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

Tags: music

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The unbeatable bread

Hoopes, Lyn Littlefield

Uncle Jon is determined to melt away the winter with his unbeatable bread. The wonderful aroma from his bread lures children and wild animals out of the cold winter morning into his kitchen.

Tags

ambition, animals, cooking, determination, five senses, food, health, moon, music, nutrition, rhyme, seasons, sleep, smell, song, sun, verbal communication, winter

Treasure nap

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.

Tags

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

Jolie shows courage in her community by protecting the school that will educate her and others. Jolie is afraid others will burn down the school. Jolie never gives up hope, and learns about famous African Americans who were brave and made a difference in their community, just like Jolie.

Tags

african american, anger, art, body parts, books, bravery, buildings, careers, change, church, community, courage, education, family, fire, freedom, god, hard work, history, music, neighbors, poetry, quilt, relationship, religion, running, school, slavery, song, spiritual, stars, teaching

Lift every voice and sing

Johnsson, James Weldan

Lift every voice puts pictures to the African American National Anthem. The lyrics tell the story of Black people's past struggles and the hope that Blacks will continue to have towards their future.

Tags

africa, african american, bodies of water, body parts, courage, culture, day, diversity, family, fear, freedom, god, history, hope, illustrator's note, lyrics, moon, multicultural, music, night, poetry, pride, relationship, rhythm, running, sea, ship, singing, sky, song, tree, violence, water

In the time of the drums

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.

Tags

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

A joyful day!

Stanbridge, Bobette

Cheerful bird has many nature-filled adventures with her tree friends and rock friends. Also meet Miss Annie Elephant who changes colors with her mood, and Selina Butterfly who changes patterns.

Tags

adventures, animals, bear, birds, butterfly, change, circus, colors, dreams, elephant, feelings, flowers, friendship, images, insects, instruments, moods, mouse, music, nature, pattern, performance, plants, rules, travel, tree, turtle

Teacher! Sharing, helping, caring

Hubbell, Patricia

Great big school! In we go! Our teacher greets us, waves hello! A teacher and her class do lots of interesting things throughout the week. They paint, read, look at weather charts, count money, work on the computer, and greet a special guest. The students not only learn, but they have fun, too. And so does the teacher!

Tags

african american, alphabet, art, asian american, careers, caring, computer, cooperation, Days of The Week, garden, helping, learning, multicultural, music, numbers, playground, reading, role model, school, teaching

The bat boy and his violin

Curtis, Gavin

Reginald loves playing the violin. Every free moment Reginald practices his violin, but his dad wants him to play baseball instead. Reginald does not give up. Soon his dad realizes the value and talent that Reginald has for the violin.

Tags

acceptance, african american, ambition, baseball, bus, camping, car, celebration, crowd, dedication, discrimination, embarrassment, encouragement, family, feelings, games, happiness, hard work, helping, history, instruments, love, mistake, multicultural, music, performance, practice, relationship, running, sports, transportation

The piano man

Chocolate, Debbie

A young girl listens to her grandfather share his deep love for music and the piano. Grandfather shares the history of silent movies, Vaudeville, Ragtime, and Broadway. He never lets his passion for music end and continues to share it with his grandaughter.

Tags

african american, aging, author's note, body parts, careers, celebration, clothing, dancing, emotions, entertainment, exercise, family, feelings, film, grandparents, history, humor, instruments, marriage, medicine, memories, multicultural, music, new baby, opera, performance, presents, relationship, rhythm, sounds, technology, theatre, travel

Up home

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.

Tags

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

Mr. George Baker

Hest, Amy

Harry enjoys spending time with his older next door neighbor, Mr. Baker. Harry likes to wait for the bus with Mr. George Baker. Harry learns about Mr. Baker's life as a musician and learns that a person is never too old to learn to read.

Tags

african american, aging, autumn, body parts, books, bus, clothing, dancing, education, embarrassment, friendship, fun, generations, happiness, hard work, instruments, learning, love, marriage, multicultural, music, school, seasons, shoes, tobacco, transportation, walking

Wash day

Cole, Barbara H.

