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

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Fighting for yes! The story of disability rights activist Judith Heumann

Cocca-Leffler, Maryann

Judy Heumann always hears NO from a young age. She is not allowed to attend public school because she is in a wheelchair. Then after she goes to a special school with special education students, she attends college to become a teacher. But even the New York Board of Education says NO to her becoming a teacher after she earns her teaching degree. Judy joins several other disability rights activists to ensure Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 could be signed into federal law. Their work lays the foundation for the Americans with Disabilities Act. As a living advocate for herself and others, Judy tells her story of civil rights for which she fought tirelessly. By leading and working together with others to fix problems and make changes, disabled people now have less discrimination against them.

Tags

advocacy, author's note, bus, careers, celebration, civil rights, disability, disappointment, family, fight, government, graduation, health, homework, law, microphone, organizations, parents, persistence, school, signs, teamwork, technology, telephone, transportation, writing

Vegetable dreams

Jeffers, Dawn

Erin dreams about having a garden. Her parents allow her to share a garden with her neighbor, Mr. Martinez. Erin cares for her garden everyday and enjoys eating and canning the fresh food with her family. She learns that she loves learning and the friendship developed with Mr. Martinez more than the vegetables themselves.

The greedy triangle

Burns, Marilyn

A triangle gets bored doing the same old thing every day. He decides to take up a different shape, so he visits the shapeshifter to add on a few more angles. After a life of being a quadrilateral, pentagon and hexagon, the shape returns to its old self of being a triangle.

I have an olive tree

Bunting, Eve

On Sophia's seventh birthday, her grandfather gave her an olive tree. Sophia is a little disappointed by the gift and doesn't understand why her grandfather would give her an olive tree that she can't even see. After all, it is Greece and she lives in California! It isn't until her grandfather passes away that Sophia truly understands the importance and meaning of the gift when she and her mother visit the olive tree in Greece.

Tags

appreciation, birthday, communication, community, culture, customs, dedication, disappointment, emotions, exploration, family, feelings, generations, geology, giving, grandparents, greece, greek, grief, immigrants, instruments, language, learning, loss, love, memories, memory, misunderstanding, music, parents, plants, presents, resentment, sadness, traditions, travel, tree, understanding, verbal communication

Ruby's wish

Bridges, Shirin Yim

Ruby is known for wearing red and being an exceptionally bright student. Even during a time in China when ...most girls were never taught to read and write. However, Ruby's grandfather hires a teacher to come to the house, making it possible for any grandchild living in the house to learn. This initiates a desire in Ruby to attend university, a place that women in China were not encouraged to go.\r\n*Based on a true story of the author's grandmother.

Tags

acceptance, accomplishment, ambition, appreciation, art, asian, assertiveness, beliefs, change, china, chinese, conflict, conflict resolution, courage, culture, customs, decision making, dedication, depression, determination, disappointment, emotions, encouragement, equality, excitement, family, frustration, generations, giving, goal setting, grandparents, happiness, independence, individuality, intelligence, kindness, language, learning, listening, new year, nonverbal communication, obedience, parade, patience, persistence, poetry, prevention, progress, reading, recognition, refusal skills, relationship, relief, resentment, resolution, role model, school, self confidence, self esteem, skills, stress management, support, symbols, sympathy, teaching, traditions, understanding, verbal communication, wealth, wish, writing

The chocolate-covered-cookie tantrum

Blumenthal, Deborah

As Sophie walks home from the park with her mother, she sees another little girl eating a chocolate-covered-cookie. Sophie's mother does not have any cookies to give her and will not allow Sophie to eat cookies so close to supper time. Sophie is outraged and throws a temper tantrum! Sophie learns that not eating a cookie before supper isn't so bad after all.

Stage struck

DePaola, Tomie

Tommy knows the story of Peter Rabbit by heart. When his class decides to put on the production he wants to be cast in the roll of Peter. Tommy is so excited he does not pay attention to his teacher and as a result gets cast as Mopsy. However, Tommy has a plan to keep him in the spotlight.

Tags

acting, ambition, animals, attention, confidence, conflict, cooperation, creativity, dancing, disappointment, forgiveness, friendship, garden, humor, independence, listening, mouse, obedience, parents, performance, rabbit, school, self confidence

I hate to be sick!

