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The garden of happiness

Tamar, Erika

A multicultural community works together to clear out an empty lot and turn it into a garden. Marisol plants a sunflower seed in the garden, and watches how it grows and changes through the seasons, contributing to The Garden of Happiness.

Tags

assertiveness, autumn, community, feelings, flowers, garden, goal setting, happiness, multicultural, nonverbal communication, pride, sadness, seasons, stress management, summer, verbal communication

The moon lady

Tan, Amy

Grandma Nai-Nai tells her granddaughters the stories of when she was a seven year old girl in China. One story was about going to see the moon lady and being granted a wish.

Tags

animals, asian, assertiveness, boat, chinese, determination, family, grandparents, multicultural, self esteem, siblings, storytelling, tiger, verbal communication, wish

The chinese siamese cat

Tan, Amy

In this beautifully illustrated book, Ming Miao tells her kittens the tale of why they look like siamese cats, but are truely Chinese. This tale goes back thousands of years to their ancestor, Sagwa Miao of China.

Tags

animals, asian, cat, chinese, conflict resolution, multicultural, peer resistance, problem solving, resolution, royalty, self esteem, storytelling, verbal communication

The best of times

Tang, Greg

Rhymes and mathematical strategies invite you to learn your multiplication facts.

Tags

activities, awareness, challenges, counting, critical thinking, decision making, exploration, learning, math, numbers, problem solving, rhyme, sequence

Hip, hug, hooray!

Tangvald, Christine

Do you know how many types of hugs there are? Look and learn how hugs are imporatant everywhere and everyday.

Tags

activities, affection, animals, baby, bath, beach, bedtime, birds, birthday, books, caring, celebration, church, cleanliness, climbing, dog, family, feelings, food, friendship, glasses, god, grandparents, happiness, hygiene, lake, library, love, night, parents, party, picnic, playground, rabbit, rain, reading, religion, sand, seasons, sheep, snow, soccer, sports, squirrel, storytelling, summer, swimming, tree, umbrella, weather, winter

Annushka's voyage

Tarbescu, Edith

When Tanya and Annushka's mother dies, their father has no choice but to leave Russia for the streets paved with gold. Several years later, the girls' father sends two tickets for their own voyage to America. Before the girls leave, their grandmother gives them each a Sabbath candlestick which will light their way to the New World. Tanya and Annushka's voyage is filled with many sick and sleepless nights. The girls unite with their father by raising their candlesticks.

Tags

animals, author's note, birds, bodies of water, colors, cow, death, doctor, dolls, excitement, family, feelings, grandparents, happiness, horse, illness, immigrants, island, Jewish, letters, loneliness, loss, lost, multicultural, nonverbal communication, ocean, pigeon, prayer, russian, ship, smell, stress management, traditions, train, travel, verbal communication, writing

The me I choose to be

Tarpley, Natasha Anastasia

There are many "I am" statements from different children who refer to a planet, to hope, to a bridge builder, and to a weaver of words. Through creativity, children can become who they choose to be. Feelings of joy, sadness, and laughter are represented by wind, light, and a free spirit. The possibilities are endless for children.

Tags

african american, art, colors, creativity, feelings, friendship, generations, hope, imagination, light, multicultural, photography, plants

I love my hair!

Tarpley, Natasha Anatasia

Although she is often teased by her classmates about her Afro hair, Kenyana learns her hair makes her unique. Both her mother and teacher help show Kenyana why her hair is so special. Kenyana learns that it only matters what she thinks, not others.

Tags

african american, appearance, appreciation, author's note, body parts, creativity, differences, family, imagination, individuality, multicultural, nonverbal communication, parents, self esteem, sounds, teasing, uniqueness, verbal communication

Baby sea otter

Tatham, Betty

A baby sea otter and her mother spend their days searching for food and playing. They spend time in a raft with a group of otters and escaping predators. Soon the baby grows up and ventures out on her own. All of the life lessons she learned will be used when she becomes a mother herself.

Tags

animals, author's note, baby, bodies of water, critical thinking, decision making, family, fear, feelings, happiness, nature, nonverbal communication, ocean, otter, parents, plants, science, self esteem

Little cliff and the porch people

Taulbert, Clifton

As Cliff grows up, he is entrusted more and more to do things on his own. Cliff's great-grandmother has him run an errand for her and along the way Cliff continually gets stopped by neighbors. Each of the neighbors assists Cliff in accomplishing his errand.

