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

Tags: magic

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Well, i never!

Pearson, Susan

One day things become very strange for a family living in Iowa. Nothing seems to go as planned. They finally figure out that this is because their farm has floated up into the sky. They get their farm back to earth by weighing it down.

Tags

chaos, clouds, conflict resolution, confusion, decision making, family, fantasy, farm, grandparents, humor, magic, parents, problem solving, siblings

The miracle of the potato latkes

Penn, Malka

Tanta Golda is a Russian woman who makes the most delicious potato latkes in Russia. This year, there is only one tiny potato from the harvest. Tanta doesn't know what to do. When a beggar comes to her door, she feeds him the one potato. The beggar brings her good luck, and there are potato latkes for everyone!

Tags

celebration, feelings, food, hanukkah, happiness, holidays, magic, multicultural, nutrition, preparation, recipe, russian, sadness

My ol' man

Polacco, Patricia

Patricia Polacco tells the story of her childhood summers at her dad's house. As a traveling car salesman, her father brought home many stories to share with his children. Together they experience a magic rock that has the power to change their outlook on life.

Tags

careers, change, conflict resolution, coping, critical thinking, divorce, family, goal setting, grandparents, magic, seasons, storytelling, summer, verbal communication

Simple simon and the magic fish

Richter, K

Simon is made fun of all the time because he is very simple. One day, he catches a magic fish who grants him some wishes. Simon's life changes forever.

Tags

change, conflict resolution, differences, fish, kindness, magic, nonverbal communication, peer resistance, refusal skills, self esteem, verbal communication

Dinner at aunt connie's house

Ringgold, Faith

While Melody and her aunt's adopted son, Lonnie, are playing hide-and-seek, they stumble upon something magical. They discover that her aunt's paintings can speak. Each of the paintings is a portrait of a famous African-American woman, who tells Melody and Lonnie of their accomplishments.

Tags

accomplishment, african american, art, assertiveness, conflict resolution, discovery, family, food, goal setting, history, magic, multicultural, nutrition, pride, progress, racism, self esteem

The cinder-eyed cats

Rohmann, Eric

A boy makes a journey to an island in the middle of the ocean by way of a flying boat. When night falls on the island, cinder-eyed cats come out to play. The creatures of the sea come out of the water to dance and interact with the boy and the cats until the night is over. When it is morning, the creatures all leave and the boy goes home too, until it is night again.

Tags

animals, boat, bodies of water, cat, fire, fish, imagination, island, magic, moon, night, ocean, perspective, rhyme, sand, sardine, shadows, starfish, tuna, whale

The secret of the stones

San Souci, Robert D.

John and Clara work very hard all day, but they have no children to love. One night Clara finds two little white stones and brings them home with her. When they came home the next night all of the chores had been done, and John and Clara must find out who their helpers are and how to help them!

Tags

african american, animals, author's note, bones, cabin, chicken, conflict resolution, cow, decision making, escape, farm, folktale, food, hard work, magic, multicultural, nutrition, orphan, poverty, rocks, song, stream, verbal communication

Little anna and the magic hat

Sandberg, Inger//Sandberg, Lasse

Little Anna has a babysitter that is too tall to stand up in her house, so he has to lie on the floor. While on the floor, he shows Anna his magic hat. Unfortunately what he commands to come out is not always what appears from the hat.

Tags

assertiveness, child care, clothing, decision making, fantasy, magic

Witch hazel

Schertle, Alice

A boy makes a scarecrow out of a witch hazel branch. The scarecrow, Hazel, has special powers only the boy knows of. Hazel saves a pumpkin to make a large harvest moon with it.

Tags

assertiveness, creativity, critical thinking, decision making, family, halloween, holidays, imagination, magic, moon, nonverbal communication, refusal skills, scarecrows

Abiyoyo

Seeger, Pete

A little boy and his father are banished from town. The little boy is banished because he plays his ukelele all the time and his father is banished because of his magic and his storytelling about the monster Abiyoyo. When the monster comes to terrorize the town, the boy puts it to sleep with his ukelele music and then his father makes the giant disappear with his magic. They are welcomed back into the town.