Every wash day, Granpa plays his trumpet, keeping the children entertained while Miss. Ett does the wash. This music tradition stays strong until grandpa becomes ill and a tragedy occurs, causing grandpa to pass on his beloved trumpet to begin a new tradition.

Tags

clothing, family, feelings, fire, friendship, grandparents, happiness, helping, illness, instruments, loss, memories, multicultural, music, neighbors, parents, president, pretend, respect, sadness, traditions, train, work

Ella sets the stage

Amico, Carmela

Ella wants so badly to be in the school talent show, but she has no talent. She decides instead to join the talent show committee and helps make the show the best it can be. During the show, something unexpected happens and Ella comes to the rescue, finding her true talent: helping others.

Tags

animals, arabian, art, cooking, dancing, discovery, elephant, exercise, feelings, happiness, helping, heroism, identity, instruments, juggling, jumping, magic, music, performance, poetry, practice, puppets, sadness, school, shyness, song, sounds, support, writing

My kindergarten

Wells, Rosemary

Kindergarten is no longer a mystery, thanks to Emily who illustrates the lessons and activities in Miss Cribbageﾒs classroom. Many concepts are explored in this kindergarten classroom. Poems, songs, and activities keep the lessons light-hearted and enjoyable.

Tags

african american, alphabet, art, calendar, celebration, colors, critical thinking, dancing, Days of The Week, decision making, exercise, flowers, hanukkah, hebrew, holidays, kwanzaa, latin, letters, library, maps, math, money, month, moon, multicultural, museum, music, photograph, poetry, politics, rain, school, science, self esteem, sequence, snow, song, temperature, valentine's day, weather, wind

Baxter Barret Brown's bass fiddle

McKenzie, Tim A

Baxter Barret Brown loves to play his bass fiddle. He decides to take it with him wherever he goes and turn it into whatever he needs. However, he soon learns that when he changes the fiddle he can't play the music he loves and must change it back if he wants what really makes him happy.

Tags

airplane, alliteration, bicycle, boat, critical thinking, feelings, happiness, imagination, instruments, music, nonverbal communication, sadness, shelter, sounds, tools, transportation

Two friends: A story from Zambia

Mashiri, Pascal

Two friends need sleep. Unfortunately, snoring becomes a problem for one of them. The friend that solves the problem doesnﾒt get the sleep.

Not norman: A goldfish story

Bennett, Kelly

When a boy gets Norman, a goldfish, for his birthday he is disappointed. He wants an energetic pet with which to run and play. He makes a plan to take Norman back to the pet store and get another pet. After show and tell at school, he decides to keep him. Norman likes his music and makes him laugh; besides any other pet just wouldnﾒt be the same, they would not be Norman.

John Philip Duck

Polacco, Patricia

Edward and his father work at a hotel and return home on the weekends. One weekend, Edward finds a motherless duckling near the pond. Edward is permitted by his father to take the duck to work, only if he keeps it out of the hotel managerﾒs sight. When the manager discovers the duck, Edward saves the day by showing the manager how he has trained the duck to march to music by John Philip Sousa. Edward trains many more ducks to live in the hotel fountain.

Once upon an ordinary school day

McNaughton, Colin

An ordinary boy has no idea what is in store for him one fateful, ordinary day. Everything appears to be normal until his new school teacher; Mr. Gee walks through the door. The once ordinary day turns into a whirlwind of adventures

Tags

adventures, animals, bedtime, change, dreams, fantasy, imagination, magic, music, preparation, pretend, routine, self esteem, surprises, teaching, writing

Subway

Suen, Anastasia

The subway is underground uptown. People walk to it, hop on it, and ride it. Some play music, others watch out the windows. When it comes to stops, some get off, others continue to ride the subway until they reach their destination.

Tags

direction, exercise, hopping, moving, music, night, nonverbal communication, rhyme, subway, symbols, transportation, travel, walking, weather, wind

Jazzy Miz Mozetta

Roberts, Brenda C.

One night Miz Mozetta decided that she felt like dancing. Her friends outside made excuses not to dance and the children across the street would not let her. Miz Mozetta sulks to her room, but soon enough her friends and the children show up in her memories ready to dance the jitterbug all night long.

