Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Ella takes the cake | by D'Amico, Carmela & D'Amico, Steven

There's nothing more that Ella wants than to be a good helper. Ella can't help but feel inadequate when her mother won't let her help with a lot of the bakery chores because they're dangerous. When Mr. Banjo forgets an important delivery ,though, Ella proves herself by saving the day...and the cake.

Keywords: animals, bicycle, birthday, books, business, celebration, escape, family, flood, helping, library, luck, maps, persistence, responsibilities, safety, vacation, village

The useful moose: A truthful, moose-full tale | by Robinson, Fiona

Molly loves moose so much that her family vacationed in Alaska, so that she could see them up close; except when they got there the moose had left for a vacation in the city. Once in the city, she saw moose everywhere and befriended three young moose who were tired and needed rest. She invited the moose to stay with them when they cooked, cleaned, and became part of the family. The moose became homesick for their own family, so they went back to Alaska. Molly was sad when she invited the moose to her birthday party and they didnﾒt respond, but they surprised her by jumping out of an…

Keywords: america, animals, appreciation, beach, birthday, celebration, cleanliness, communication, conflict resolution, decision making, empathy, excitement, exercise, family, feelings, forest, goose, happiness, homesickness, love, moose, mountains, nature, nonverbal communication, parents, reading, sadness, self esteem, sleep, surprises, vacation, verbal communication

Not norman: A goldfish story | by 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.

A slimy story | by Knudsen, Michelle

Dan runs into a problem when he has no money and no time to buy his mom a birthday present. He canﾒt think of anything and feels hopeless. One day, a bully puts a slimy, gross worm in Danﾒs pocket on the walk to school. His teacher, Mrs. Stewart, places the worm in a jar, and all the children become interested. Dan even starts to like the worm and decides to give it to his mom to help her garden. She thinks the worm is a great gift.

Keywords: birthday, books, bully, celebration, challenges, conflict resolution, confusion, critical thinking, excitement, family, feelings, friendship, insects, library, parents, presents, resolution, school, science, siblings, teaching, worm, worry

Michael Rosen's sad book | by Rosen, Michael

Michael Rosen discusses sadness. He describes his sadness about the death of his son. Sometimes being sad makes him feel angry. Sometimes, he likes to talk about it. Other times, he wants to keep his sadness to himself. Rosen writes about his personal sadness and the various ways he tries to cope with this feeling.

Keywords: anger, birthday, celebration, communication, conflict resolution, coping, critical thinking, death, depression, emotions, family, feelings, frustration, nonverbal communication, parents, sadness, stress management, verbal communication

My little round house | by Baasansuren, Bolormaa Adapted by: Mixter, Helen

Baby Jilu talks through his first year in the world, from when he is born to when he is a year old. he is born into a round world, with a round bed in a round home in Mongolia. His family comes to meet him, and they travel to their autumn quarters. Once snow begins to fall, Jilu's family moves on to their winter campground and soon celebrate Tsagaan Sar, meaning Spring will come again. In the spring, Jilu can ride on the camel saddle with his mother, and he will not have to wear boots again until after summer.

Keywords: animals, autumn, baby, birthday, camel, clothing, community, critical thinking, day, decision making, family, food, goat, grandparents, growing up, home, moving, multicultural, night, safety, seasons, sequence, sheep, snow, spring, summer, survival, travel, weather, winter

Lady monster helps out | by Blance, Ellen & Cook, Ann

Monster gets a bike for his birthday. Monster doesn't know how to ride a bike. He is discouraged. The little boy and his friends try to help him, but he is too big. Lady monster comes to help and encourages him. Monster learns how to ride his bike just like all the others in the park.

Keywords: accomplishment, bicycle, birthday, critical thinking, encouragement, feelings, friendship, goal setting, happiness, helping, insecurity, kindness, monsters, nonverbal communication, park, practice, self esteem

Alphabet mystery | by Wood, Aubrey

Charley's alphabet becomes worried when they learn that little x is missing. They set off on an adventure to find little x and experience a problem when they do.

