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

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Swimmy (Nnadarin)

Lionni, Leo

Swimmy was the fastest fish in his school. When all the other fish in his school get eaten by a new big fish, he explores by himself until he finds a new school of fish. He then teaches his new school how to swim close together so that they look like the biggest fish of all and will scare away the other big fish.

Tags

assertiveness, bravery, conflict resolution, cooperation, critical thinking, exploration, fish, individuality, problem solving, teamwork

Suddenly alligator: An adverbial tale

Walton, Rick

A young boy decides it is time to buy a new pair of socks to replace the smelly one's he's worn for three years. He travels to town via the swamp discovering items he's lots along the way. He encounters an alligator and a chase ensues. The alligator gets hold of the boys' shoe and when the shoe cocmes off, the odor from the socks, stuns the alligator. The boy continues on his way to buy new socks. With each step along his journey, he experiences an adverbial action.

Tags

alligator, anger, animals, bodies of water, body parts, bravery, challenges, clothing, fear, feelings, five senses, happiness, language, learning, running, smell, spelling, stream, swamp

Starring mirette and bellini

McCully, Emily Arnold

Young Mirette and the Great Bellini are high wire partners in Paris. While performing on a tour of Europe, they visit Russia where the people are not free. Bellini speaks to them about freedom during their act and is arrested. Then it is up to Mirette to be brave and rescue him from prison.

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

So far from the sea

Bunting, Eve

Laura and her family are moving, so they are coming to visit the Manzanar War Relocation Center one last time. Years ago, this center was used to house anyone living in the United States that were of Japanese descent. These people were forced to leave their homes and come to the center because Japan bombed the United States. The center is bare now except for all of the memories and the cemetary, including her grandfather's grave.

Tags

acceptance, airplane, american, anger, anticipation, assertiveness, author's note, awareness, bias, bravery, change, citizen, cold, community, conflict, confusion, critical thinking, crow, culture, death, differences, discrimination, diversity, family, fear, feelings, flowers, forgiveness, generations, ghosts, grandparents, growing up, history, illness, japanese, loss, memories, monuments, mountains, moving, prison, sea, sky, snow, survival, verbal communication, war

Selina, the mouse and the giant cat

Bohdal, Susi

A little girl named Selina has a fantastic dream about a mouse that becomes her friend and a cat that comes to eat him. Selina runs away from the cat in fear, but eventually must face the cat and protect the mouse.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, bravery, cat, confidence, conflict resolution, decision making, fear, feelings, friendship, loyalty, mouse, peer resistance

Salty sails north

Rand, Gloria

Salty the dog travels on a boat around the world with his master.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, boat, bravery, conflict resolution, decision making, dog, pets, self esteem, transportation, travel, verbal communication

Ruth and naomi

Marzollo, Jean

After their husbands sadly pass away, Ruth moves to Bethlehem with her widowed mother-in-law Naomi. With no money and no sense of hope, the two women are unsure as to what will happen. A kind farmer known as Boaz, however shows his kindness and restores their happiness so that they can begin anew.

Tags

anger, bravery, courage, critical thinking, faith, feelings, food, friendship, god, happiness, hard work, helping, Jewish, kindness, law, loneliness, love, loyalty, marriage, moving, nutrition, sadness, song, spiritual, stress management, unselfish

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!

Rabbit pirates: A tale of the spinach man

Cox, Judy

The Spinach Main is a French cafe owned by two rabbits, and former pirates, Monsieur Lapin and Monsieur Blanc. When a fox begins dining at the cafe, business begins to slow. Troubles escalate further when the fox makes multiple attempts to capture and eat the two. Realizing the trouble their business was in, the two devise a plan to keep the fox out of their hair forever.

Tags

adventures, animals, argument, beverage, bravery, bully, challenges, cooking, courage, decision making, escape, fear, fight, fox, french, multicultural, rabbit, restaurant

Queenie, one of the family

Graham, Bob

A rescued hen becomes a member of a young girl's family. Even though they take the hen back to the farm where she lives, the hen returns to the house everyday so that her chicks can grow up along with the family.