Little cliff's first day of school

Taulbert, Clifton

Little Cliff is dreading the first day of school. He has heard that school is all work and no fun. With the continued encouragement of his great-grandmother, Cliff finally heads to school. Upon arrival, he sees all of his friends and discovers that school can be fun too.

Making room

Taylor, Joanne

John William Smith dedicated his life to helping others, especially people in need by inviting them into his very own home! His dedication to family is heart-warming and his marriage is strong. Readers will find a unique meaning of home in this story.

Sophie and jack help out

Taylor, Judy

When papa was not able to plant the garden, Sophie and Jack were quick to help. Their garden was full of surprises. The carrots looked like tomatoes, and in the place of corn there were pumpkins. The reader is invited to participate in figuring out what went wrong.

Tags

assertiveness, confusion, family, food, garden, goal setting, helping, nature, nutrition, parents, siblings, surprises, verbal communication

Henry explores the jungle

Taylor, Mark

Henry's imagination takes him into the jungle to explore and catch a tiger that escaped from the local circus. He quickly catches it, turning his imagination into an adventure.

Tags

adventures, animals, celebration, circus, cow, dog, exploration, goal setting, imagination, jungle, nonverbal communication, tiger, verbal communication

Bobby shafto's gone to sea

Taylor, Mark

This is a story about a man who had no experience on a ship. When he was forced to sail, he ruined everything. However, in the end, he managed to save the ship with his musical talent.

Tags

boat, bodies of water, careers, conflict resolution, critical thinking, music, safety, sea, transportation, verbal communication

Henry explores the mountains

Taylor, Mark

Henry and his dog, Angus, go exploring in the mountains. Henry ends up stopping a forest fire and being a hero.

Tags

adventures, animals, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, dog, exploration, fire, mountains, nature, nonverbal communication, pets, prevention, safety, travel, verbal communication, woods

Henry the castaway

Taylor, Mark

Henry and his dog set out on an exploratory adventure. When they become shipwrecked, they learn survival skills and how to be brave.

Tags

accidents, adventures, animals, assertiveness, bodies of water, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, dog, goal setting, nonverbal communication, ocean, pets, self esteem, stress management, survival, verbal communication

Mississippi bridge

Taylor, Mildred D.

Jeremy Simms, a young white boy, lives in a small town in Mississippi that is segregated. One foggy, rainy day, a bus full of people (mostly whites since some black people had been thrown off to make room for the whites), heads across the bridge and, because of the weather, crashes through the railing and into the water below. Blacks and whites, together, come to the rescue.

Tags

african american, assertiveness, cooperation, equality, family, fear, fog, helping, heroism, multicultural, obedience, parents, rain, siblings, travel, verbal communication, weather

Little mouse and the big cupcake

Taylor, Thomas

Little Mouse finds a big cupcake, but it is so big he can't carry it home. Other animals come by and ask to try the cupcake, but they can't help him carry it. After all the animals have some of the cupcake Little Mouse is sad. He cheers up when he realizes there's a positive side to the smaller cupcake.

Tags

animals, birds, chipmunk, conflict resolution, decision making, excitement, feelings, food, frog, kindness, mole, mouse, opossum, problem solving, sizes

Sense pass king: A story from cameroon

Tchana, Katrin

Ma'antah is an exceptional girl who has many abilities, such as cooking and talking to animals. The villagers call her Sense Pass King because she has more sense than the king. The king is frustrated by her and tries to kill her but she outsmarts him. Later, she works in the palace and is able to make the country better.

Tags

african, anger, assertiveness, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, feelings, helping, jealousy, monsters, multicultural, mythical, royalty, ship, stress management, transportation, verbal communication, village

Oh, no, toto!

Tchana, Katrin Hyman//Pami, Louise Tchana

Toto and Big Mami go to market for a day of shopping. Oh, no, Toto! the villagers cry when Toto Gourmond, the lovable, terrible two year old, sees food. Everything he sees he wants to eat!

Tags

accidents, adventures, africa, animals, assertiveness, author's note, family, feelings, food, friendship, grandparents, happiness, hunger, language, monkey, multicultural, nutrition, parents, shopping, sleep, verbal communication

One halloween night

Teague, Mark

Three children get more than they are trick-or-treating for, when the night turns into one unexpected event after another. The neighbors pass out Broccoli Chews and Eggplant Fizzlers and the trio runs into their nemesis Leona Fleebish. With a sweep of a wand, flash of a pirate sword, and gulp of magic potion, the children create an unforgetable Halloween.