Bermiss, Aamir Lee

A young boy wakes up feeling ill with a sore throat, cough, fever, and aching body. He soon realizes that he will not be able to attend school that day and experiences feelings of disappointment, since he will miss his friends and school activities. However, after eating soup and reading a bood with his father, the boy realizes that although he hates to be sick, he can get well again and return to school by eating well and resting.

Tags

anger, disappointment, emotions, family, feelings, frustration, health, helping, illness, medicine, parents, reading, school, siblings

Degas and the little dancer: A story about Edgar Degas

Anholt, Laurence

Marie dreams of being a famous dancer until one day her chance of being in the Christmas show diminishes when her father becomes ill. Marie begins to model for a painter to earn money for her family's lost income. One day, Maria's sculpture shows up in the art museum and becomes the famed sculpture of Edgar Degas.

Tags

apology, art, careers, dancing, disappointment, dreams, excitement, fame, fear, hard work, illness, loneliness, museum, opera, poverty, practice, school, security, sympathy, teaching

Coming on home soon

Woodson, Jacqueline

A girl says goodbye to her mother who is heading to find work in the city. The girl waits everyday for her mother's letter that says she will be coming home. All the while, the girl remembers her mother loves her more than snow or rain.

Tags

african american, animals, careers, cat, coping, correspondence, death, disappointment, emotions, family, future, love, money, multicultural, nature, parents, prayer, rain, snow, time, war, weather

Corduroy

Freeman, Don

Corduroy lives in the toy department of a big store. He is a little lonely bear whom no one wants to buy. One day a little girl comes along and thinks that he is perfect. She comes back the next day and buys him with the money that she has in her piggy bank.

Tags

adoption, adventures, animals, assertiveness, bear, companion, decision making, determination, differences, disappointment, family, feelings, friendship, goal setting, homeless, money, patience, self esteem, stress management

Lights for gita

Gilmore, Rachna

Gita is very excited about celebrating her favorite Hindu holiday, Divali, a festival of lights. But this year things are different and she must celebrate this special holiday in her new home. This transition is hard for Gita and made even more difficult by the seasonal rain. With the help from her parents, Gita must learn how to carry her beliefs and memories into her new home and make this year's Divali, a holiday to remember.

A day's work

Bunting, Eve

Fransico takes his grandfather out to look for work. His grandfather does not speak English, so Fransico must translate. Fransico accepts a gardening job for his grandfather by telling the man he is a great gardener. When the man comes at the end of the day, he finds the job done incorrectly. Fransico's lie teaches him an invaluable lesson.

Where am I sleeping tonight?

Ekster, Carol Gordon

Mark and Evan have a hard time keeping up with all the changes in their lives. Their parents are divorced and it's not easy remembering all the things they need to do. Mark's teacher, Mrs. Demott helps Mark, Evan and their parents get organized and also teaches them how to cope with divorce.

Tags

acceptance, bedtime, behavior, closeness, communication, comparisons, confusion, coping, disappointment, divorce, family, forgetful, frustration, goal setting, parents, responsibilities, siblings, stepfather

The red book

Lehman, Barbara

A friendship forms when two boys from different parts of the world find a magical red book. The boy from the urban city decides to use balloons to fly to the island where his new friend lives, but he accidentally drops the red book along the way. The boy on the island is disappointed when he can no longer view his city companion in the pages of the book, but is relieved when he lands on the beach instead! Back in the city, the red book is discovered by a man riding his bike on the street (A wordless book).

Tags

adventures, balloon, beach, bicycle, bodies of water, books, cold, correspondence, decision making, disappointment, discovery, emotions, excitement, feelings, fly, friendship, goal setting, happiness, island, maps, nonverbal communication, photograph, relationship, sadness, sand, school, sight, sky, snow, sun, surprises, transportation, travel, walking, weather

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.

Wish come true cat

Scamell, Ragnhild

The unlikely answer to a wish is a scruffy old cat that has to win the heart of a little girl. It takes a cold snowy day to make his wish come true.

Monster and the surprise cookie

Blance, Ellen // Cook, Ann

Monster and the little boy decide to throw a party! They travel to the supermarket to find refreshments for their guests. They pack their shopping cart full of cookies, but when they go through the line, they realize that they donﾒt have enough money! Instead, they buy a few ingredients, so they can make cookies at home. Using a recipe book, they make a variety of shaped cookies. Surprisingly, these cookies take the shape of Monster when placed together. The cookies are delicious and everyone is pleased!

