Browse Items · Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Tags: instruments

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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

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 steel pan of Harlem

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!

Tags

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

Spaghetti eddie

SanAngelo, Ryan

Eddie loves spaghetti. He eats it all the time. While running an errand for his mother, Eddie helps several neighbors by using his spaghetti noodles as a shoestring, a fishing net, and guitar strings. Eddie even stops a robber with a meat ball.

Tags

bravery, celebration, community, critical thinking, family, food, friendship, giving, instruments, kindness, neighbors, nutrition, party, self esteem

Heaven's all star jazz band

Carter, Don

A young boy's grandpa dies and he goes to heaven. In heaven, his Grandpa Jack is in a jazz band with all the great musicians.

Tags

african american, angel, band, dancing, death, diversity, emotions, family, feelings, grandparents, happiness, instruments, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, vocabulary

The spirit of tio fernando: A day of the dead story

Levy, Janice

Fernando, a little boy from Mexico, loses his favorite uncle. The family celebrates a holiday called Day of the Dead. Fernando must find the perfect gift to remember his uncle. What does he choose?

Tags

celebration, critical thinking, death, family, flowers, food, holidays, instruments, language, mexican, multicultural, music, parents, spanish, theatre

The red piano

Leblanc-Barroux, Andre

A young pianist is sent to a re-education camp in China. She lives for her secretive two hours of music after a long day's work. Her parents managed to send a piano to Mother Han's house and she manages to smuggle music in notebooks. One night the pianist is caught at the piano, forcing her to live through an extended-re-education while her love and talent for music are challenged.

Meet the planets

McGranaghan, John

Soar into the Solar System to witness the first Favorite Planet Competition, emceed by none other than the former-ninth planet, now known as dwarf planet Pluto. The readers become the judges after the sun can't pick a favorite and the meteors leave for a shower. Who will the lucky winning planet be? Could it be speedy-messenger Mercury, light-on-his-feet Saturn, or smoking-hot Venus? Readers learn all about each planet as Pluto announces them with short, tongue-in-cheek facts. Children will spend hours searching the art for all the references to famous scientists and people of history, space technology, constellations, art, and classic literature.

Tags

author's note, careers, colors, comparisons, competition, critical thinking, day, distance, earth, history, illustrator's note, instruments, moon, night, numbers, order, planet, planets, science, sequence, sizes, space, sun, system, technology, temperature

The twelve days of Christmas

Spirin, Gennady

The Twelve days of Christmas is sung in churches, houses, and concert halls throughout the Christmas season. It is hard to imagine a Christmas celebration without it. From the partridge in the pear tree to the five golden rings to the twelve drummers drumming, carolers enjoy taking turns singing different verses. Gennady Spirin's paintings bring new life and spectacular beauty to this classic song, making it a gift to be treasured at Christmastime. An illustrator' note addresses the song's origin and history.

Tags

author's note, birds, celebration, christmas, dancing, dove, goose, history, holidays, illustrator's note, instruments, jewelry, love, music, numbers, presents, seasons, song, swan, tree, winter

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

Boom bah!

Cummings, Phil

A mouse starts a musical trend by tapping a cup. Other animals join in and the music soon turns into a band. The band meets other animals with louder music and they join together to make a large orchestra of musical animals.

Tags

animals, band, body parts, cat, communication, counting, cow, direction, dog, five senses, horse, instruments, mouse, numbers, pig, rhythm, rooster, sheep, sounds

Grandpa, is everything black bad?

Holman, Sandy Lynne

Montsho struggles with the dark color of his skin. Everything around him that is black is considered bad. Thankfully, Muntsho's grandfather teaches him to appreciate his black skin by telling him stories about his African heritage.

