Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

What planet are you from, Clarice Bean? | by Child, Lauren

Clarice Bean is having a hard time coming up with an idea for her project on the environment. To make matters worse, she is paired up with her tag-along neighbor, Robert Granger. Her situation looks hopeless until her brother becomes an ecowarrior in an effort to free the tree from being cut down in their neighborhood. Robert and Clarice become ecowarriors themselves, saving the tree and their project.

Our tree named Steve | by Zweibel, Alan

A father writes a letter to his children about the tree that they named Steve years ago, which they has insisted on not cutting down when building their new home. The children had formed a strong bond with Steve and now, years later, the tree has fallen down in a storm. Through the friendship with Steve, the children learned about the importance of home, family and relationships.

Keywords: aging, animals, appreciation, camping, caring, change, closeness, community, correspondence, critical thinking, death, decision making, dedication, destruction, emotions, family, friendship, goal setting, home, rain, relationship, seasons, storm, tree, verbal communication, weather

Sergio and the hurricane | by Wallner, Alexandra

A young boyﾒs family prepares for a hurricane in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At first, Sergio is excited, but after a whole day of getting ready for the storm, he falls asleep exhausted. The hurricane hits in the middle of the night so Sergio joins his parents in their bed, Papa tells him a story to ease his fears. For many weeks after the storm, the San Juan community clears the damage left by the wind and flooding. When school resumes, Sergioﾒs teacher gives a science lesson on hurricanes.

Keywords: author's note, beach, bedtime, cleanliness, community, destruction, family, fear, feelings, flood, hurricane, maps, parents, plants, preparation, puerto rico, radio, safety, school, shopping, storm, storytelling, technology, television, tree, water, writing

Hurricanes | by Galiano, Dan

This informational text explains the life cycle of tropical storms, the coriolis effect, and the anatomy of a hurricane. Wind and flooding damage are explained and especially the effects of storm surges. Hurricane strength is measured by a category scale. Improvements in technology have helped us with hurricane prediction and safety.

Keywords: comparisons, cyclone, destruction, flood, geography, glossary, history, hurricane, index, maps, nonfiction, prediction, safety, science, storm, technology, typhoon, weather

Hurricanes | by Murray, Peter

This informational text describes the Hurricane Hunter planes that are designed to fly in the roughest weather. In 1958, scientists tried to slow down a hurricane by dropping silver iodide crystals into the clouds, but the experiment did not work. The best thing to do with a hurricane is to get out of its way! Explains the destruction of Hurricane Andrew in Florida and Louisiana. Contrasts the death rate of a 1900 hurricane in Texas with the 1992 Andrew due to better warning systems in place.

Keywords: airplane, boat, car, careers, clouds, destruction, disasters, history, hurricane, index, nonfiction, numbers, photograph, preparation, prevention, research, safety, science, sequence, storm, tornado, transportation, vocabulary, weather

Disasters in nature: Hurricanes | by Chambers, Catherine

This informational text takes you inside a hurricane with questions of what? where? why? and when? to explain hurricane zones around the earth. Explains rain, wind, and air pressure of hurricanes. Global warming, storm tracking, and prediction problems are discussed for hurricanes and tornadoes. Learn how technology and the natural world alert us about upcoming storms.

Keywords: australia, bangladesh, belize, careers, caribbean, change, comparisons, cyclone, destruction, disasters, history, hurricane, india, island, jamaica, japan, maps, multicultural, nature, netherlands, nonfiction, numbers, photograph, prediction, prevention, problem solving, science, sequence, storm, technology, temperature, tornado, typhoon, weather

Natural disasters: Hurricanes and tornadoes | by Jennings, Terry

This informational text discusses hurricanes and tornadoes by photographs and diagrams. Weather researchers use satellites to circle the earth and take photographs of cloud patterns and the ground. Tornadoes are born in thunderclouds. Learn how tornadoes and hurricanes are tracked and studied, including the damage these natural disasters cause.

Keywords: bangladesh, careers, clouds, comparisons, destruction, disasters, electricity, energy, england, geography, glossary, hurricane, index, jamaica, maps, multicultural, nonfiction, numbers, photograph, research, school, science, storm, technology, temperature, tornado, united states, weather, wind

Hurricane watch | by Branley, Franklyn M.

This informational text describes the relationship of air over land and oceans. When wind speed reaches 74 miles an hour, a tropical storm becomes a hurricane. Explains the sequence of weather events and how weather planes fly into the eye of a storm to take measurements of temperature, pressure, and precipitation. People prepare safely for the storm by securing homes, gathering supplies, and moving inland.