Tags

animals, baby, barn, birds, bodies of water, bravery, caring, chicken, child care, conflict resolution, courage, decision making, dog, family, farm, food, growing up, hospital, lake, nonverbal communication, parents, park, pets, pond, sharing, verbal communication

Princess jessica rescues a prince

Brooks, Jennifer

A young princess with a pure heart plays with three gnomes who are handicapped. She is kind and accepting to her new friends. In turn, she gains another friend.

Pink and say

Polacco, Patricia

A wounded solider in the Civil War is nurtured back to health by an African American soldier and his mother. Together they return to the battlefield, but are destined to live different lives.

Tags

african american, bravery, death, decision making, health, helping, history, injury, multicultural, self esteem, verbal communication, war

Piggie pie!

Palatini, Margie

Gritch the witch wakes up one morning with a craving for piggie pie!She spends all day searching for eight piggies on old Macdonald's farm and is fooled by the piggies, who hide from her. She finally gives up and goes home with a wolf.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, bravery, conflict resolution, cooperation, creativity, decision making, farm, food, humor, hunger, pig, protection, sly, witches, wolf

Panther's dream: A story of the African rainforest

Weir, Bob//Weir, Wendy

Lokuli lives in the rainforest. His village will soon starve if they do not find meat. Even though the rainforest is supposedly full of evil spirits, Lokuli is brave enough to go inside. Amidst the splendor of the jungle animals, he meets a panther who teaches him an important lesson.

Tags

african, animals, bravery, environment, food, hunger, jungle, multicultural, panther, teaching

Once when I was scared

Pittman, Helena Clare

A young boy recalls an imaginative tale once told to him by his grandfather. The story is about how his grandfather had to cross two hills and go through the dark woods to get hot coals for their fire. He would get so scared and run so fast that he thought he was an eagle. Grandfather gives his grandson two eagle feathers to use when he gets scared.

Tags

birds, bravery, conflict resolution, courage, eagle, family, fear, feelings, goal setting, grandparents, imagination, self esteem, storytelling, verbal communication

Oliver the mighty pig

Van Leeuwen, Jean

Oliver gets a new cape for his birthday and becomes Mighty Pig to the rescue in four short stories adout his adventures. Oliver fights fires and braves dragons during his quest to save everyone from danger until he has to conquer the hardest task of all which is to have patience while his cape is being washed.

Tags

adventures, baby, birthday, bravery, celebration, clothing, disguise, dreams, family, feelings, fire, identity, imagination, jumping, parents, patience, pig, pretend, rescue

Off to school, baby duck!

Hest, Amy

It's baby ducks first day of school and she's a little bit nervous. Mr. and Mrs. Duck tell her to be brave because she's going to have so much fun. They hurry off to school and meet Grandpa duck on the way who gives baby duck the confidence she needs for the first day. Baby duck happily goes off to school with her new friend Dary Duck.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, birds, bravery, courage, duck, family, fear, feelings, food, friendship, grandparents, nonverbal communication, nutrition, parents, preparation, school, self esteem, shyness, song, sounds, teaching

Obadiah the bold

Turkle, Brinton

This is a story about a Quaker boy who wants to be a pirate. After learning about his grandfather, who was brave in an honest way, Obadiah changes his mind and wants to be a noble sailor.

Tags

assertiveness, bravery, careers, change, critical thinking, family, goal setting, grandparents, growing up, nonverbal communication, pirates, quakers, religion, verbal communication

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.

No dinner! The story of the old woman and the pumpkin

Souhami, Jessica

An old woman is on her way to her granddaughter's house for dinner, but meets many animals on her way. In order to escape the animals, she promises to come back all fat and fed. The animals are outwitted when the old woman is disguised as a pumpkin.

Tags

adventures, aging, animals, author's note, bear, body image, bravery, critical thinking, deception, decision making, fable, family, food, forest, fruit, goal setting, habitat, heroism, hunting, intelligence, nature, nonverbal communication, nutrition, overeating, pretend, protection, relief, sly, sounds, tiger, verbal communication, wolf

Night running: How James escaped with the help of his faithful dog based on a true story

Carbone, Elisa

It's 1838 and James plans to escape from Master Graham's farm where he is a slave. He tries to leave his dog, Zeus, at the farm because he believes he willbe too muchtrouble. Zeus refuses to tay behind though and ends up save James' life and dreams of freedom.