The heroic symphony

Harwell-Celenza, Anna

Ludwig Van Beethoven learns he is going deaf. He is an accomplished and promising young pianist and this devastates him. Beethoven realizes his condition is actually leading to his destiny not his downfall. In creating his symphony no. 3 he searches for a hero on which to base his musical inspiration. He eventually realizes it is about him!

Marsupial Sue

Lithgow, John

Marsupial Sue is not a happy kangaroo. She does not enjoy the things kangaroos do. Marsupial Sue decides to go explore and find the place where she belongs. She tries to fit in with many other groups of animals. She finally discovers the place where she is happiest.

Tags

animals, autumn, birds, bodies of water, climbing, conflict resolution, decision making, exercise, feelings, freedom, goal setting, happiness, health, hopping, illness, kangaroo, koala, learning, music, nonverbal communication, platypus, sadness, sand, sea, self esteem, song, summer, verbal communication, wallaby

Off to the sweet shores of Africa: And other talking drum rhymes

Unobagha, Uzo

African-inspired nursery rhymes.

Tags

africa, animals, beach, birds, bodies of water, camel, cattle, celebration, chicken, community, cooking, desert, dog, donkey, eagle, elephant, fable, fish, fruit, giraffe, goat, grasshopper, instruments, lion, mice, monkey, multicultural, music, ocean, parade, play, rainbow, rhyme, rhythm, river, sand, song, tree, village, zebra

We

Schertle, Alice

Describes the emergence of humankind out of Africa, charting the course of human development from seven million years ago to today, highlighting the development of diversity among peoples and our ability to invent and discover.

Tags

africa, art, astronomy, baseball, boat, bodies of water, buildings, construction, desert, discovery, exploration, forest, history, home, inventions, machines, moon, mountains, music, nonverbal communication, poetry, prayer, religion, rhythm, river, sea, sports, sun, technology, transportation, travel, verbal communication, war

Cool time song

Schaefer, Carole Lexa

After a hot day on the African savannah, the animals begin to move and make sounds in the cool air of evening.

Tags

africa, animals, birds, day, desert, elephant, giraffe, hyena, lion, music, night, savannah, song, sounds, sun, zebra

Kofi and his magic

Angelou, Maya

A young Ashanti boy describes some of the wonders of his life in and around the West African village of Bonwire.

Tags

africa, beach, bodies of water, celebration, colors, culture, customs, dancing, differences, dreams, imagination, instruments, language, magic, multicultural, music, ocean, pattern, photograph, travel

Drumbeat in our feet

Keeler, Patricia//Leitao, Julio T.

Informative passages and lyrical verse explore the history and rhythmic qualities of traditional African dance as performed long ago and today.

Tags

africa, african, african american, america, animals, celebration, ceremony, colors, congo, dancing, elephant, ethnic, exercise, generations, geography, history, instruments, learning, maps, monkey, multicultural, music, nonfiction, nonverbal communication, performance, rhythm, storytelling, traditions, village

Ashanti to zulu: African traditions

Musgrove, Margaret

Explains some traditions and customs of twenty-six African tribes beginning with the letters from A to Z.

Tags

africa, african, alphabet, animals, boat, bodies of water, cattle, celebration, clothing, community, crocodile, dancing, family, farmer, fishing, geography, instruments, language, maps, multicultural, music, nonfiction, nonverbal communication, parrot, play, prayer, river, symbols, traditions, transportation

Afro-bets: First book about africa

Ellis, Veronica

Mr. Amegashie explores the cultural diversity, rich history, and the beautiful and exciting land of Africa.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, bodies of water, business, camel, celebration, ceremony, culture, customs, dancing, desert, discrimination, diversity, egypt, family, forest, geography, ghana, history, horse, hyena, independence, instruments, islam, learning, leopard, library, maps, mountains, multicultural, music, muslim, nigerian, nonfiction, nonverbal communication, photograph, religion, river, school, ship, slavery, storytelling, traditions, transportation, verbal communication, village, water, zimbabwe

Emeka's gift: An african counting story

Onyefulu, Ifeoma

As Emeka sets off to visit his grandmother in the next village, he wonders what he can take her for a present. He passes through the market and sees lots of things Granny would like - there were four brooms, five big hats to keep the sun off, six necklaces, eight water pots. But with no money, Emeka can not buy anything. Will Granny understand?

