Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

All-of-a-kind family hanukkah | by Jenkins, Emily

Gertie, the youngest of five children, wants to help her mother cook for their family dinner on the first night of Hanukkah in New York City’s Lower East Side. After many attempts of trying to help in the busy kitchen, Gertie is sent to her room by her mother and is eventually called down for dinner by her dad. In order to get her to come downstairs, Gertie’s father asks for her helping to light the candles of the menorah for the first time and Gertie happily accepts the offer.

Keywords: author's note, body parts, books, celebration, cooking, fire, food, freedom, frustration, hanukkah, hebrew, helping, history, holidays, illustrator's note, Jewish, learning, numbers, nutrition, preparation, siblings, singing, traditions

Keeping the city going | by Floca, Brian

During the COVID-19 pandemic, entire cities shut down and everyone stayed in their homes except for the workers that society needed the most. The people who deliver the mail, stock the grocery stores and care for the sick: they remained. Society celebrates these people because, without their sacrifice and dedication, society would not have been able to survive a global pandemic.

Keywords: appreciation, bicycle, bus, careers, celebration, challenges, communication, crisis, dedication, diseases, doctor, food, health, helping, neighbors, observation, recognition, relationship, safety, sounds, support, taxi, teamwork, technology, train, transportation, truck, work

Magic: Once upon a faraway land | by Ortega, Mirelle

Once upon a faraway land in Mexico, a young girl highlights her grandfather's pineapple farm, her mom's wool blanket weaving, and her dad's sketches for making stone buildings. She reflects on the way that magic can change things for better and for worse. She loves the beautiful music and sounds that are woven together for people to dance. She also admires her fingertips as an artist when blank pages become pictures to share with others.

Keywords: author's note, body parts, careers, celebration, dancing, Day of the Dead, drawing, farm, food, fruit, games, holidays, magic, Mexico, music, party, sewing, storytelling, traditions, weather, weaving

Quinnie blue | by Johnson, Dinah

Hattie wonders about the activities of her grandmother Quinnie Blue when she was little. Trips to Carolina, singing, eating, reciting poems, and braiding hair with her family come to mind.

Keywords: african american, author's note, body parts, celebration, church, easter, family, food, games, generations, grandparents, identity, instruments, multicultural, music, nutrition, picnic, song, traditions, trees

Going down home with daddy | by Lyons, Kelly Starling

Alan looks forward to the annual family reunion at the farm where Daddy grew up, but everyone is suppose to share something special and Alan worries about arriving with empty hands.

Keywords: car, celebration, family, feelings, geography, instruments, music, performance, reading, reunion, sharing, sleep, storytelling, tractor, travel, worry

All different now: Juneteenth, the first day of freedom | by Johnson, Angela

A young girl wakes up on what she believes to be a normal day, working with her family to complete the daily tasks of her work as a slave. Then, everyone is told that slavery has been abolished and that now they are finally free people. The young girl celebrates with her family and community, excited by the prospects of what their future, independent life will bring.

Keywords: author's note, bodies of water, celebration, depression, discrimination, farm, fish, five senses, freedom, illustrator's note, picnic, prejudice, racism, slavery, storytelling, vocabulary

Santa from Cincinnati: How a little boy named Santa grew up to become the real thing | by Barrett, Judi

Calus was born on Christmas Day at Cincinnati General Hospital, and as he grew up, he developed a love for toys. As a young boy, Calus began building toys with his dad and delivering them to other kids in his neighborhood on Christmas Eve. Soon, everyone wanted toys from Calus, and after going to college and meeting Claus, they moved to the North Pole and began manufacturing toys year-round.

Keywords: animals, birth, birthday, celebration, christmas, correspondence, growing up, holidays, new baby, presents, reindeer, school, sledding, snow, technology, tools, toys, transportation, writing

Lily's garden of India | by Smith, Jeremy

Lily's adventure through her mother's garden provides her with a discovery of plants and trees from India. Indian festivals and a glossary of plants are shared after her journey.

Keywords: africa, bodies of water, body parts, celebration, clothing, Diwali, festival, france, fruit, garden, glossary, hindi, india, language, multicultural, plants, river, storytelling, symbols, temple, tree

Two grooms on a cake: The story of America's first gay wedding | by Sanders, Rob

Michael and Jack met and fell in love, growing closer over time. Even though no one had done it before, Michael and Jack wanted to get married, and although it was difficult, they were the first same-sex couple to marry in America legally. Today, they are still married and work to ensure that other same-sex couples can also get married.

Keywords: affection, celebration, discrimination, emotions, equality, friendship, government, happiness, history, homosexuality, justice, law, marriage, patience, politics, recipe, relationship, sequence, sexuality, time, wedding

Easy as pie | by Best, Carl

Chef Jacob is known for his happy peach pie. Read the ingredients of his pie recipe and the baking rules that he learns from Chef Monty on television. Lots of sounds comes out of Chef Jacob's kitchen. By the end, Chef Jacob says: "P is for Pie and P is for Peach, and, of course, P is for Parents! Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad". Have fun celebrating this event with the whole family.

