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

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Arijole

Mashiri, Pascal

Arijole's stepsisters are envious of her beauty. They do not want Arijole to be chosen as a wife in a nearby village, so the stepsisters turn her into a dog. When only Arijole (the dog) is left, a mother takes her home for her son to hunt. Soon they realize that Arijole is not a dog but a beautiful woman. She and Obondo are then married.

Tags

africa, beauty, conflict resolution, culture, envy, family, folktale, jealousy, love, marriage, multicultural, nonverbal communication, obedience, parents, respect, self esteem, siblings, stepmother, storytelling

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

Galimoto

Williams, Karen Lynn

Kondi needs wire to make his galimoto, the word in Malawi Africa which means car. He thinks of clever ways to make his galimoto in the shape of a car. He falls asleep imagining what shape he might twist it into the next day.

Tags

africa, african, anger, car, collection, creativity, decision making, dreams, feelings, food, helicopter, imagination, language, robbery, sleep, toys, transportation, verbal communication

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

Gift of the sun: A tale from south africa

Stewart, Dianne

Thulani is a South African farmer who keeps trading his animals in order to please his wife until all he has is a pocket full of sunflower seeds. The sunflowers produce many more seeds, which are also used to feed the animals and eventually lead to more wealth for the family than ever before.

Tags

africa, animals, boredom, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, excitement, family, farm, feelings, garden, multicultural, self esteem, sheep, stress management, symbols, verbal communication

The talking cloth

Mitchell, Rhonda

Aunt Phoebe has a collection of many wonderful things, each having an interesting story. The little girl's favorite thing is an adinkra cloth from Ghana. It has many colors and symbols to represent feelings, faith, power, and love.

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

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

The most important gift of all

Conway, David

Ama wants to honor her newborn baby brother with a special gift, as is the custom of the people in her village. When Grandma Sisi suggests the gift of love Ama sets off in search of this important present, but how will she know when she has found it? This story celebrates a young girl's discovery of the most important gift of all.

Tags

africa, african, animals, baby, birds, birth, celebration, clouds, community, critical thinking, discovery, dreams, family, giraffe, grandparents, lion, love, multicultural, parents, rain, siblings, stars, tree, village

My painted house, my friendly chicken, and me

Angelou, Maya

Thandi, an eight-year-old Ndebele girl who lives in a village in South Africa with her mother, aunts, sisters, and mischievous younger brother, shares her secrets with her best friend, a chicken.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, bicycle, chicken, colors, customs, dragonfly, family, friendship, jewelry, language, mischief, multicultural, nonverbal communication, parents, pattern, photograph, play, siblings, storytelling, village

The giraffe who was afraid of heights

Ufer, David A.

A giraffe suffers from the fear of heights. His parents worry about his safety and send him to the village doctor for treatment. Along the way he befriends a monkey who is afraid of climbing trees and a hippo who is afraid of water. A life-threatening event causes the three friends to face and overcome each of their fears.

Tags

africa, animals, assertiveness, bodies of water, critical thinking, crocodile, family, fear, feelings, fish, flowers, friendship, giraffe, happiness, hippopotamus, lion, monkey, multicultural, parents, river, safety, self esteem, teamwork, tree

The jungle grapevine

Beard, Alex

In Africa, the bird and the turtle are taking a walk and the turtle says that the humor at the watering hole is drying up. The bird misunderstands him and flies off to tell the elephant that the watering hole is drying up. The snake hears and goes to the watering hole but finds that it's full. Snake tells the crocodile that the watering hole might actually flood. This scares the crocodile, and one misunderstanding leads to another spreading chaos throughout the jungle.

Tags

africa, animals, ant, anteater, birds, chaos, crocodile, elephant, fear, feelings, fish, flamingo, hippopotamus, humor, insects, lion, misunderstanding, nonverbal communication, snake, truth, turtle, verbal communication, water, wildlife, zebra

The water hole

Base, Graeme

Enjoy this counting book from one to ten using various animals and wildlife. It takes place around a watering hold and follows the rain cycle. The pictures spring to life and realistically depict life around the world from countries to continents.

Tags

africa, animals, australian, catfish, china, counting, cycle, drought, europe, fish, habitat, india, insects, island, jungle, kangaroo, ladybug, leopard, moose, mountains, multicultural, panda, pattern, rain, rhinoceros, sounds, tiger, tortoise, toucan, water, wildlife

Amy's travels

Starke, Kathryn

Come along with Amy on her wonderful journey to all seven continents on earth. Read about the desert in Asia, the rainforest and jungles of Africa, the mountains of South America, and the cities of Europe. Feel the bitter cold of Antarctica, go on a safari, and meet people around the world who speak different languages. Traveling to brand new places is one of the most exciting ways to learn, and it's a trip you'll never forget!