Bertie the ghost

Neale, Richard

Bertie the ghost wants a new place to live and new friends. He crosses through each page of the story then arrives at an old farmhouse and finds friends and a home.

Alphabet mystery

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.

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.

Clown

Blake, Quentin

Clown and his friends are thrown into a garbage can in the city by a woman who no longer wants them around. Clown, however, hops out of the garbage and wanders the city to look for someone to love them. By accident, Clown finds a family and he and his buddies live happily ever after. (A Wordless Book)

Tags

baby, bear, birds, clowns, conflict resolution, critical thinking, disappointment, elephant, family, fear, feelings, friendship, goal setting, happiness, kindness, love, nonverbal communication, parents, sadness, siblings, toys

Breakfast with my father

Roy, Ron

When David's mother and father are separated, David and his dad only see each other during their special Saturday morning breakfasts. All winter, David's dad comes every Saturday except for one. After sulking all morning, David goes downstairs in his house and is pleasantly surprised to see his mom and dad eating breakfast together.

Tags

change, coping, disappointment, divorce, family, feelings, food, happiness, love, nutrition, parents, sadness, seasons, separation, siblings, surprises, winter

Milo's hat trick

Agee, Jon

Milo the magician had one more chance to pull a rabbit out of his hat or else he would be fired. While searching for a rabbit, he finds a bear. The bear is able to pretend his bones are made of rubber and agrees to jump out of Milo's hat. The show is a huge success until the bear becomes tired. Milo wonders what he will do until he realizes that he too can pretend his bones are made of rubber.

Tags

anger, animals, bear, bones, careers, clothing, disappearance, disappointment, entertainment, helping, magic, missing, performance, pretend, rabbit, restaurant, taxi, train, transportation

Roberto the insect architect

Laden, Nina

Being an architect is tough when you are a termite. But with hard work and dedication, Roberto is determined to become one.

Tags

acceptance, accomplishment, ambition, ant, architecture, assertiveness, bee, beetle, bias, buildings, butterfly, careers, caring, creativity, critical thinking, dedication, determination, disappointment, discrimination, dreams, flea, fly, friendship, goal setting, habitat, hard work, insects, ladybug, museum, newspaper, patience, photograph, self confidence, self esteem, spider, technology, termite, tick, time, tools

Uncle james

Harshman, Marc

Jimmy's family needs all the help they can get and Uncle James is promising them that help. When Uncle James arrives and brings nothing with him, Jimmy is very disappointed. He realizes that Uncle James needs help in becoming a hero.

Tags

assertiveness, conflict resolution, coping, decision making, disappointment, family, helping, heroism, nonverbal communication, parents, poverty, self esteem, siblings, stress management, verbal communication

Bonaparte

Chall, Marsha Wilson

Jean Claude is going to boarding school, but no dogs are allowed at La School d'Excellence. Poor Bonaparte must find a way to be with Jean Claude!

Tags

animals, architecture, assertiveness, bedtime, careers, caring, compromise, critical thinking, culture, determination, disappointment, dog, family, feelings, food, french, friendship, frustration, happiness, health, instruments, loneliness, love, monuments, multicultural, music, nutrition, parents, pets, problem solving, rules, sadness, school

Turkey pox

Anderson, Laurie Halse

Charity's favorite holiday finally arrives, Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, she and her family are unable to travel to Nana's for dinner because Charity has come down with the chicken pox. However, Nana solicits the help of four snowplow drivers and she and the turkey arrive just in time for dinner!

Tags

affection, chicken pox, cooking, critical thinking, disappointment, excitement, family, feelings, grandparents, holidays, illness, nonverbal communication, parents, thanksgiving, turkey, verbal communication

Neeny coming, neeny going

English, Karen

Neeny and her mom move to the big city on the mainland. They leave behind the rest of their family including Neeny's best friend, her cousin. Neeny comes back for a visit but she has changed. However, on her last night on the island Neeny once again has fun with her cousin.

Flood

Calhoun, Mary

As the rain falls day after day, Sarajean and her family prepare for the flood. They place sandbags around the banks of the river and their house, but nothing can keep the water out. Eventually, Sarajean and her family are forced to leave their home, but they are grateful for their safety.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, conflict resolution, confusion, disappointment, dog, family, feelings, flood, future, grandparents, happiness, hope, love, nonverbal communication, parents, river, sadness, stress management, water

The painter

Catalanotto, Peter

A young girl loves to spend time with her father but he plays with her only at mealtimes. Between meals, he paints in his studio. She wants to play with her father but he says no. When she asks to paint, she spends time with her daddy and becomes a painter too.