Rumi: Whirling dervish | by Demi

Born in Afghanistan in the thirteenth century, Rumi settled in Turkey and became the greatest mystical poet who ever lived. Although he began his adult life as a highly respectable scholar, he found his true calling after becoming the disciple of a mysterious holy man, Shamsuddin, who taught him for three years. From Shams he learned to listen for the sacred sound of God within himself. When his creative spirit was awakened, he recited more than 50,000 rhymed couplets. He wrote about the love that resides in the soul of everyone regardless of religion or background. He founded the order…

Keywords: afghani, arabic, author's note, birthday, creativity, dancing, death, faith, god, history, learning, love, multicultural, muslim, poetry, prayer, religion, rhyme, spiritual, storytelling, turkey, wedding, wisdom

The birthday pet | by Javernick, Ellen

Danny can have a pet for his birthday and he knows exactly what he wants. The other members of his family think differently.

Keywords: animals, birds, birthday, cat, decision making, dog, family, food, hygiene, parents, pattern, pets, presents, rat, rhyme, turtle, walking

Bartleby Speaks! | by 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.

Keywords: animals, balloon, bicycle, birthday, books, careers, celebration, dancing, dog, flowers, german, grandparents, growing up, instruments, italian, language, music, nonverbal communication, parents, toys, verbal communication

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

Keywords: 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

Beep beep, vroom vroom! | by Murphy, Stuart J.

Molly wants to play with her big brother's brightly colored toy cars just like him. But her family thinks she is too little to share Kevin's cars and besides, he likes to keep them in a special order. Each family member catches Molly playing with Kevin's cars and they help her put them back the way Kevin likes them. In the end, Molly gets a surprise of her own!

Keywords: animals, author's note, birthday, car, colors, disobedience, dog, family, fun, helping, parents, playing, sequence, siblings, sizes, sounds, transportation

How big is a foot? | by Myller, Rolf

The king wants to have a bed made for his wife's birthday, so he measures her by using his feet. They have a problem, because the carpenter's foot is not the same size as the king's.

Keywords: birthday, community, conflict resolution, critical thinking, holidays, misunderstanding, presents, royalty, sizes

It's my birthday! | by Hutchins, Pat

It's Billy's birthday party and all of his monster friends want to play with his new toys. Billy does not want to share, so his friends find new games to play without him. He thinks he can have more fun by himself but soon figures out that isn't the truth. When he receives a gift he can't play by himself, he asks his friends to play finally.

Keywords: balloon, birthday, car, celebration, critical thinking, family, feelings, food, games, grandparents, jumping, loneliness, monsters, nonverbal communication, parents, party, playing, presents, self esteem, sharing, transportation, verbal communication

Peacebound trains | by Balgassi, Haemi

Sumi, a young Korean girl, lives with her grandmother when her mother goes off to the army. Sumi watches the train go by each day, wishing her mother would come home soon. The train reminds her grandmother of the days of war when she had to leave her own husband.

Keywords: affection, aging, birthday, caring, change, chinese, coping, courage, death, destruction, dolls, family, feelings, freedom, grandparents, hope, korean, loss, multicultural, peace, presents, sadness, school, seasons, train, transportation, understanding, war, winter

A. lincoln and me | by Borden, Louise

A young boy discovers that he shares a birthday on the same day as Abraham Lincoln's. Learn how many other common characteristics a boy shares with a past president.

Keywords: appearance, appreciation, baseball, birthday, body parts, books, bus, calendar, celebration, freedom, friendship, history, individuality, learning, money, monuments, music, playground, president, reading, running, school, self confidence, self esteem, slavery, sports, teaching, transportation

December 24th | by Cazet, Denys

Emily and Louie vist Grandpa and give him a surprise gift. Grandpa tries to guess what the holiday gift could be. Eventually, he sees that it is his birthday gift.

Keywords: birthday, christmas, conflict resolution, family, grandparents, holidays, mystery, presents, verbal communication

Happy birthday moon | by Asch, Frank

Bear liked the moon so much he wanted to give it a present. He goes to talk to the moon to see what it wants. Bear has a birthday party for the moon.

Keywords: animals, bear, birthday, conflict resolution, decision making, goal setting, holidays, moon, nature, party, presents

I love you mary jane | by Balian, Lorna

Mary Jane is a dog who is having a birthday party. All the kids from around the block come and bring presents. Mary Jane has a special present for the children -- she has puppies!

Keywords: animals, assertiveness, birth, birthday, dog, party, presents, verbal communication

Browse Abstracts (195 total)

Ella takes the cake | by D&#39;Amico, Carmela & D&#39;Amico, Steven