Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Doodler doodling | by Gelman, Rita

A girl ponders what she will draw on her lined paper with her multicolored pen. She draws people in action. The girl mixes and changes the actions of the people in her drawings. She is proud of her drawings.

Keywords: art, careers, climbing, confidence, creativity, drawing, entertainment, exploration, fantasy, fun, happiness, imagination, patience, persistence, sequence, sports, teaching, transportation

Pecorino's first concert | by Madison, Alan

Pecorino Sasquatch is a very silly boy who likes to do things backward. His mom decides to take him to a concert by the famous Vittorio Pimplelini. He travels by bus to the concert hall where he learns about musical instruments while being mischievous.

Keywords: bus, concert, curiosity, entertainment, excitement, family, feelings, instruments, learning, music, parents, stress management, transportation, verbal communication

The incredible water show | by Frasier, debra

A science fair project turns into a play for Mrs. Pages 5th grade students at Webster School. You will learn about atoms found in water and all the places where water is found. Discover why these students thing water is the most amazing substance on Earth.

Keywords: awareness, bodies of water, clouds, cycle, discovery, earth, entertainment, environment, investigation, performance, rainbow, school, science, sea, teamwork, theatre, water

The day the tv blew up | by West, Dan

A young boy named Ralph uses his television too much for entertainment. Ralph soon discovers that there are other ways to have fun too. Ralph learns what a library is, how to use a library, and how much fun reading a book can be.

Keywords: books, entertainment, fun, library, play, reading, technology, television

Milo's hat trick | by 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.

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

When uncle took the fiddle | by Gray, Libba Moore

Stretching and yawning with slumberous faces a family seems so sleepy and sluggish... until Uncle puts the rappa-tap-tap back in their step with the cheerful music he plays on his fiddle. Soon every generation of the family is singing, dancing, and frolicking around the house.

Keywords: animals, baby, cat, dancing, dog, entertainment, exercise, family, fun, generations, grandparents, instruments, music, neighbors, parents, rhyme, siblings, sleep, sounds

Pigs ahoy | by McPhail, David

A new passenger on a ship is placed in a room full of pigs. At first, he finds their lack of manners to be disturbing but when they're gone, he misses the fun atmosphere that they created.

Keywords: animals, entertainment, exercise, fun, manners, pig, rhyme, ship, sleep, stress management, transportation, travel

Uptown | by Collier, Bryan

Join this boy's pride as he shares his town's sights and sounds the way he sees and hears them. You'll see Harlem along the river, street, and neighborhood.

Keywords: basketball, buildings, church, community, day, entertainment, family, food, grandparents, music, night, parents, photograph, pride, rhythm, river, shopping, siblings, sports, theatre, train, transportation

The sign painter | by Say, Allen

A boy with a love of painting wanders into town looking for a job when he sees a sign painter. Together, they go into the desert, painting a dozen billboards with just what was ordered, a woman's face and a single word, Arrowstar. Not understanding the meaning behind these billboards in the middle of the desert, the boy longs to paint beautiful landscapes instead. Still, the sign painter insists they stick to the order. Near the end of their journey, they learn the dream behind the billboards and the boy remembers a dream of his own.

Keywords: art, bus, business, camping, car, careers, desert, dreams, entertainment, fire, food, money, multicultural, mystery, storm, teamwork, transportation, weather, wind

The library | by Stewart, Sarah

Elizabeth Brown spends her whole life buying and reading books because she loves them so much. When she realizes that there is no room for books in her house, she decides to give them all away so others can enjoy them too.

Keywords: books, daydreaming, decision making, entertainment, feelings, fun, language, library, nonverbal communication, reading, rhyme, selfishness, sharing, verbal communication

Frank was a monster who wanted to dance | by Graves, Keith

Frank wants to dance. He puts on his best clothes and some ants in his pants and heads to the theatre. Once on stage, Frank dazzles the audience with his dancing. Everyone is impressed, until Frank starts to fall apart--literally!It doesn't matter to him, he can dance!

Keywords: ant, body parts, clothing, dancing, entertainment, excitement, exercise, fear, feelings, gymnastics, happiness, insects, monsters, performance, rhyme, self esteem, sports

If you take a mouse to the movies | by Numeroff, Laura

A little mouse sure can be demanding when you spend the day together!Everything the mouse does with the little boy reminds him of something else he needs or wants to do!For example, once you get the mouse some paper and glue, he'll ask you for glitter!

