Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Making friends | by Mahy, Margaret

Mrs. DeVere and Mr. Derry are two lonely people who don't realize they should talk to one another. When they both get dogs, they walk right into each other!After that, they continue to walk but also take up ballroom dancing lessons, opera, and fishing.

Keywords: animals, dancing, decision making, discovery, dog, exercise, friendship, loneliness, nonverbal communication, self esteem, walking

Owly | by Thaler, Mike

Owly, a baby owl, asks his mother questions about the woods and she in turn helps him to discover the answers on his own.

Keywords: baby, birds, critical thinking, discovery, family, growing up, nature, owl, parents, woods

One lighthouse, one moon | by Lobel, Anita

Nini the cat takes an exciting journey in which he discovers the concepts of color, days of the week, months of the year, and numbers. Nini sees a different colored pair of shoes each day of the week, explores a variety of activities during each month of the year, and counting the sights that surround the sea where he finally comes to one hundred stars and one moon lighting up the sky around the lighthouse.

Keywords: birth, boat, christmas, clothing, colors, Days of The Week, discovery, exploration, flag, fourth of july, goose, hanukkah, holidays, month, moon, numbers, pelican, sea, seagull, seasons, sequence, sky, stars, thanksgiving, valentine's day, whale

Oh my gosh my pocket | by Marshall, Janet Perry

A young boy decides what he wants to take to school today in his pocket and tells why it is important to take these things.

Keywords: colors, critical thinking, decision making, discovery, nonverbal communication, problem solving, responsibilities, school, self esteem, toys

Irene and the big, fine nickel | by Smalls, Hector

An independent girl named Irene lives in Harlem, New York in 1957 She and her friends experience a wonderful day in a community full of life and love.

Keywords: african american, closeness, community, discovery, friendship, happiness, independence, love, multicultural, neighbors, unselfish

The night before christmas | by Moore, Clement C.

On the night before Christmas, one little boy sees Santa Claus outside his window. Later he sees him in his living room, bringing presents for all.

Keywords: christmas, critical thinking, decision making, discovery, family, holidays, imagination, night, nonverbal communication, presents, santa, self esteem

Preschool day hooray! | by Strauss, Linda Leopold

A day in preschool is full of fun activities and energetic students. The students come into the classroom excited to learn and play with friends. They paint, play, eat and sleep. The students explore, dance and play until it's time to go home!

Keywords: art, books, discovery, food, learning, playground, playing, poetry, rhythm, school, sequence, sleep, teaching, toys

Danilo the fruitman | by Valens, Amy

Danilo, the fruitman, sells oranges to all the people in town. One day he discovers a new fruit, but when he tries to sell it, people just laugh at him. When he discovers the secret of this fruit, he becomes very popular with all the people.

Keywords: author's note, careers, dancing, discovery, exercise, five senses, food, island, italian, multicultural, music, nutrition

Good luck, mrs. k.! | by Borden, Louise

Mrs. K teaches Ann's third grade class. In class they are explorers, scientists, poets, and astronauts. They are always learning something new. One day, Mrs. K doesn't come to school. The students learn that she is in the hospital with cancer. For the rest of the year the third grade has a substitute. On the last day of school, Mrs. K comes back to surprise her students.

Keywords: animals, basketball, cancer, dancing, discovery, exercise, geography, guinea pig, hospital, illness, insects, learning, letters, listening, math, pets, practice, reading, school, science, sign language, skating, spelling, sports, surprises, teaching, travel, verbal communication, worm

Where the river begins | by Locker, Thomas

Two young boys ask their grandfather about the source of the river that runs by his place. They go on a camping trip to the top of the mountain in order to find the answer.

Keywords: bodies of water, camping, discovery, family, goal setting, grandparents, nature, peace, pond, rain, recreation, river, sea, siblings, weather

One morning in Maine | by McCloskey, Robert

Sal, Jane and their father go to the beach to search for clams. During the day, Sal loses her tooth in the mud. She does not cry because she knows that when you lose your teeth you are starting to grow up. They take a boat trip to a nearby island to celebrate with ice cream cones.

Keywords: assertiveness, beach, bodies of water, change, critical thinking, decision making, discovery, family, fish, food, goal setting, growing up, island, loss, nutrition, ocean, responsibilities, self esteem, teeth, transportation

The island-below-the-star | by Rumford, James

Five brothers decide to go on an adventure to discover the Island-below-the-Star. They each have a love for something in nature. By using their talents and working together, the brothers overcome obstacles on their journey to the island.

Keywords: adventures, assertiveness, author's note, birds, boat, bodies of water, clouds, discovery, exploration, family, fish, fishing, food, goal setting, hawaiian, history, island, moon, multicultural, nature, nutrition, ocean, rain, siblings, stars, storm, sun, transportation, weather, wind

Something to crow about | by Van Woerkom, Dorothy

Ralph, a rooster, living alone, finds three eggs on his porch one morning. He decides to keep the chicks and brave being a single parent.

Keywords: birds, change, chicken, conflict resolution, coping, decision making, discovery, family, parents, stress management

The columbus story | by Dalgliesh, Alice

As a child, Christopher Columbus dreams of becoming an adventurous sailor. When the King of Spain commissions Columbus to sail west, he discovers a strange new world, which turns out to be America. (A Biography)

Keywords: ambition, assertiveness, biography, boat, bodies of water, confidence, determination, discovery, history, ocean, sea, transportation, travel

I hate to go to bed! | by 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.

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

Somebody and the three blairs | by Tolhurst, Marilyn

When the Blair family returns home one day, they find that someone or something has been there. Food is all over the floor, chairs are broken, and there is water all over the bathroom. Little do they know, the culprit is asleep in baby's bed!

Keywords: animals, baby, bear, cleanliness, confusion, curiosity, discovery, family, food, hunger, mischief, parents, sleep

Secret knowledge of grown-ups | by Wisniewski, David

All those rules that grown-ups tell us aren't really true. Like why do you have to comb your hair or why can't you play with your food?Find out about several secret tricks that grown-ups use to get kids to do stuff. Do so quickly before any grown-ups find out that their secrets are being revealed.

Keywords: awareness, body parts, curiosity, discovery, food, health, humor, hygiene, mystery, nutrition, parents, play, responsibilities, secrets

How we learned the earth is round | by Lauber, Patricia

How was the earth determined to be round?Let's see how the early Greeks determined it to be and how explorers actually proved it.

Keywords: astronomy, bodies of water, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, discovery, exploration, goal setting, history, ocean, shapes, travel

The girl who loved the wind | by Yolen, Jane

Danina's father does not want her to experience life's harshnesses or sorrows. She is surrounded only by beauty. Then, the wind comes and tells her of another world. She accepts it's challenge by setting out to discover the real world and broadening her sheltered life.

Keywords: adventures, assertiveness, beauty, change, conflict resolution, curiosity, decision making, discovery, family, feelings, happiness, parents, refusal skills, sadness, security, verbal communication, wind

The wretched stone | by Van Allsburg, Chris

A sailor keeps a journal about the journeys of his ship and crew mates. They discover an unusual island where they come upon a stone which has a beautiful glow. However, the stone brings danger to the ship until the glow turns gray.

Keywords: assertiveness, boat, careers, conflict resolution, decision making, discovery, island, nonverbal communication, stress management, travel

Browse Abstracts (131 total)