Tags

activities, africa, african, african american, animals, bedtime, colors, confusion, death, discrimination, egypt, emotions, friendship, glasses, grandparents, greek, history, identity, instruments, inventions, language, playing, pride, relationship, rhythm, royalty, self esteem, sounds, storytelling, television, traditions, understanding, witches

Before John was a jazz giant: A song of John Coltrane

Weatherford, Carole Boston

Before John became a jazz giant, he loved music, singing, instruments, and the radio. The bustling of the south and the foundation of his church and family allows John to listen and create his own music.

Tags

african american, body parts, church, cooking, dancing, five senses, history, instruments, multicultural, music, parade, poetry, radio, rhythm, spiritual, technology

In my momma's kitchen

Nolen, Jerdine

A young girl's fondest memories happen in her momma's kitchen. Achievements, family, stories, cooking and love are all celebrated in the kitchen. Great-Aunt Caroline, corn-pudding time and nighttime serenades are a few of the special moments in this loving family.

Tags

accomplishment, african american, animals, bedtime, cat, celebration, cooking, dancing, easter, family, food, friendship, garden, grandparents, holidays, instruments, love, multicultural, music, parents, relationship, school, self esteem, sleep, song, walking, wedding

Yesterday I had the blues

Frame, Jean Ashford

A family explores the various emotions they face each day. Through the use of colors, the main character realizes that even with all the ups and downs of emotions, one color really matters- LOVE of family.

Tags

african american, anger, animals, basketball, bicycle, buildings, bus, car, colors, confidence, cooking, dancing, Days of The Week, depression, dog, drawing, emotions, exercise, family, feelings, games, grandparents, instruments, jumping, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, rhythm, school, sports, stress management, subway, technology, transportation

Bird

Elliot, Zetta

Mehkai struggles with the challenges of life: death of his grandfather and his older brother's drug addition. He soon learns how to cope and manage his stress through drawing. In fact, drawing is an outlet for Bird's emotions and imagination. Mehkai learns the benefits of perseverance, hard work, and family.

Tags

african american, aggression, airplane, art, birds, buildings, crime, day, death, decision making, drawing, dreams, drugs, emotions, family, feelings, grandparents, hard work, imagination, instruments, loss, museum, music, park, problem solving, relationship, robbery, school, siblings, storytelling, stress management, technology

The boy who wouldn't go to bed

Cooper, Helen

Not wanting to go to sleep, a little boy rides away in his car to find someone to stay up and play with him all night. As the determined little boy drives off, he encounters exciting things such as a lion and a parade of soldiers. After searching for someone to play with him, the little boy finds someone who is still awake.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, bedtime, car, conflict resolution, disobedience, family, imagination, instruments, moon, music, night, parade, play, shadows, sizes, sleep, train, transportation

Where does joe go?

Pearson, Tracey Campbell

Every winter Joe from the neighborhood Snack Bar disappears without a trace. All of the towns people have creative ideas on where he is. But in the end he turns out to be someone the children love...even more than the hotdogs and ice cream he gives them in the summertime!

Tags

archeology, astronaut, autumn, beach, bones, change, community, critical thinking, dancing, excitement, five senses, food, gossip, instruments, monuments, moon, music, nonverbal communication, nutrition, privacy, royalty, santa, seasons, ship, spring, summer, transportation, travel, vacation, winter, work

Do you want to play?A book about being friends

Kolar, Bob

Do you want to play?These two children have lots of ideas about what they can do. They can play together or alone or even in a big group. The park is fun, so is a board game, There are so many things to do with a friend, the possibilities are endless!

Tags

apology, body parts, conflict resolution, cooperation, fight, food, friendship, games, health, helping, instruments, listening, music, nutrition, park, play, playground, playing, reading, relationship, self esteem, sharing, storytelling, understanding, verbal communication

I want to be

Moss, Thylias

This young girl is asked, What do you want to be? She spends all day going around her town imagining all the things she wants to be. Finally, she figures it out. She wants to do everything.

