his hat or else he would be fired. While searching for a rabbit, he finds a bear. The bear is able to pretend his bones are made of rubber and agrees to jump out of Milo's hat. The show is a huge success until the bear becomes tired. Milo wonders what he will do until he realizes that he too can pretend his bones are made of rubber.

Keywords: anger, animals, bear, bones, careers, clothing, disappearance, disappointment, entertainment, helping, magic, missing, performance, pretend, rabbit, restaurant, taxi, train, transportation

Nothing to do | by Hoban, Russell

Walter is bored, so his father gives him a magic stone that will make him think of fun activities when rubbed. However, after Walter loses the stone, he realizes that he is capable of entertaining himself. He gives his sister a magic stick so she will stop bothering him.

Keywords: boredom, critical thinking, family, imagination, imitation, magic, parents, play, recreation, siblings

The bakers dozen | by Forest, Heather

Jan Van Amsterdam is a well known baker. People travel from all over to buy his goods. When he begins to get greedy, he starts to use less ingredients in his cookies. When a woman asks for a bakers dozen, he only gives her 12 She puts a curse on him and his baked goods. When he finally realizes that a bakers dozen is 13, the curse is broken.

Keywords: author's note, careers, celebration, christmas, community, deception, folktale, food, greed, holidays, magic, nutrition, poverty, seasons, winter

The magic fan | by Baker, Keith

One night a boy who liked to build things found a magic fan. The fan showed him what he should build to help enhance the village. The fan helped him until he no longer needed it. The fan helped the boy see that the magic was a part of himself.

Keywords: critical thinking, decision making, goal setting, helping, magic, self esteem

The magic school bus at the waterworks | by Cole, Joanna

A class takes a field trip to the waterworks. The trip is magical because the children actually become the size of raindrops. They go through the water purification cycles and learn all about water.

Keywords: adventures, bodies of water, bus, creativity, critical thinking, imagination, magic, school, transportation, travel, verbal communication

The bee-man of orn | by Stockton, Frank R.

A magician tells the Bee-man how he was transformed into the Bee-man, then sets out to find out what he was before.

Keywords: assertiveness, bee, critical thinking, decision making, fear, feelings, goal setting, insects, magic, self esteem

The train | by Lenica, Jan

A train that carries people and animals travels to magical places.

Keywords: animals, magic, train, transportation, travel

The rainbabies | by Melmed, Laura Krauss

An old couple wants a child of their own. They find a bunch of little rainbabies in the grass and they take care of them. A fairy comes to Earth and gives them a real child to love.

Keywords: animals, baby, conflict resolution, fairy, family, love, magic, parents, rain, weasel, weather

Strega nona: Her story as told to Tomie dePaola | by dePaola, Tomie

A little girl name Nona is born, and her Grandma Concetta says that she will teach her the ways of a strega who gives cures and advice on many things. Nona grows up and attends the convent school and the Academy of Stregas in the city. Nona eventually returns to the country to take her Grandma's place after she retires.

Keywords: birth, decision making, grandparents, health, illness, italian, language, magic, multicultural, school, secrets, storytelling

Jazper | by Egielski, Richard

Jazper's dad breaks three legs at work, so Jazper must find a job to pay the rent. He begins watching a house for fire--menacing moths, and, while there, reads and learns how to transform himself into various things. When the moths find out, Jazper must use his new talent to save himself.

Keywords: books, family, helping, insects, magic, money, moth, reading, work

World famous muriel and the magic mystery | by Alexander, Sue

A professor invites Muriel to watch a magician warm up before a magic show. When the magician disappears, the professor asks Muriel to find the magician for him. She needs peanut butter cookies to help her think. She finally finds him in the library and has him back in time to do his magic show.

Keywords: conflict resolution, critical thinking, food, helping, imagination, library, magic, nutrition

The animal garden | by Nash, Ogden

Roy and Joy beg their parents for pets, but they are not allowed because of their parents' allergies. One night, the magical Abidan comes and gives the children seeds. In the morning, they have an animal garden, free of allergies.

Keywords: allergies, animals, conflict resolution, family, illness, magic, parents, pets, siblings

One big wish | by Williams, Jay

Farmer Fred has been given one wish so he wishes that all of his future wishes come true. This wish ends up getting him into trouble and things get out of control.

Keywords: anticipation, careers, chaos, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, greed, magic, verbal communication

The tinderbox | by Moser, Barry

Yoder is a lost soldier trying to find his way home. He runs into an old man who makes him rich, and he also gets the old man's magic tinderbox. Yoder, still lost, continues into a town. He stays in this town because he wants to marry the princess. The tinderbox ends up saving his life and helps him accomplish his goal.

Keywords: animals, community, critical thinking, dog, goal setting, lost, magic, marriage, royalty

A sky full of dragons | by White, M.

Lee Chow and his grandfather talk about the magic of China. Lee Chow plays kites with his friends and they give him marbles. In the end, Lee Chow has many new friends.

Keywords: assertiveness, chinese, conflict resolution, decision making, family, friendship, magic, multicultural, parents, peer resistance, toys, traditions, verbal communication

Gorilla | by Browne, Anthony

Neglected by a busy father, a young girl receives a gorilla stuffed animal from her father. Gorillas are her favorite animal and soon she and her gorilla are off on a magical trip.

Keywords: animals, careers, conflict resolution, family, friendship, gorilla, imagination, love, magic, nonverbal communication, parents, self esteem, verbal communication

The vegetable show | by Brown, Laurie Krasny

Different vegetables put on a vaudeville show for a group of children to enhance their popularity. For example, Bud the Spud does some magic tricks where he becomes a bowl of mashed potatoes, french fries, and potato pancakes. Other vegetable performers include B.A. Dilly (pickle), Miss Lotta Root (carrot), and Super Chile (pepper). By the time the show is over, the children like their vegetables.

Keywords: dancing, exercise, food, magic, nutrition, performance, song

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