Tags

adventures, aggression, alcohol, animals, appreciation, author's note, boat, bravery, caring, challenges, companion, decision making, dog, escape, food, heroism, pets, sleep, sounds, transportation, trust

Night of the goat children

Lewis, J. Patrick

The safety of Princess Birgitta's kingdom is threatened when a band of outlaws come to conquer it. The brave princess outsmarts the outlaws and they are scared away by immortal goats who are really children in disguise.

Tags

animals, author's note, bravery, critical thinking, dancing, decision making, fantasy, goat, history, horse, multicultural, royalty, swedish, verbal communication, war

Nessa's fish

Luenn, Nancy

Nessa and her grandmother catch enough fish to feed the whole camp. However, during the night, Nessa's grandmother becomes sick and Nessa must protect her and the fish from wild animals.

My shoes and I

Lainez, Rene Colato

Mario's shoes take him everywhere, and they have an important trip in front of them. Mario and his father are leaving El Salvador to join his mother in the United States. His shoes take him through three countries, through storms, over mountains and through rivers. Through each part of the journey, the shoes fall apart, but Mario makes sure they make it to the end of the journey.

Tags

adventures, assertiveness, bravery, bus, excitement, family, fear, feelings, food, goal setting, immigrants, language, Mexico, parents, reunion, sadness, shoes, sleep, spanish, transportation, travel, trip

My daddy

Paradis, Susan

A little boy observes his father crossing the street, running outside in the rain, mowing the grass, riding his bike and diving into the ocean. The boy has great admiration for his father and everything his father does seems extraordinary to him. When the boy's father hugs him and throws him in the air, the boy feels very special and loved.

Tags

animals, bear, biking, birds, bodies of water, bravery, elephant, exercise, family, giraffe, leopard, llama, love, monkey, moon, night, observation, ocean, parents, rain, reading, relationship, running, swimming, tiger, toys, trust, woods

Mr. mcmouse

Lionni, Leo

Mr. Timothy McMouse, a city mouse, runs away to the country. He meets a group of field mice who live in a castle and tries to fit in. Timothy cannot pass the test of the country mice. When Timothy saves himself and another mouse from the cat, he is given an honorary Field Mouse License.

Moonlight on the river

Kovacs, Deborah

Two brothers silently sneak out of their home late one night. They sail up the river and find themselves fighting a rough sea in order to make it home safely.

Tags

boat, bodies of water, bravery, family, fish, moon, river, safety, siblings, transportation

Monster mama

Rosenberg, Liz

Patrick Edward's mother is known as a monster all over town. One day, Patrick's mother sends him out to get strawberries. On his way home, three bullies steal the strawberries. Monster Mama is so upset that she teaches the boys a lesson, and they think of her as Cool.

Tags

acceptance, assertiveness, bravery, bully, conflict resolution, decision making, differences, family, food, learning, monsters, nonverbal communication, parents, peer resistance, robbery, uniqueness

Martha walks the dog

Meddaugh, Susan

Martha is not an ordinary dog. She learns to speak by eating alphabet soup. On her afternoon walk she discovers a new dog in the neighborhood who bullies everything he sees. Through the help of a parrot, Martha learns that kind words can have a large effect-even on a bully.

Tags

aggression, animals, behavior, bravery, bully, challenges, communication, conflict, conflict resolution, critical thinking, determination, dog, friendship, neighbors, parrot, peer resistance, persistence, problem solving, verbal communication

March on! The day my brother Martin changed the world

Farris, Christine

Christine King Farris, the sister of Martin Luther King Jr., watched her brother during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. She describes her brother’s journey from writing his “I Have a Dream” speech to joining the crowds in their demand for freedom. She was moved by her brother’s persistence and success in persuading millions to believe in and fight for a better tomorrow in which all men are created equal.