Tags

community, critical thinking, dancing, discovery, dreams, exercise, five senses, games, goal setting, imagination, instruments, kite, language, music, park, plants, play, self confidence, self esteem, sight, touch, train, transportation, verbal communication

Lookin' for bird in the big city

Burleigh, Robert

Miles Davis loves music. Wherever he is, Miles can feel music. Miles dreams of playing his trumpet with the great saxophonist, Charlie Bird Parker, so he travels to New York City to find him. After many hours of searching, Miles finds Bird and the two play beautiful music together.

Tags

african american, assertiveness, birds, confidence, dreams, feelings, ferry, five senses, goal setting, imagination, instruments, listening, multicultural, music, performance, rhythm, sounds, subway, transportation

The music in derrick's heart

Battle-Lavert, Gwoddolyn

Derrick, a young African American boy, learns to make music on the harmonica. Uncle Booker T., a talented musician, spends each day, one hot summer, teaching Derrick the art of playing the harmonica. Finally, after much practice and determination, Derrick discovers the secret of Uncle Booker T.'s music: it comes from the heart.

Tags

african american, arthritis, band, dancing, determination, diseases, exercise, five senses, generations, instruments, learning, multicultural, music, patience, play, playing, practice, seasons, sleep, sounds, summer

Something special for me

Williams, Vera B.

On her birthday, Rosa gets to buy whatever she wants from the money jar. Rosa and Mom shop all day. Rosa finally decides to buy an accordian.

Tags

birthday, celebration, confusion, critical thinking, decision making, family, grandparents, instruments, music, parents, shopping

Khasa goes to the fiesta

Sotomayor, Antonio

Khasa goes to the Fiesta with his uncle. When the two are separated, Khasa goes through a great adventure getting back to his uncle.

Tags

adventures, assertiveness, carnival, crisis, family, feelings, instruments, lost, mexican, multicultural, music, party, sadness, separation, teeth

The little brass band

Brown, Margaret Wise

A band gathers on a trail, then go into a town to play for people. When they are finished, they slowly go their separate ways.

Tags

community, instruments, money, music, sounds, verbal communication

Mama don't allow

Hurd, Thacher

Miles gets a saxophone for his birthday. He loves to practice the saxophone, but his family won't let him because of the awful sounds he makes. The only ones who appreciated his music are the alligators.

Tags

alligator, birthday, celebration, conflict resolution, family, instruments, music, noise, parents, presents, reptiles

Rosie's fiddle

Root, Phyllis

Rosie O'Grady loves being by herself, but people can't stay away when she plays her fiddle. She is so good that they say she could out-fiddle the devil himself!One day, the devil shows up to challenge Rosie to a contest, the devil's golden fiddle for Rosie's soul!

Zin!Zin!Zin!A violin

Moss, Lloyd

How do different musical instruments sound when they are played?All the different instruments play together at the end in an orchestral performance. Do they receive an encore?

Tags

five senses, instruments, music, performance, poetry, rhyme, sounds

My friend the piano

Cowen, Catherine

Even though this little girl thinks she is a wonderful piano player, mother insists on lessons. But the piano is friends with the young girl and wants her to continue playing her own music. To avoid being sold, they take off on an exciting adventure.

Tags

adventures, conflict resolution, creativity, differences, feelings, friendship, instruments, music, practice, relationship, sounds

When uncle took the fiddle

Gray, Libba Moore

Stretching and yawning with slumberous faces a family seems so sleepy and sluggish... until Uncle puts the rappa-tap-tap back in their step with the cheerful music he plays on his fiddle. Soon every generation of the family is singing, dancing, and frolicking around the house.

Tags

animals, baby, cat, dancing, dog, entertainment, exercise, family, fun, generations, grandparents, instruments, music, neighbors, parents, rhyme, siblings, sleep, sounds

Bonaparte

Chall, Marsha Wilson

Jean Claude is going to boarding school, but no dogs are allowed at La School d'Excellence. Poor Bonaparte must find a way to be with Jean Claude!