Tags

acceptance, assertiveness, community, courage, critical thinking, decision making, magic, monsters, multicultural, music, patience, peer resistance, refusal skills, storytelling

Bartholomew and the oobleck

Seuss, Dr.

A king is very bored with the usual elements that come from the sky, so he summons his magicians to make something new and it gets out of hand.

Tags

boredom, change, decision making, goal setting, magic, nature, royalty

Seeing is believing

Shub, Elizabeth

As a child, Tom is tricked by a leprechaun. As an adult, Tom is a married man who has a run in with Pisky who try to steal his horse. This time, Tom is not tricked.

Tags

challenges, critical thinking, curiosity, deception, elves, magic, mythical, verbal communication

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

Open me...i'm a dog

Spielgelman, Art

The dog narrating this story explains the wizard's curse and many other adventures that turn him into this book. He longs for the curse to be broken and for someone to save him from being the pages of a book. He wants someone to give him a loving home.

Tags

anger, animals, birds, books, bull, car, dog, feelings, fish, frog, german, loneliness, magic, mountains, multicultural, rabbit, sheep, transportation, witches, woods

The magic kite

Stanbridge, Bobette

A kite travels to America through time and watches America change and grow. Katy the kite spends time with a young girl in a city until it becomes too busy to fly. A Native American medicine man teaches Katy to speak to mother earth, father sky, angels, and fairies.

Tags

angel, animals, birds, butterfly, elephant, friendship, grasshopper, imagination, insects, kite, magic, multicultural, native american, picnic, prayer, spiritual, tree, turtle

Rumpelstiltskin's daughter

Stanley, Diane

When Rumpelstiltskin's daughter is ordered by the King to spin straw into gold, she tricks him instead by telling him that sharing his gold with the townspeople is the way to increase his wealth.

Tags

conflict resolution, critical thinking, fable, family, feelings, goal setting, greed, magic, parents, refusal skills, royalty, self esteem, sharing, stress management, verbal communication

Gorky rises

Steig, William

Gorky the frog invents a magical potion that allows him to fly through the country side and town.

Tags

amphibians, frog, goal setting, imagination, magic, travel

Caleb and kate

Steig, William

Caleb and Kate get into an argument, so Caleb leaves to go for a long walk in the woods where he meets a witch who puts a spell on him to changes him into a dog. In the end, burglars end up cutting off Caleb's foot (where the witch put the spell on him) in order to change him back to a man.

Tags

animals, argument, change, conflict resolution, coping, dog, exercise, magic, nature, nonverbal communication, walking, witches, woods

Zeke Pippin

Steig, William

Zeke is a young pig who has a natural talent for playing the harmonica. He discovers that it is magic and leaves home. After some thinking he goes back and finds that things are not as bad as he thought.

Tags

animals, coyote, dog, magic, music, pig, sleep

Sylvester and the magic pebble

Steig, William

Sylvester the donkey finds a magic pebble which grants him whatever he wishes. He runs into a lion and wishes that he is a rock. He turns into a rock and is unable to wish himself back. A year later, his parents find the rock while picnicing and wishes to see Sylvester again, which brings him back.

Tags

animals, change, coping, critical thinking, decision making, donkey, family, feelings, happiness, imagination, lion, loneliness, magic, parents, picnic, self esteem

The amazing bone (El hueso prodigioso)

Steig, William

A hungry fox ruins Pearl the Pig's beautiful day. A talking magic bone saves the day.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, conflict resolution, fear, feelings, fox, friendship, heroism, hunger, imagination, magic, pig, seasons, spring, stress management

Yuck

Stevenson, James

A little witch, Emma, wants to be like the older witches, but is always excluded. One day, out of frustration, Emma gets together with the animals in the woods and makes a plan. The animals pretend to be under Emma's spell and all the other witches think she is a hero.