Keywords: alliteration, anniversary, baking, celebration, cooking, counting, family, food, ingredients, numbers, nutrition, parents, recipe, rules, television, time

Monster has a party | by Blance, Ellen & Cook, Ann

Monster and his friend plan and prepare for Monster's birthday party. Monster becomes sad when no one shows up because of the parents' fears of Monster. His sadness disappears after Monster saves people from a burning buildin, the parents' fears fade and the children come to his party.

Keywords: aging, behavior, beliefs, bias, birthday, celebration, decision making, emergency, feelings, fire, games, monsters, preparation, reading, rescue, sadness, writing

Muriel's red sweater | by Dokas, Dara

Muriel Magee's party invitations are very late because her birthday is today! She runs around town handing out invitations to her friends. What she doesn't realize is that her sweater unravels with each person she invites. By the time she gets home, she sees that her sweater is all gone, but she is in for a surprise! Her friends are all there to wish her a happy birthday, and they give her a present. When she opens it she realizes it's just what she needed - a new sweater!

Keywords: animals, balloon, beaver, birds, birthday, bridge, celebration, clothing, duck, excitement, feelings, friendship, hedgehog, mystery, nonverbal communication, otter, owl, park, party, presents, rabbit, river, squirrel, travel, verbal communication

I like me! | by Carlson, Nancy

A very fine pig lists all the good qualities she sees in herself, along with what helps her cope when she's feeling low. She points out that nothing is better than being yourself. She paints, rides her bike, reads good books, and takes care of herself.

Ten mice for Tet | by Shea, Pegi Deitz // Weill, Cynthia

A group of mice prepare for Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. The mice plan parties and a feast to celebrate.

Keywords: author's note, celebration, counting, dancing, fireworks, food, learning, market, math, mouse, multicultural, music, new year, nonverbal communication, party, play, presents, verbal communication, vietnamese

Night house bright house | by Wellington, Monica

At night all the objects awake. They run and scram all over the house from the studio to the bedroom. They break a statue and have a surprise party. After all the bumping and jumping, they begin to get tired out, and enough is enough. It's time for bed, and they're all done.

Keywords: animation, birthday, celebration, environment, food, home, night, noise, play, poetry, rhyme, rhythm, running, sounds

The princess knight | by Funke, Cornelia

Princess Violetta has been raised by her father, King Wilfred, to joust, ride horses, and fight with swords. Despite her small size, Princess Violetta quickly becomes one of the best knights in her father's kingdom, ever surpassing her three older brothers. Princess Violetta learns that before her sixteenth birthday, her father will hold a tournament to win her hand in marriage. Princess Violetta is not about to let a tournament decide her future and she decides to take action.

Keywords: animals, birthday, celebration, communication, competition, courage, determination, feelings, fight, frustration, happiness, horse, parents, problem solving, royalty, siblings

Oliver the mighty pig | by 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.

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

Three cheers for catherine the great! | by Best, Cari

A family moves from Russia to America. The grandma of the family has a birthday and she does not want presents. Her grand-daughter spends hours trying to figure out the perfect no present for her grandma.

Keywords: baby, birthday, celebration, conflict resolution, critical thinking, dancing, decision making, exercise, family, food, goal setting, grandparents, holidays, language, multicultural, music, nutrition, opera, parents, party, poetry, presents, russian, self esteem, song, stress management, travel, verbal communication

Home | by Baker, Jeannie

From the day of her birth until the times of her adulthood, Tracy moves outside and inside her house experiencing important milestones. Through the same window scene, her neighborhood develops and matures with plants and animals. (A wordless book).

Keywords: accomplishment, author's note, birth, celebration, challenges, change, community, day, family, feelings, garden, growing up, gymnastics, happiness, neighbors, night, nonverbal communication, perspective, plants, seasons, sports, transportation, wedding

Ella's big chance: A jazz-age Cinderella | by Hughes, Shirley

This version of the Cinderella story takes place in a dressmakers shop. Mr. Cinders and his daughter Ella run the shop. Ellaﾒs father remarries a wicked woman, and she and her daughters take over the household. A ball is announced and Ella desperately wants to go. Her fairy godmother sends her in a beautiful gown and the duke falls in love with her. Ella, however, denies the Duke and admits her love for Buttons, who has helped her and her father in the shop.

Keywords: affection, ambition, assertiveness, beauty, bicycle, celebration, change, clothing, conflict resolution, dancing, decision making, exercise, fairy, family, fantasy, goal setting, godmother, instruments, love, music, refusal skills, self esteem, stepmother, verbal communication

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