Tags

animals, architecture, assertiveness, bedtime, careers, caring, compromise, critical thinking, culture, determination, disappointment, dog, family, feelings, food, french, friendship, frustration, happiness, health, instruments, loneliness, love, monuments, multicultural, music, nutrition, parents, pets, problem solving, rules, sadness, school

A band of angels: A story inspired by the jubilee singers

Hopkinson, Deborah

A young girl listens to a story told by her aunt. Her story is about the young girl's great great grandmother and how she used her voice and dedication to fight for her education after the slaves were freed. The story was also tells how a group of singers toured and sang slave songs. They were trying to save their school, but ended up creating a university.

Your body from head to toe

Roca, Nuria

Your body can do so many things. When you were born, you were only a baby. Then as you grew, you learned how to walk, eat, hear, taste, smell, see, and touch things. It is important to take care of your body so that it can continue to sense the world around you.

Tags

animals, baby, balloon, bath, bicycle, birth, body image, body parts, bones, cat, cold, dog, exercise, family, five senses, flowers, food, glasses, grandparents, growing up, hearing, hygiene, instruments, listening, mouse, music, puppets, rabbit, self esteem, sight, sign language, smell, swimming, taste, teeth, touch, toys

Smooch your pooch

Slater, Teddy

Dogs are lovable companions and always want to be at your side. Rhyming poetry portrays a day in the life of dogs and their owners. Smooch your pooch and hug him anywhere. To make your dog happy, you must keep him busy.

Tags

affection, bicycle, caring, companion, counting, dog, instruments, loyalty, numbers, poetry, rhyme, skateboarding, song

Who bop?

London, Jonathon

Join this celebration of dance and jazz music!A cat named Jazz-Bo leads a band that plays at the sock hop. All the animals gather together for a fun time of dance and rhyme.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, body parts, cat, celebration, chaos, dancing, diversity, dog, exercise, feelings, frog, happiness, hare, instruments, lion, party, rhyme, rhythm, sheep, snake

Joshua's masai mask

Hru, Dakari

When Joshua is pressured by his parents to play his African instrument in the school talent show, he is embarrassed because it is not as cool as the rap his friends will do. His uncle then gives him a magical mask which makes Joshua seem cool to other people. When he realizes he would rather make music with his Kalimmba, he is a hit at the talent show.

Tags

african american, competition, embarrassment, empathy, fable, family, instruments, magic, music, parents, performance, school

Let's count

Hoban, Tana

Tana Hoban introduces the numbers one to one hundred. Each page shows the number, its correct spelling, dots, and a photograph.

Tags

animals, balloon, colors, counting, dog, food, glasses, instruments, numbers, photograph, plants

One dancing drum

Kredenser, Gail//Mack, Stanley

Let's build a band by counting!Has numbers written in words and has 10 different instruments. This will help you recognize number words and colors.

Tags

collection, colors, counting, instruments, music, numbers, sequence

Seven brave women

Hearne, Betsy

A young girl tells the story of her family's history. She explains how each of her female ancestors played a very important role in the shaping of this family's history.

Tags

aging, airplane, anger, animals, art, author's note, basketball, boat, careers, coping, farm, feelings, flowers, german, god, grandparents, history, horse, hospital, instruments, loneliness, loss, medicine, multicultural, music, native american, parents, school, science, sports, storytelling, transportation, war

When vera was sick

Rosenberry, Vera

Vera is sick. She has to sleep in the spare bedroom until she feels better, but it's lonely and scary in there. Her mother tries to make her more comfortable, but she just can't sleep and she's too sick to do anything else. After a few days of rest, Vera is feeling better. She plays games, sings songs, painted pictures, and then finally goes outside to play.

Tags

art, books, caring, chicken pox, doctor, family, fear, feelings, flowers, food, games, health, illness, instruments, loneliness, medicine, music, nonverbal communication, nutrition, parents, plants, playing, reading, siblings, sleep, song

The maestro plays

Martin, Bill Jr.

The Maestro is a musician who gives a concert playing many different instruments and playing with different volumes, styles and moods.