Lucy dove

Del Negro, Janice

Lucy Dove is up for a challenge. In the town she lives in, there is a rich laird. He was told by a fortune teller that a pair of trousers sewn by the light of the full moon in the graveyard of old St. Andrew's Church would bring him good luck. The rich laird proclaims that a sackful of gold will be awarded to whoever sews the trousers. St. Andrew's churchyard is believed to be haunted by some fearsome thing and anyone who enters the churchyard is said to never be seen again. Despite these factors, Lucy takes on the laird's challenge. As Lucy sits and sews in the graveyard, she is greeted by the fearsome thing that everyone had talked about. The monster runs after Lucy as she carries the finished trousers in her hands. Finally, Lucy gets the trousers to the laird and receives her well deserved bag of gold.

Tags

anticipation, bravery, church, clouds, cold, exercise, fear, feelings, fortune, happiness, monsters, moon, mythical, nonverbal communication, relief, running, stress management, verbal communication, weather, worry

Loudmouth George and the sixth-grade bully

Carlson, Nancy

George's first day of school is ruined by Big Mike, who bullies George and steals his lunch. All week, George does everything he can to keep Big Mike happy. However, George can't live in fear forever! George and his friend Harriet spend the weekend devising a plan to stop Big Mike and his evil ways.

Lizzie nonsense

Ormerod, Jan

Living life in the Australian bush during the pioneer period proves rough for Papa, Mama, Lizzie and Baby. Lizzie transforms the daily routine tasks through her imagination. Her mother calls it nonsense: Lizzie nonsense. Family ties may not be the only thing an imagination of their own.

Tags

animals, australian, baby, bravery, dingo, family, food, imagination, multicultural, nutrition, parents, pioneers, self esteem, sewing, siblings, snake, verbal communication, work

Little wrangler

Wood, Nancy

The Durango kid is about to face his first round-up. He shakes off any doubts in his ability and finds the courage to finish the day's work.

Tags

animals, bravery, courage, cow, cowboys, critical thinking, goal setting, horse, ranch, self esteem, stress management

Little red cowboy hat

Lowell, Susan

Little Red Cowboy Hat is sent to her Grandma's house to cheer her up. Along the way Little Red runs into a wolf but escapes. When she arrives at Grandma's, Little Red finds the wolf in Grandma's bed!Fortunately Grandma saves Little Red before she is eaten by the wolf.

Tags

animals, bravery, canyon, conflict resolution, courage, cowboys, desert, family, feelings, flowers, grandparents, horse, love, parents, self esteem, snake, verbal communication, wolf

Little oh

Melmed, Laura

Little Oh is a woman's only child, who is made from origami paper. The paper doll is restless indoors so she ventures outside for the adventure of her life. What happens when she finally finds her way back home to her mother?

Little frightened tiger

Wisegard, Leonard//Mac Donald, Golden

A little tiger tries to deal with other animals in his habitat. His parents try to assure him that there is nothing to be afraid of. Eventually, he becomes a brave little tiger.

Tags

animals, bravery, conflict resolution, coping, decision making, family, fear, feelings, growing up, parents, refusal skills, self esteem, tiger

Leo: the little st. bernard

L'Hommediev, Dorthy K.

Leo wants to be a working dog for the monks at the Hospice. When they do not choose him, he decides to runaway to the Hospice. On his way up the mountain he encounters Angelena, a cashmere goat. Together they set out on a snowy and dangerous adventure.

Tags

animals, bravery, climbing, conflict resolution, courage, critical thinking, decision making, dog, exercise, family, goal setting, goat, heroism, multicultural, patience, pride, relationship, running, self esteem, siblings, snow, swiss, verbal communication, wind

Keep climbing, girls

Richards, Beah E.

Climb the highest tree possible with an ambitious young girl and learn never stop reaching for your hopes and dreams. Children are reminded that goal setting and perserverence are keys to success.

Katie's trunk

Turner, Ann//Himler, R.

Katie hides in her mother's wedding trunk when the British rebels comes to search her house during the American Revolution. Katie gets scared because it is hard for her to breathe. Someone finally opens the trunk so she can breathe again.