Tags

animals, critical thinking, feelings, goal setting, jealousy, magic, nature, peer resistance, self esteem, teamwork, witches, woods

The bee-man of orn

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.

Tags

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

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

The magic of millicent musgrave

Turkle, Brinton

A magician gave Millicent a box and told her there was a white rabbit inside. When a doll appeared instead of a rabbit, the girl and her father searched for the magician. After they found him, the magician showed how his magic could turn the doll into a rabbit.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, conflict resolution, confusion, critical thinking, decision making, dolls, family, magic, parents, rabbit, verbal communication

The hat

Ungerer, Tom

This book is about a magic hat. The hat made a poor man rich, saved a rare bird, won a battle, and saved a baby and an archduke's cousin.

Tags

baby, birds, clothing, conflict resolution, magic, nonverbal communication, royalty, verbal communication

The day they put a tax on rainbows

Valentine, Johnny

In a magical land far away, there is a girl who has a magic ring which leads her to discover an undersea kingdom. In this kingdom, a boy who likes to feed birds comes face-to-face with a dragon. A king decides to put a tax on rainbows because his throne is lumpy. Throughout each of these adventures, lessons are learned.

Tags

adventures, awareness, beliefs, bodies of water, bravery, challenges, community, discovery, dragons, fairy, fantasy, love, magic, mermaids, mythical, rain, rainbow, royalty, sea, weather, wedding, wish

The wreck of the zephyr

Van Allsburg, Chris

A young boy's dream of being the greatest sailor brings him to ruin when he misuses his ability to sail his boat above land.

Tags

assertiveness, boat, bodies of water, careers, determination, magic, mischief, peer resistance, sea, storm, transportation, verbal communication, weather

The tough princess

Waddell, Martin

This book is about a princess who is forced by her parents to find a prince the traditional way -- going under a spell -- so she can be rescued by a prince. She does not like this idea, so she finds her own way to meet a prince.

Tags

assertiveness, conflict resolution, creativity, critical thinking, family, independence, magic, marriage, parents, peer resistance, rescue, royalty, traditions

The cucumber princess

Wahl, Jan

The cucumber princess comes of age in this mysterious story with Aztec-style illustrations.

Tags

art, assertiveness, awareness, conflict resolution, decision making, magic, mexican, multicultural, mythical, rain, royalty, self esteem, verbal communication

Thistle

Wangerin, Walter Jr.

There is trouble when a family of potato farmers gets attacked by a fierce potato. Thistle proves that intangible skills are just as important as tangible ones.

Tags

conflict resolution, family, farm, food, love, magic, nonverbal communication, self esteem, violence, witches

The heart of the lion

Watson, Pete

An American boy comes to understand and admire the rich culture and traditions of West Africa.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, baboon, butterfly, chicken, cooking, courage, culture, customs, dog, elephant, family, food, friendship, hunting, lion, magic, multicultural, parade, parents, scorpion, sharing, teasing, traditions, tree, uniqueness, verbal communication, village

Moonfall

Whitcher, Susan

Sylvie is a little girl who believes that the moon is magic. Even after her parents try to explain how big and far away the moon is, Sylvie still believes that the moon fell behind the neighbor's lilac bush. Sylvie believes that she saves the moon.

Tags

family, magic, moon, neighbors, night, parents, sky

Free fall

Wiesner, David

After falling asleep with a book, a boy dreams of a magical adventure. He travels to a kingdom, a forest, and a city where he meets animals and many characters. (A Wordless Book)

Tags

adventures, animals, beauty, bedtime, books, dragons, dreams, excitement, fun, magic, sleep, travel

Hurricane

Wiesner, David

Two young brothers have fun after a hurricane by turning a fallen Elm tree into a world full of magic and wonder.