Tags

careers, instruments, moods, music

Waiting to sing

Kaplan, Howard

A young boy loves playing the piano but especially listening to his father play while his mother sings along. The boy's mother also listens to him play. Shortly after the boy, his sister, and his father come back from a vacation at the beach, the mother dies. Playing the piano helps the young boy and his father cope with their loss.

Cold feet

DeFelice, Cynthia

Playing the bagpipes is Willie McPhee's favorite form of entertainment, but because his audience is unable to pay for his entertainment, Willie is forced to leave. On his journey to find money, he becomes tired and his clothes wear out. Across the forest he sees a dead man and since his shoes are torn, he takes the dead man's boots. As he approaches a house to find hospitality, see how the dead man comes back to haunt him.

Tags

animals, author's note, behavior, body parts, caring, clothing, cold, compromise, consequences, cow, critical thinking, death, decision making, exercise, folktale, giving, instruments, snow, sounds, storytelling, survival, travel, walking, weather, winter

The collector of moments

Buchholz, Quint

A violin player becomes quick friends with an artist, Max, who moves into the apartment above her family's. She is curious about the secrets that were held in his imaginative paintings. When Max does share his paintings with her, she is amazed at what she sees.

Tags

anticipation, appreciation, art, beach, bodies of water, collection, companion, creativity, critical thinking, curiosity, ferry, friendship, imagination, instruments, music, nonverbal communication, ocean, sea, secrets, self esteem, sharing, snow

If you give a pig a pancake

Numeroff, Laura Jofee

What happens when you give a pig a pancake?She'll probably ask for some syrup to go with it. What will she want next?

Tags

animals, cleanliness, dancing, farm, friendship, homesickness, instruments, nonverbal communication, photograph, pig, play, tools, tree, wood

Dance

Shumaker, Ward

Join pigs, cats, dogs, ducks, and many other animals as they dance the night away. The animals demonstrate many different dances from flopping and dropping to swirling and twirling to the music.

Tags

animals, bear, cat, dancing, dog, dragons, duck, elephant, exercise, fun, instruments, jumping, kangaroo, monkey, nonverbal communication, pig, play, poetry, rabbit, shapes, turtle, verbal communication

Mole music

McPhail, David

Mole lives by himself underground, spending his days digging tunnels. One night her hears the beautiful music from a violin, and he gets one and begins to make wonderful music. Although he thinks he is playing only for himself, his music has an impact on numerous people.

Tags

ambition, animals, conflict resolution, dedication, dreams, goal setting, hobby, instruments, listening, mole, music, nonverbal communication, peace, practice, royalty, success

Meet the marching smithereens

Hayes, Ann

Join the parade as the drum major leads the rest of the marching smithereens down the street towards the cheering crowd. Each animal plays a different instrument to make a sound the crowd loves.

Tags

alligator, animals, band, bear, beaver, crocodile, elephant, exercise, fun, giraffe, hippopotamus, instruments, kangaroo, lion, mice, monkey, moose, mouse, music, nonverbal communication, parade, rabbit, raccoon, rhinoceros, rhythm, skating, sounds, tiger, turtle, verbal communication, walking, zebra

The blues of flats brown

Myers, Walter Dean

Flats the dog loved to play the blues on his guitar, but his master, A.J. Grubbs had another idea. He wanted Flats, and his friend Caleb, to become fighting dogs. Finally tired of Grubbs' abuse, Flats and Caleb run away. They decide to pursue Flats' musical career, but everywhere they go Grubbs finds them. In the end, their owner has a change of heart about Flats playing the blues.

Look look look

Hoban, Tana

Animals, flowers, food, and instruments have different textures. A small part of each object is seen first then the whole picture comes into view when you turn the page. (A Wordless Book)

Tags

animals, art, cat, critical thinking, dog, elephant, five senses, flowers, food, instruments, reptiles, sheep, smell, touch, turtle

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