Tags

assertiveness, bravery, chaos, confusion, coping, critical thinking, decision making, english, family, fear, food, history, memories, multicultural, parents, war

Jess was the brave one

Little, Jean

Even though Clara is the oldest she is not as brave as her little sister Jess. Whatever they do, Jess is brave. Then one day Clara comes to the rescue of Jess.

Tags

assertiveness, bravery, change, conflict resolution, decision making, family, helping, peer resistance, self esteem, siblings

Jamie's turn

DeWitt, Jamie

Eleven year old Jamie helps his stepfather, Butch, pick corn one autumn day. When the corn picker becomes plugged up, Butch attempts to climb off the tractor but gets caught and is seriously injured. Jamie saves Butch's life by turning the corn picker off and running for help. Jamie keeps the farm running while Butch recovers from the accident.

Tags

accidents, animals, assertiveness, author's note, baby, bravery, car, challenges, coping, courage, cow, crisis, decision making, disability, emergency, family, farm, fear, feelings, food, friendship, hard work, health, injury, love, maturity, motorcycle, neighbors, nonverbal communication, nutrition, pig, respect, responsibilities, safety, siblings, stepfather, transportation, truck

Ig lives in a cave

Chapman, Carol

This is a collection of stories about a caveboy named Ig. In each story he learns a new lesson. These lessons are about sharing, love, bravery, politeness, and becoming a big brother.

Tags

bravery, conflict resolution, decision making, family, growing up, learning, refusal skills, self esteem, sharing, siblings, storytelling, verbal communication

Hush harbor: Praying in secret

Evans, Freddi Williams

Simmy is both excited and nervous for his job as Scout during the community meeting. Simmy is excited because this means the elders trust him, but he is nervous because slaves are not supposed to gather and sing together. Simmy must be very careful and listen for the master during the meeting.

Tags

african american, anger, anticipation, author's note, bravery, cabin, closeness, communication, cooking, creativity, creek, critical thinking, culture, dancing, death, faith, family, folktale, forest, friendship, hard work, hearing, hope, horse, listening, missing, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, prayer, relief, religion, rhythm, river, running away, safety, secrets, slavery, song, spiritual, storytelling, woods, worry

Hershel and the hanukkah goblins

Kimmel, Eric A.

Hershel spends his Hanakkah holiday in the old town synagoue. his purpose is to ward off the terrible coblins that keep the villagers from celebrating Hanukkah. Hershel restores the holiday to the village by out-smarting the goblins.

Tags

assertiveness, beliefs, bravery, community, confidence, critical thinking, deception, goal setting, goblins, hanukkah, holidays, Jewish, multicultural, mythical, religion, spiritual, traditions

Heroes

Mochizuki, Ken

Donnie is always the bad guy when he plays war with his friends. They think because Donnie is Japanese American that he should be the enemy. When his father and uncle take a trip to school, they prove they can be heroes too.

Henry & the crazed chicken pirates

Crimi, Carolyn

The Buccaneer Bunnies live a happy life until one day they receive a message in a bottle from the Crazed Chicken Pirates. Henry worries about the note and starts writing plans even through the other bunnies don't believe the note. The day the chickens invade, Henry has to be brave and think of a way to save the other bunnies!

Tags

animals, assertiveness, books, bowling, bravery, chicken, correspondence, critical thinking, decision making, feelings, island, peer resistance, pirates, rabbit, reading, ship, stress, transportation, trick, worry, writing

Heart of a tiger

Arnold, Marsha D.

One week before Naming Day, the character goes on a search for Bengal. The parrots and monkeys were not kind to him in the forest and even teased him. Even in the face of danger and violence, this character shows how to have the heart of a tiger.

Gregory's shadow

Freeman, Don

Gregory needs his shadow in order for spring to come. He ends up losing his shadow for awhile; his shadow gets scared and hides in a barn. Gregory later adventured out and finds his shadow, causing spring to come.

Tags

bravery, conflict resolution, fear, feelings, friendship, groundhog, holidays, loneliness, nonverbal communication, sadness, seasons, self esteem, shadows, spring, stress management, winter

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