Tags

africa, african, decision making, dreams, family, food, friendship, games, geography, giving, grandparents, jewelry, jungle, market, money, multicultural, music, numbers, photograph, photography, play, traditions, travel, work

Ogbo: Sharing life in an african village

Onyefulu, Ifeoma

Ogbo are a special part of village life in Nigeria, uniting children of the same age in a lifelong fellowship - a group with whom they celebrate festivals, share day-to-day chores, and face the challenges of growing up. A young girl named Obioma helps us understand what belonging to an ogbo means. Growing, working, and relaxing together, the ogbo weave the fabric of village life.

Tags

africa, african, celebration, chores, cleanliness, community, customs, death, family, friendship, grandparents, instruments, language, multicultural, music, nigerian, parents, photograph, respect, responsibilities, singing, song, storytelling, traditions, village, work

A child story in a south african city

Wulfsohn, Gisele

Presents a day in the life of a child living in Johannesburg, discussing the social life, customs, religion, history, and language of South Africa.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, bath, cooking, dancing, dog, exercise, family, food, friendship, games, history, instruments, language, learning, market, multicultural, music, photograph, play, rabbit, routine, school, soccer, sports, technology, work

A triangle for Adaora: An African book of shapes

Onyefulu, Ifeoma

When Adaora's cousin promises to find a triangle for her, he does'nt realize just how difficult the task might be. As they search through their village, the cousins encounter a variety of other shapes - heart-shaped leaves, circular elephant drums, crescent-shaped plantains - everything but the shape they seek. Just when the children are too tired to look anymore, they find a perfect triangle...and a great surprise to go along with it!

Tags

africa, african, community, family, food, fruit, jewelry, multicultural, music, plants, problem solving, shapes, siblings, traditions, verbal communication, village

Jamari's drum

Bynum, Eboni//Jackson, Roland

Jamari grows up drawn to the beating of the djembe, the keeper of the peace, the great drum of his Mali village. Jamari grows older and becomes the drummer of the djembe. He eventually gets caught up in other aspects of village life. When the village is once again threatened by the nearby angry mountain, Jamari returns to his post as drummer for village peace.

Tags

africa, african, clothing, community, dedication, fable, family, five senses, harmony, instruments, language, marriage, mountains, multicultural, music, peace, rhythm, storytelling, traditions, village

African beginnings

Haskins, James//Benson, Kathleen

Come explore and celebrate the powerful impact people of African descent have made on world history and on the American experience.

Tags

africa, african, animals, architecture, art, bodies of water, business, clothing, culture, dancing, death, desert, discrimination, donkey, egypt, europe, flood, food, geography, ghana, hard work, history, instruments, islam, leadership, lizard, maps, multicultural, music, muslim, nigerian, nonfiction, nonverbal communication, ocean, religion, river, ship, slavery, time, traditions, transportation, verbal communication, village, work, zimbabwe

Can you hear the sea?

Cumberbatch, Judy

Sarah's grandpa gives her a special shell and says if she listens carefully she can hear the sea, but all she hears are every day village noises.

Tags

africa, african, animals, beliefs, bodies of water, cooking, family, food, fruit, grandparents, instruments, listening, monkey, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, persistence, river, sea, shells, sounds, trust, village

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

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

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

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 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

Elephant dance: memories of India

Heine, Theresa

Ravi's grandfather comes from India so Ravi asks him questions aabout India. Grandfather uses a simile to describe different aspects of India. Ravi is interested in the elephants of India and dances an elephant dance.

Tags

animals, colors, cooking, dancing, elephant, fish, flowers, food, horse, india, love, maps, multicultural, music, presents, rain, rainbow, shopping, sleep, snow, storytelling, sun, tiger, weather, wind

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

Food fight

Shields, Carol Diggory

Food takes on a whole new perspective with a play on words. A steady rhythm is evident and the food springs to life. Makes you wonder what really happens when that refrigerator door closes.

Tags

activities, food, humor, literal interpretation, music, nutrition, poetry, rhyme, rhythm, verbal communication

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.

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