Tags

art, careers, creativity, dancing, disappointment, exercise, family, feelings, happiness, love, magic, nonverbal communication, parents, sadness, self esteem, success

Louie's goose

Ehrlich, H.M.

Louie's toy goose goes everywhere he goes. Sometimes the goose needs to be fixed. Louie's mom and dad, and even the sun, fixes the goose.

Tags

accidents, accomplishment, affection, animals, assertiveness, beach, birds, boat, bodies of water, caring, clams, coping, crab, critical thinking, crustaceans, decision making, disappointment, dog, exercise, family, feelings, goose, happiness, helping, ocean, parents, play, sadness, sand, seagull, seasons, self confidence, self esteem, song, summer, swimming, toys, verbal communication

Great aunt martha

Jones, Rebecca C.

A young girl wonders what is so great about Great Aunt Martha when she comes to visit. Since Great Aunt Martha is visiting, the girl has to be very quiet. She decides nothing is great about her great aunt until Great Aunt Martha wants to have fun and make noise.

Tags

animals, boredom, dancing, disappointment, dog, exercise, family, feelings, food, friendship, fun, happiness, hygiene, noise, nonverbal communication, nutrition, parents, play, relief, sadness, verbal communication

Turtle spring

Zagwyn, Deborah Turney

One summer, as young Clee finds herself lost in the shuffle with the arrival of a new baby brother, Uncle Fishtank Hal comes to the rescue when he asks her to care for his special southern-breed turtle. For Clee, caring for the turtle is like therapy to cope with the new changes in her life. That is until the turtle dies due to the harsh cold winter and Clee is forced to bury him out in the yard. Without the turtle, Clee spends time with her new brother and learns to enjoys his company. In spring however, the turtle springs back to like in the compost pile and Clee gains a new outlook on the changes in her life.

Tags

affection, author's note, autumn, baby, caring, change, closeness, cold, coping, disappointment, environment, excitement, family, feelings, friendship, geography, grief, guilt, happiness, hibernation, jealousy, loneliness, nonverbal communication, parents, radio, reptiles, sadness, seasons, siblings, snow, spring, stress management, summer, surprises, survival, technology, telephone, turtle, weather, wind, winter

Tanya's reunion

Flournoy, Valerie

It's family reunion time so Tanya goes to the farm early with her grandmother to help with the preparations. Tanya is excited to see the farm house and to spend time with her grandmother. But when Tanya gets to the farm, she is very disappointed. Will Tanya be able to overcome her disappointment and get something positive from this trip?

Tags

african american, celebration, critical thinking, disappointment, family, farm, feelings, food, grandparents, loneliness, memories, multicultural, nutrition, preparation, reunion, verbal communication

The catspring somersault flying one-handed flip-flop

Kiser, SuAnn

Willy lives on a farm with her parents an eleven siblings. Willy feels like no one notices if she is around and no one cares about her. She develops a gymnastic and she feels that no one realized she was gone. When she returns home she finds everyone did miss her.

Tags

disappointment, family, farm, gender, gymnastics, parents, play, running away, siblings, sports, verbal communication

Rachel's recital

Green, Melinda

Rachel's mother thinks Rachel is going to be a famous pianist, so she has Rachel take piano lessons once a week and practice for an hour everyday after school. But Rachel is in trouble when she finds she will be in a recital and doesn't know her piece.

Tags

courage, decision making, disappointment, family, music, parents, practice, pretend, responsibilities, worry

The house of four seasons

Duvoisin, Roger

A family buys a house and fixes it up. They decide to paint it many colors. They have some trouble getting the colors they want, but in the end, everything works out.

Tags

assertiveness, autumn, colors, conflict resolution, critical thinking, disappointment, family, parents, seasons, shopping, siblings, spring, summer, verbal communication, winter

Don't forget me, santa claus

Mayo, Virginia

Santa Claus comes to deliver presents but he forgets to give them to the youngest boy. The boy becomes very upset and follows Santa outside and gets in his sleigh. When Santa realizes he has company, he gives the boy his presents and takes him back home.