Tags

africa, america, animals, antarctica, asian, australia, bodies of water, camel, change, culture, desert, differences, europe, exploration, geography, home, honduran, jungle, kangaroo, kenyan, koala, language, maps, mountains, moving, multicultural, rainforest, river, safari, seasons, south american, spanish, transportation, travel, united states

Count on your fingers African style

Zaslavsky, Claudia

This beautifully illustrated four color picture book takes children through the markets, showing traditional finger counting of various African people - the Maasai, the Kamba, and the Taita in Kenya, the Zulu of South Africa, and the Mende of Sierra Leone. This book examines the role that numbers play in creating a common language across cultural boundaries.

Tags

africa, african, author's note, body parts, cattle, chicken, counting, cow, food, fruit, games, language, learning, market, multicultural, nonverbal communication, numbers, parents, play, school, siblings, verbal communication

Meet Kofi, Maria and Sunita: Family life in Ghana, Peru and India

Simmons, Lesley Anne

Kofi, Maria, and Sunita come from Ghana, Peru, and India. They tell about traditions of their country, their school, and their family.

Tags

africa, african, birthday, books, careers, Days of The Week, food, garden, ghana, grandparents, hygiene, illness, india, language, maps, multicultural, parents, poverty, south american, traditions, verbal communication

In the time of the drums

Siegelson, K.

Raised by his grandmother Twi, a young boy named Mentu learns of the toils and tragedies of slavery and how one day he too will have to be strong in the cotton fields. As Mentu grows, Twi shares her talks of living in Africa through the use of drums. When Twi's spirit calls her home to Africa, Mentu's day to be strong arrives.

Tags

africa, african, aging, author's note, beliefs, boat, bodies of water, customs, escape, family, fear, garden, grandparents, hard work, history, island, language, memories, mischief, music, running away, ship, slavery, spanish, storytelling, transportation, travel, verbal communication, water

Welcome dede!: An African naming ceremony

Onyefulu, Ifeoma

Amarlai has a new baby cousin and he can't wait for her to be given a name. A tradtional African name will tell people where she comes from and which child she is in the family.

Tags

africa, african, baby, birth, celebration, ceremony, clothing, community, cooking, family, feelings, food, geography, giving, grandparents, happiness, hard work, language, maps, market, multicultural, parents, photograph, prayer, presents, traditions, village

My rows and piles of coins

Mollel, Tololwa M.

What would you buy if your mother gave you some money? Saruni wants a bicycle- a bicycle of his very own! Saruni saves his coins and works hard to help his mother. Unfortunately, Saruni is disappointed because he does not have enough to buy his very own bicycle. Where there is a will, there is a way, so Saruni finally gets a bicycle to help his mother to the Tanzanian market.

A child's day in a Ghanaian city

Provencal, Francis & McNamara, Catherine

Nii Kwei gets up with the sun, and at half past five, he's already hard at work chasing the chickens and sweeping the compound clean with his straw broom. As the city begins to wake up, he washes, changes into his school uniform, and sits down to chocolate milk and sandwiches for breakfast. Photographs capture the lively rhythms of West African daily life, and this delightful dawn-to-dusk journal will encourage young readers, wherever they live, to compare and contrast Nii Kwei's day with their own.

Tags

africa, african, author's note, band, bath, bodies of water, chores, cooking, family, ghana, hygiene, language, math, multicultural, music, parents, play, school, sea, siblings, soccer, sports

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

River beds: Sleeping in the world's rivers

Karwoski, Gail Langer

Take an around-the-world boatride to learn how mammals sleep in or around ten of the world's major rivers. Row down the Mississippi and watch two river otters slip into a hollow tree, or look to the bank of the Bribane River as a platypus pops into a hole and disappears into a narrow tunnel.

Tags

africa, animals, australia, author's note, beaver, bodies of water, canada, comparisons, dolphin, dragonfly, england, germany, habitat, hippopotamus, insects, maps, mole, platypus, river, sleep, vietnamese

Creativity

Steptoe, John

Charles speaks English and Hector speaks Spanish. They learn that even though they speak different languages, they both come from African ancestors. Charles helps Hector adjust to life in the U.S. through fun activities.

Tags

africa, african american, basketball, clothing, cooking, creativity, culture, curiosity, english, family, fishing, friendship, helping, home, identity, immigrants, language, learning, moving, multicultural, parents, puerto rican, relationship, school, slavery, spanish, sports

For you are a Kenyan child

Cunnane, Kelly

Follow a little Kenyan boy through his village on a typical but eventful day in Kenya. He learns an important lesson about listening to his elders as he visits with the neighbors in his village.

Tags

africa, african, animals, beetle, butterfly, chicken, cow, dog, dove, family, forgetful, forgiveness, friendship, games, goat, grandparents, hunting, insects, kenyan, lion, lizard, monkey, moth, multicultural, parents, pride, respect, siblings, sleep, traditions, tree, village

One child, one seed: A south african counting book

Cave, Kathryn

Play a simple counting game. Watch a pumpkin grow. Follow young Nothando and discover the rhythms of her daily life in her South African village.