Keywords: animals, art, christmas, cold, entertainment, food, friendship, holidays, mouse, music, nonverbal communication, nutrition, playing, radio, seasons, snow, song, tree, weather, winter

Six hogs on a scooter | by Spinelli, Eileen

The hog family wants to go to the opera. But when father Hog's car breaks down, they must find a different mode of transportation. After unsucessfully trying a scooter, roller skates, and other ideas, the six hogs take the bus. By the time they get to the opera, the show is over.

Keywords: animals, balloon, bath, bus, car, cleanliness, clothing, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, dog, entertainment, exercise, family, feelings, humor, music, night, opera, pig, skating, sleep, taxi, transportation, travel, wagon

The blues of flats brown | by Myers, Walter Dean

Flats the dog loved to play the blues on his guitar, but his master, A.J. Grubbs had another idea. He wanted Flats, and his friend Caleb, to become fighting dogs. Finally tired of Grubbs' abuse, Flats and Caleb run away. They decide to pursue Flats' musical career, but everywhere they go Grubbs finds them. In the end, their owner has a change of heart about Flats playing the blues.

Keywords: animals, assertiveness, bones, careers, depression, dog, dreams, entertainment, feelings, freedom, friendship, goal setting, imagination, instruments, music, nonverbal communication, performance, running away, sadness, song, stress management, verbal communication

The piano man | by Chocolate, Debbi

A young girl tells a tale of her admiration for her grandfather's musical talents. She describes his experiences in playing the piano in silent films, Broadway, and Vaudeville. His love for music is passed on to her through these tales.

Keywords: african american, aging, author's note, careers, dancing, entertainment, excitement, exercise, family, grandparents, history, instruments, memories, multicultural, music, new baby, respect, theatre, travel

What is a wise bird like you doing in a silly tale like this? | by Shulevitz, Uri

The silly town of Pickleberry is full of nonsense. The emperor treats his bird better than his own brother, who is his janitor. He sends his brother out on an errand, not knowing he was tricked into doing a favor for the bird. As Lou escapes, a salesman gets a hold of him. He escapes again by reciting his nonsense tales of Pickleberry. He finally reaches his Aunt Millie and continues to recite and pass on his side of the story, a lot of nonsense!

Keywords: adventures, animals, birds, careers, citizen, counting, earthquake, entertainment, family, humor, maps, market, money, nonverbal communication, pretend, royalty, siblings, storytelling, verbal communication

What we like | by Rockwell, Anne

Children really like snowmen, fish, bubble bath, goodnight kisses, lullabies, and many other things that excite the five senses. Each page is filled with the things children like to do, wear, feel, eat, and play.

Keywords: activities, adventures, animals, art, bear, cat, clothing, creativity, dog, entertainment, feelings, fish, five senses, flowers, fox, fun, games, happiness, imagination, learning, listening, love, nonverbal communication, pig, rabbit, relaxation, toys

Ballpark | by Cooper, Elisha

This day of preparation at the ballpark shows all of the details behind the scenes. For example, you can see the laundry room, food vendors, press box, and playing field. The game of baseball is full of rituals and exciting surprises.

Keywords: activities, animation, awareness, baseball, bat, careers, clothing, entertainment, excitement, exercise, food, fun, images, machines, nutrition, park, photograph, play, practice, preparation, rain, sports, weather

Swine lake | by Marshall, James

A hungry wolf wanders into an unfamiliar area as he is walking around town. He smells his favorite food, pigs, and looks around to find out from where the smell is coming. The wolf looks up and sees that the ballet Swine Lake is playing inside of a theater. He gets a ticket and takes his seat with the intention of eating the dancing pigs in th show. He ends up becoming entranced by the love story and finds that he is not hungry anymore. The next day he goes to see the show again but this time when a monster in the show is about to appear on stage, the wolf jumps from his seat to the stage and…

Keywords: accomplishment, acting, animals, assertiveness, dancing, entertainment, hunger, monsters, music, newspaper, photograph, pig, squirrel, theatre, wolf

Car wash | by Steen, Sandra//Steen, Susan

Dad and the twins hop into their car to grab some lunch at a restaurant. On the way, they drive through mud puddles so now it's time for a car wash!As the car enters the car wash, something mysterious happens. Oh boy, the twins are in for a big adventure!

Keywords: acting, adventures, animals, bravery, car, courage, crab, critical thinking, crustaceans, discovery, entertainment, environment, fantasy, fish, five senses, food, imagination, monsters, nonverbal communication, nutrition, ocean, octopus, plants, safety, sea, shark, ship, sounds, storm, transportation, verbal communication

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