Tags

christmas, coping, decision making, determination, disappointment, feelings, holidays, jealousy, nonverbal communication, presents, problem solving

Keeping a christmas secret

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds

Michael slips and gives away the secret of what his father's Christmas gift is. He is very upset with himself, so he decides to surprise the whole family with a small but important present.

Tags

assertiveness, christmas, confidence, conflict resolution, creativity, decision making, disappointment, family, goal setting, holidays, parents, presents, self esteem, surprises, verbal communication

Green beans

Thomas, Elizabeth

Dorthea's Gramma has very proper and strict ways of doing things including growing green beans. When Gramma leaves for a trip, she leaves Dorthea and her father in charge but they forget to take care of the beans. Everyone is surprised when Gramma returns.

Tags

assertiveness, change, conflict resolution, dancing, disappointment, exercise, family, five senses, food, frustration, garden, grandparents, hard work, helping, hobby, nutrition, obedience, peer resistance, persistence, plants, rain, seasons, spring, stress management, summer, sun, taste, travel, trust, vacation, weather, worry

The chanukkah tree

Kimmel, Eric A.

The citizens of Chelm are tricked by a salesman selling Christmas trees. All the citzens of Chelm are Jewish and celebrate Hanukkah. The salesman tells them that Hanukkah trees are the latest trend in America. They believe him, buy the tree, and find out they were tricked. The citizens make the best of it by continuing the Hanukkah tree for the birds to enjoy.

Tags

birds, celebration, closeness, community, deception, disappointment, goal setting, hanukkah, hard work, holidays, Jewish, multicultural, snow, teamwork, weather

Pete's a pizza

Steig, William

When Pete is in a bad mood, his dad makes him into a pizza. As each ingredient is assembled, Pete becomes more and more cheerful until he is laughing and running out the door to play football with his friends.

Tags

body parts, creativity, disappointment, family, feelings, food, football, happiness, humor, nonverbal communication, parents, rain, sadness, sports, weather

Mommy and me by ourselves again!

Vigna, Judith

Disappointed when her mother's ex-boyfriend forgets her birthday, Amy is comforted by her family when they give her a surprise birthday party and a special gift.

I hate to go to bed!

Davis, Katie

This little girl hates to go to bed because she knows she is missing a party. But she still comes up with plenty of ways to make it to the party before it's over.

Tags

bath, bedtime, books, boredom, colors, communication, creativity, critical thinking, curiosity, determination, disappointment, discovery, disobedience, dreams, goal setting, imagination, parents, party, preparation, reading, sleep, teeth

Sam

Shimin, Symeon

Sam is a little boy who is told by everyone that he is too young to help out around the house. When Sam begins to cry, the perfect job is found for Sam.

Tags

attention, boredom, disappointment, family, feelings, happiness, helping, nonverbal communication, parents, sadness, siblings

Arthur's computer disaster

Brown, Marc

Arthur is captivated by a new computer game and plays it while his mom is gone, even though she asked him not to. While he is playing with his friend, they both reach for the mouse and the screen suddenly goes blank. Find out if he can fix the computer before his mom gets home, or if he gets the nerve to confront his wrong doing!

Tags

apology, computer, conflict, conflict resolution, consequences, critical thinking, disappointment, disobedience, family, games, honesty, misbehavior, playing, respect, technology, working mother

Squash pie

Gage, Wilson

Due to his love for squash pie, a farmer plants many crops of squash, only to have them stolen repeatedly. The farmer creates different devices to catch the thief, but fails on each attempt. His wife admits to the crime and discovers her own love for squash pies.

Tags

anticipation, conflict resolution, decision making, disappointment, food, goal setting, hard work, nonverbal communication, nutrition, plants, robbery, verbal communication

Blue rabbit and friends

Wormell, Christopher

Blue Rabbit, Bear, Goose, and Dog all go looking for new places to live because each of them are unhappy with where they currently live. They help each other find new places to live.

Tags

animals, awareness, bear, comparisons, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, disappointment, discovery, dog, feelings, goose, rabbit, sadness, verbal communication

Arthur's tooth

Brown, Marc

Arthur wants to lose his first tooth. He is the last one in his class to lose a tooth. Finally, when one of his classmates accidentally hits him, the tooth falls out, and Arthur is happy.

Tags

animals, disappointment, family, moose, parents, peer resistance, school, teasing, teeth, tooth fairy

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