Tags

africa, african, cattle, chicken, cleanliness, cooking, counting, cow, dog, family, farm, friendship, games, garden, hard work, home, language, numbers, parents, photograph, plants, play, preparation, siblings, summer, walking

Faraway drums

Kroll, Virginia

Jamila has the important responsibility of watching her little sister when their mom goes to work. While trying to ignore unfamiliar creepy sounds, Jamila comforts her sister and herself by recalling their grandmother's stories about their native homeland, Africa.

It takes a village

Cowen-Fletcher, Jane

Young Yemi's responsibility is to look after her brother, Kokou, while at the market with her mother. Yemi quickly loses sight of her brother, but Kokou is safe with the neighbors in the community. Yemi learns that It takes a village to raise a family.

Tags

africa, african, animals, community, conflict resolution, family, feelings, food, friendship, lost, multicultural, neighbors, nutrition, parents, shopping, siblings, traditions, verbal communication

The house of wisdom

Heide, Florence Parry//Gilliland, Judith Heide

The House of Wisdom, an ancient library in Baghdad, is the center for new ideas and a quest for knowledge from all parts of the world. As scholars study and translate the ancient manuscripts, one boy, Ishaq, learns the wisdom on Aristotle through his expedition and a special book.

Tags

africa, animals, arab, author's note, books, camel, critical thinking, culture, greek, history, language, library, market, multicultural, reading, russian, ship, time, transportation, travel, wealth

Rain

Stojic, Manya

On the African savanna, the animals are all excited to pass on information about the storm to others. The animals use their five senses to experience and predict the needed rain.

Tags

africa, animals, baboon, colors, cycle, five senses, food, lightning, lion, nonverbal communication, plants, porcupine, rain, rhinoceros, sight, smell, sounds, sun, taste, touch, weather, zebra

My friend gorilla

Morozumi, Atsuko

Daddy brings home a nice and helpful gorilla from the zoo. The gorilla stayed until someone said he used to live in Africa. The gorilla was brought back to Africa, and even though he is missed, he is happy there.

Tags

africa, animals, feelings, friendship, gorilla, loss, unselfish, zoo

Bringing the rain to kapiti plain

Aardema, Verna

Ki-pat lives in Kapiti Plain where he watches over his herd of cattle. Ki-pat is worried because Kapiti Plain is having a drought, and his cattle and grass need water. A large cloud produces rain when Ki-pat shoots an arrow into it.

Tags

africa, animals, baby, clouds, conflict resolution, cow, critical thinking, family, goal setting, multicultural, nature, patience, rain, weather

Faraway home

Kurtz, Jane

When a letter arrives from Africa regarding Grandma's illness, the girl's father decides to leave the U.S. and go home to Ethiopia. His anticipation sparks stories of his childhood which he tells to his daughter.

Tags

africa, birds, clothing, clouds, family, flamingo, food, hyena, imagination, language, letters, love, memory, nutrition, parents, photograph, stars, travel, verbal communication

Gamal's treasure

Herbert, Barbara

Two children and their mother discuss what is the greatest treasure? The children believe that it is the riches and gold. The mother relates the story of Gamal and how the spirit of the cave showed Gamal that water is truly the greatest treasure.

Tags

africa, animals, beverage, camel, cave, conservation, decision making, exploration, family, learning, multicultural, parents, rocks, royalty, storytelling, teaching, treasure, trick, verbal communication, water

When agnes caws

Fleming, Candace

Agnes Peregrine has always loved birds and has recently found out that she has a true talent for bird calling. She goes to the Himalayan Mountains with her mother in search of the rarest bird of all. Little does she know that an evil colonel has followed them and wants this rare bird for his own collection!

Tags

accomplishment, africa, assertiveness, beauty, birds, boat, careers, collection, conflict, conservation, critical thinking, deception, decision making, duck, hummingbird, hunting, jungle, maps, mischief, mountains, pheasant, refusal skills, rescue, sounds, train, travel, verbal communication, wilderness, yak

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

Tarzan

San Souci, Robert

Family is defined differently when Tarzan is raised by a group of apes. Tarzan grows into a curious being. Confused by what he knows and what he is finding out, his confusion builds to power as he rules the apes. Can he forget his past to pursue his future?

Tags

acceptance, adoption, africa, aggression, anger, animals, ape, appearance, assertiveness, author's note, challenges, conflict resolution, dancing, death, determination, differences, exploration, family, fight, growing up, jungle, kidnapped, lion, loyalty, multicultural, orphan, reading, survival, writing

Imagine a house

Gustafson, Angela

Take a walk through 15 countries around the world and learn about different types of dwellings. A brief geographical tour is taken when you traverse the pages of real-life photographs and maps.

Camels

Jango-Cohen, Judith

The word camel comes from the arabic word jamil, meaning beauty. Learn more about this animal through reading about its diet, birth and growth, and even camels on a racetrack! A glossary and index give you more information for other texts and websites.

Tags

africa, animals, arabian, asian, australian, author's note, behavior, camel, china, desert, diversity, drought, glossary, iranian, mountains, multicultural, nonverbal communication, sand, science, south american, sun, temperature, verbal communication

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