Keywords: bodies of water, careers, destruction, direction, earth, geography, hurricane, maps, nonfiction, numbers, ocean, preparation, prevention, radio, safety, satellite, science, sequence, storm, technology, television, weather, wind

Red wolf country | by London, Jonathan

A wolf and his mate travel through the country during the winter in search of a home where soon the female wolf will have babies.

Keywords: alligator, animals, author's note, baby, destruction, habitat, hunger, hunting, nonverbal communication, protection, seasons, skunk, snow, sounds, travel, weather, winter, wolf

Zathura: A space adventure | by VanAllsburg, Chris

Danny and Walter Budwing have a typical brotherly relationship. It isnﾒt until Danny finds an old game that takes the boys away to another galaxy that the brothers finally reach a new appreciation for one another.

Keywords: accidents, adventures, alien, anger, apology, challenges, change, chaos, conflict, decision making, destruction, earth, family, fear, feelings, fight, robot, sounds, stars, verbal communication

Slither mccreep and his brother, joe | by Johnston, Tony

Slither McCreep, a young snake, is upset that his brother, Joe, won't share his toys. Out of anger, Slither breaks Joe's toys. Later, he feels guilty and tries to make up with Joe.

Keywords: aggression, conflict resolution, destruction, family, feelings, guilt, jealousy, nonverbal communication, peer resistance, reptiles, sharing, siblings, snake, toys

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

Professor noah's spaceship | by Wildsmith, Brian

Professor Noah's spaceship is a spinoff from the religious version of Noah's Ark. The animals of the earth are going to be destroyed by men and pollution and want a way out. Professor Noah saves them by taking them to another planet. However, they go back in time and try to save the earth by not destroying it.

Keywords: careers, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, destruction, environment, goal setting, pollution, religion, safety, travel, verbal communication

The widow's broom | by Van Allsburg, Chris

Minna Shaw rescues a fallen witch and in return is given the witch's old broom. Neighbors think the broom is evil, but it helps the widow with her chores. The neightbors try to destroy the broom, which later comes back to haunt them.

Keywords: assertiveness, conflict resolution, decision making, destruction, neighbors, nonverbal communication, rescue, responsibilities, witches

Death of the iron horse | by Goble, Paul

Native American legends guide their people. The story of an iron horse proved to come true when the Native Americans witnessed a train crash. In an attempt to keep the white men from stealing more land, the Native Americans burned the objects from the train.

Keywords: animals, conflict resolution, critical thinking, deer, destruction, feelings, fire, happiness, horse, multicultural, native american, night, nonverbal communication, rabbit, refusal skills, sadness, selfishness, sun, train, transportation, weather

A hanukkah treasury | by Kimmel, Eric

Hanukkah is to me the time for lighting the menorah, spinning the dreidel, and remembering heros from the past. Poetry, music, and recipes help keep the Hanukkah tradition alive!

Keywords: acceptance, accomplishment, adventures, ambition, american, animals, anticipation, appreciation, assertiveness, beliefs, bias, bravery, celebration, ceremony, challenges, change, charity, closeness, communication, conflict, conflict resolution, cooking, courage, critical thinking, culture, customs, decision making, destruction, determination, discrimination, elephant, family, feelings, folktale, food, freedom, games, goal setting, god, grandparents, grief, hanukkah, happiness, hebrew, heroism, history, holidays, hope, immigrants, independence, individuality, israelian, Jewish, kindness, language, love, loyalty, memories, miracle, moose, moving, multicultural, music, parents, peace, pilgrims, poetry, polish, politics, poverty, prayer, prejudice, presents, racism, religion, russian, sadness, secrets, siblings, snow, song, spiritual, storytelling, toys, traditions, war, weather

Brother eagle, sister sky | by Seattle, Chief

A Squamish Indian chief describes his people's respect and love for the earth and also his concern for its destruction.

Keywords: destruction, environment, multicultural, native american, nature

Machines at work | by Barton, Byron

This book illustrates the use of machines in building and how they can help tear things down as well.

Keywords: destruction, helping, machines

Harry hoyle's giant jumping bean | by Van Horn, William

Harry has a house with seventy-two rooms filled with his many collections of things, including a dangerous giant jumping bean. In trying to make room for a new collection, the jumping bean escapes and destroys Harry's collection.

Keywords: assertiveness, collection, conflict resolution, decision making, destruction, shelter

Bad day at riverbend | by Van Allsburg, Chris

Riverbend is a quiet little Western town where nothing ever happens. One fateful day, a stagecoach covered with a strange greasy slime pulls into town. THe slime continues to devastate the town everytime there is a flash of light. Sheriff Hardy and a group of cowboys investigate, but they are frozen in the mysterious light that fills the sky.

Keywords: adventures, anger, animals, bravery, change, colors, creativity, crime, destruction, exploration, feelings, happiness, horse, imagination, neighbors, nonverbal communication, transportation, verbal communication, wagon

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