Tags

exploration, fear, feelings, hurricane, imagination, magic, plants, siblings, storm, tree, weather, worry

The marzipan moon

Willard, Nancy

A priest receives a broken crock pot which brings him food and other things he needs. A bishop visits one day and declares the pot a miracle. He throws the pot away to have a gold one made which causes the magic to disappear.

Tags

appreciation, change, conflict resolution, critical thinking, food, greed, magic, miracle, religion, verbal communication

The mountains of quilt

Willard, Nancy

A young child believes that a magician lives above his grandmother in the mountains. Two worlds that seem so far apart are brought together into one when the grandmother and the magician help each other out.

Tags

assertiveness, birds, clothing, crow, decision making, family, grandparents, helping, magic, mountains, mythical, nonverbal communication, parents, quilt, verbal communication

One big wish

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.

Tags

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

April wilson's magpie magic: A tale of colorful mischief

Wilson, April

A child's drawing of a bird comes to life. The child and the bird draw with the coloring pencils to outsmart each other. (A Wordless Book).

Tags

art, balloon, birds, body parts, colors, competition, conflict resolution, critical thinking, drawing, fantasy, fire, images, magic, magpie, nonverbal communication

Heckedy peg

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.

Tags

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

Arthur's christmas wish

Wooding, S.

Arthur, a fat mouse, is granted one Christmas wish from his fairy Godfather. Godfather says his wish has to make someone happy. His wish, playing beautiful music on the piano, is granted.

Tags

animals, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, fairy, giving, godfather, magic, mouse, music, presents, stress management, verbal communication

Old woman and the willy nilly man

Wright, Jill

The Little Old Woman who lives in the woods has not gotten a good night's rest because every night her shoes get up and dance. She visits a very scary man, the Willy Nilly Man, to ask for his help.

Tags

bedtime, clothing, conflict resolution, dancing, fear, feelings, forgiveness, magic, night, sleep, travel, woods

A sky full of dragons

Wright, Mildred Whatley

Lee Chow's grandfather shows him the wonderful items in the magic Chest of Dragons. What Lee Chow really wants is marbles and the Chest of Dragons cannot provide them. Fortunately, the Spring Festival creates good times, friends, and the beautiful marbles Lee Chow desires.

Tags

appreciation, art, celebration, chinese american, colors, conflict resolution, customs, dragons, family, friendship, games, giving, grandparents, happiness, kite, magic, manners, multicultural, park, playing, respect, verbal communication

What do you do with an idea?

Yamada, Kobi

An idea shows up in a child's life. The child wonders how it came to be and why it stays around. Sometimes the idea makes the child think, and sometimes it wants a lot of attention. The child worries about the idea and sometimes it needs food. The child lets the idea grow into the size of a dream. The child gains the ability to see things differently by walking on his hands. Eventually, the idea becomes part of everything, and it changes the world.

Tags

attention, change, differences, feelings, food, friendship, growth, gymnastics, hope, idea, magic, opportunity, peer resistance, perspective, play, secrets, worry

Dove isabeau

Yolen, Jane

Dove Isabeau is a young beauty whose stepmother is a jealous witch. One day, the witch turns Isabeau into a dragon. A young man saves her by risking his own life. In the end, Dove Isabeau saves her lover's life and they live happily ever after.

Tags

animals, cat, conflict resolution, critical thinking, dragons, family, feelings, jealousy, love, magic, problem solving, stepmother, stress management, verbal communication, witches

Hey, al

Yorinks, A.

Al wants a new, more relaxed life. One day, a bird comes and takes him to a little paradise. Al turns into a bird, so maybe his life at home was not so bad afterall.

Tags

acceptance, birds, change, conflict resolution, coping, magic, stress management, verbal communication

The three wishes

Zemach, Margot

When a man and wife free an imp from under a tree, they are given three wishes that could greatly improve their love. However, without thinking, they foolishly waste the three wishes.

Tags

conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, escape, family, love, magic, marriage, nonverbal communication

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Browse Items (147 items total)