Tags

adventures, african american, animals, assertiveness, autumn, baby, bat, cat, clothing, critical thinking, disappearance, fairy, fear, forest, friendship, halloween, holidays, magic, multicultural, night, rabbit, rhyme, running away, school, seasons, stress management, verbal communication, walking, witches

Pigsty

Teague, Mark

Wendell's room is such a pigsty that he imagines actual pigs living in his room and helping him make the mess. His mother often tells him to clean up the mess, but it isn't until the mess and the pigs get so out of hand that Wendell decides to clean things up.

Tags

animals, cleanliness, decision making, family, helping, imagination, obedience, parents, pig, responsibilities, shelter, verbal communication

The field beyond the outfield

Teague, Mark

A boy with a vivid imagination plays in the outfield of a real baseball game then imagines a game of his own.

Tags

baseball, critical thinking, dreams, fear, feelings, games, imagination, monsters, play, recreation, self esteem, sports, stress management

Owl lake

Tejima, Keizaburo

Father Owl hunts for fish at nightfall to feed his hungry family.

Tags

birds, family, food, hunger, night, owl, parents

Woodpecker forest

Tejima, Keizaburo

A young woodpecker hatches out of his egg and matures until he is ready for his first flight. He is frightened to fly, but the image of his father comforts him.

Tags

birds, birth, family, fear, feelings, growing up, parents, woodpecker

Swan sky

Tejima, Keizaburo

During the winter, a young swan becomes ill and is unable to fly to her summer home. Her family stays with her until she dies, then they fly to their summer home and grieve the loss of their daughter.

Tags

caring, change, conflict resolution, coping, death, family, feelings, grief, illness, loss, sadness, seasons, summer, travel, winter

Fox's dream

Tejima, Keizaburo

A fox, who is on his own, struggles to survive during the winter. He is cold, hungry, and misses his family. In the end, he meets a friend and realizes that he is no longer alone.

Tags

animals, family, feelings, fox, hunger, loneliness, sadness, seasons, survival, winter

The lady's chair and the ottoman

Tennyson, Noel

A little ottoman has always desired to be near the lady's chair. After being patient, the ottoman is at last reunited with the lady's chair.

Tags

anticipation, feelings, goal setting, patience

"L" is for library

Terry, Sonya

Children with a friendly tabby cat, a dog, and ducklings move through the library stacks from A-Z as they discover many things to do and see in a library. You can learn about the Caldecott award, the Dewey Decimal System, and URL Web address.

Tags

alphabet, animals, birds, books, calendar, cat, children, computer, dog, duck, library, onomatopoeia, sequence, technology

Never satisfied

Testa, Fulvio

Two boys walk around their neighborhood complaining that nothing exciting ever happens. They are unaware of the odd events going on around them.

Tags

adventures, awareness, boredom, critical thinking, disappointment, neighbors, nonverbal communication, play, refusal skills, verbal communication

If you take a pencil

Testa, Fulvio

When you take a pencil and begin to draw, your imagination will soar. You may go from drawing cats, to birds, to fish, to sailors, and to treasure chests, where the biggest treasure is the pencil in your hand.

Tags

adventures, animals, art, birds, cat, creativity, fish, imagination

Thumbs up, rico!

Testa, Maria

Rico, a boy with Downs Syndrome, overcomes many obstacles. See how he does it in three different stories.

Tags

art, basketball, challenges, coping, creativity, differences, disability, diseases, family, friendship, siblings, sports

The gingerbread doll

Tews, Susan

Rebecca lived during the Depression when times were hard, so when she gets a gingerbread doll instead of the porcelain doll she has always wanted, she understands and loves the doll. When times get better, Rebecca eventually gets a porcelain doll, but remembers the love she had for her gingerbread doll.

Tags

acceptance, appreciation, christmas, dolls, family, grandparents, holidays, love, memory, moving, parents, poverty, siblings, storytelling, toys

It's me, hippo!

Thaler, Mike

This story consists of four chapters which relate the troubles that hippo has when building a house, when he is painting a landscape scene, when he is healthy while all of his friends are ill, and finally when hippo's friends throw him a surprise party.

Tags

animals, art, careers, change, conflict resolution, coping, decision making, feelings, friendship, frustration, health, hippopotamus, illness, party, peer resistance, shelter, surprises, verbal communication

Moonkey

Thaler, Mike

Monkey falls in love with the moon and will do anything to get to the moon. Monkey's friends try to help him reach the moon, but in the end, Monkey decides that he belongs with the jungle animals.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, feelings, friendship, goal setting, jungle, love, monkey, moon, nonverbal communication, refusal skills, self esteem, verbal communication

The clown's smile

Thaler, Mike

After the smile flies off the clown, he must chase it from the lion tamer to the mayor's wife. After staying away for awhile, the smile comes back to the clown.

Tags

adventures, change, circus, clowns, coping, feelings, lost, nonverbal communication

Owly

Thaler, Mike

Owly, a baby owl, asks his mother questions about the woods and she in turn helps him to discover the answers on his own.

Tags

baby, birds, critical thinking, discovery, family, growing up, nature, owl, parents, woods

The popcorn dragon

Thayer, Jane

Dexter, the dragon, likes to blow smoke and show off. His friends get tired of him always showing off and Dexter becomes very lonely. One day when he is dreaming, he hears fireworks going off. Dexter awakes to corn popping off the cobs -- caused by his hot breath while sleeping!

Tags

animals, dragons, elephant, five senses, food, friendship, giraffe, mythical, nutrition, zebra

Gus was a friendly ghost

Thayer, Jane

Gus, the ghost, asked mouse to stay with him when the family that Gus lived with went away for the summer. The family came back and mouse did not want to share the house, but Gus insisted that he must.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, change, conflict resolution, coping, decision making, ghosts, mouse, peer resistance, sharing, shelter, travel, verbal communication

The puppy who wanted a boy

Thayer, Jane

Petey, the puppy, wants to find a boy for Christmas, but he has a hard time because there is a shortage of boys without dogs. However, right before Christmas, he finds a boys orphanage who wants him.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, christmas, decision making, dog, goal setting, holidays, orphan, pets, refusal skills

Museum shapes

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Children will love learning about shapes through works of art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Tags

art, colors, concepts, creativity, critical thinking, discovery, images, museum, shapes, stars, symbols, vocabulary

Farmer schulz's ducks

Thiele, Colin

After the growing traffic from a nearby city turns the road next to Anna's farm into a dangerous highway, Anna devises a way for her ducks to safely cross the road.

Tags

assertiveness, birds, change, child care, community, conflict resolution, coping, critical thinking, decision making, duck, family, farm, health, parents, refusal skills, safety, verbal communication

Green beans

Thomas, Elizabeth

Dorthea's Gramma has very proper and strict ways of doing things including growing green beans. When Gramma leaves for a trip, she leaves Dorthea and her father in charge but they forget to take care of the beans. Everyone is surprised when Gramma returns.

Tags

assertiveness, change, conflict resolution, dancing, disappointment, exercise, family, five senses, food, frustration, garden, grandparents, hard work, helping, hobby, nutrition, obedience, peer resistance, persistence, plants, rain, seasons, spring, stress management, summer, sun, taste, travel, trust, vacation, weather, worry

Eliza's daddy

Thomas, Ianthe

Eliza's mother and father are divorced so she spends every Saturday with her father. She is curious about his new family and wants to visit them more often.

Tags

change, conflict resolution, coping, curiosity, divorce, family, goal setting, nonverbal communication, parents, self esteem, travel

Willie blows a mean horn

Thomas, Ianthe//Toulimin-Rothe, Ann

Willie spends a night watching his father play jazz on his trumpet. Willie wants to be like his father and his appreciation for music causes him to dream to be a jazz player like his father

Tags

appreciation, careers, dreams, family, goal setting, growing up, music, nonverbal communication, parents

Saying goodbye to grandma

Thomas, Jane Resh

Suzie's grandma died so Suzie goes with her family to her grandparents' house for the funeral. The family experiences many emotions in different ways when dealing with her death.

Tags

acceptance, change, coping, critical thinking, empathy, family, feelings, grandparents, loneliness, loss, love, nonverbal communication, sadness, self esteem, verbal communication

Lights on the river

Thomas, Jane Resh

Teresa and her family are migrant farm workers whose home is wherever there is work. With no permanent home, Teresa carries with her a wooden box containing a single candle from her grandmother that reminds her of the place she considers home.

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