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

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Food and festivals: West Africa

Brownlie, Alison

Describes the West African culture of food, including the kinds of food grown and eaten, and various feast days like Ramadan, Easter, naming ceremonies, and yam festivals.

Tags

africa, african, baby, beach, bodies of water, camel, cattle, celebration, ceremony, chicken, community, cooking, dancing, family, farm, food, friendship, fruit, ghana, goat, hard work, holidays, language, multicultural, music, muslim, parade, preparation, religion, respect, river

Gift of the sun: A tale from south africa

Stewart, Dianne

Thulani is a South African farmer who keeps trading his animals in order to please his wife until all he has is a pocket full of sunflower seeds. The sunflowers produce many more seeds, which are also used to feed the animals and eventually lead to more wealth for the family than ever before.

Tags

africa, animals, boredom, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, excitement, family, farm, feelings, garden, multicultural, self esteem, sheep, stress management, symbols, verbal communication

The talking cloth

Mitchell, Rhonda

Aunt Phoebe has a collection of many wonderful things, each having an interesting story. The little girl's favorite thing is an adinkra cloth from Ghana. It has many colors and symbols to represent feelings, faith, power, and love.

Somebody has done it, why can't you?

Annoh, G. Kwesi

Two sisters in Ghana pursue their dreams of becomming career women. They receive help from their parents and teachers, and work hard to study math and science. Abena becomes a mathematician and Akousa becomes a medical officer in public health.

Tags

african, careers, courage, determination, education, equality, family, fear, feelings, gender, ghana, health, math, multicultural, pregnancy, religion, school, science, stereotypes, teaching

The village of round and square houses

Grifalconi, Ann

In a village in West Africa, women live in round houses and men live in square houses. After supper, grandmother tells a story about the origin of these houses aand how it is related to the rupturing of volcanic mountain, Naka.

Tags

african, celebration, coping, family, folktale, generations, grandparents, mountains, multicultural, nature, parents, respect, shapes, siblings, storytelling, traditions

I lost my tooth in africa

Diakite, Penda

Amina and her parents take a trip to Mali to visit family. On the way, Amina realizes that her tooth is loose! While visiting her father's family, Amina loses the tooth and places it under a calabash tree. She receives a hen and a rooster from the African Tooth Fairy.

Tags

africa, african, airplane, animals, birds, body parts, cattle, change, chicken, community, cooking, cow, culture, differences, donkey, family, food, games, garden, goat, grandparents, language, loss, maps, morning, multicultural, music, night, parents, pattern, pheasant, play, prayer, recipe, singing, sleep, song, storytelling, teeth, traditions, travel, tree, vacation, village, wish

The most important gift of all

Conway, David

Ama wants to honor her newborn baby brother with a special gift, as is the custom of the people in her village. When Grandma Sisi suggests the gift of love Ama sets off in search of this important present, but how will she know when she has found it? This story celebrates a young girl's discovery of the most important gift of all.

Tags

africa, african, animals, baby, birds, birth, celebration, clouds, community, critical thinking, discovery, dreams, family, giraffe, grandparents, lion, love, multicultural, parents, rain, siblings, stars, tree, village

My painted house, my friendly chicken, and me

Angelou, Maya

Thandi, an eight-year-old Ndebele girl who lives in a village in South Africa with her mother, aunts, sisters, and mischievous younger brother, shares her secrets with her best friend, a chicken.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, bicycle, chicken, colors, customs, dragonfly, family, friendship, jewelry, language, mischief, multicultural, nonverbal communication, parents, pattern, photograph, play, siblings, storytelling, village

Loon chase

Diehl, Jean Heilprin

A boy discovers that his domesticated dog still has powerful instincts similar to animals in the wild. There is a surprise encounter between the dog and a mother loon: the bigger animal doesn't necessarily prevail. In his moment of wonder, the boy finally meets the loon himself.

Tags

animals, birds, bodies of water, critical thinking, dog, family, fear, feelings, independence, lake, loon, multicultural, native american, nature, parents, play, relief, teamwork, transportation

Dancing feet

Agell, Charlotte

Diversity in the world is shown through rhythmical lyrics and warm pictures. Diversity also includes the names of major body parts and functions.

Tags

acceptance, african, asian, body image, body parts, community, dancing, diversity, equality, exercise, family, food, friendship, lyrics, multicultural, poetry, rhyme, walking

The giraffe who was afraid of heights

Ufer, David A.

A giraffe suffers from the fear of heights. His parents worry about his safety and send him to the village doctor for treatment. Along the way he befriends a monkey who is afraid of climbing trees and a hippo who is afraid of water. A life-threatening event causes the three friends to face and overcome each of their fears.

Tags

africa, animals, assertiveness, bodies of water, critical thinking, crocodile, family, fear, feelings, fish, flowers, friendship, giraffe, happiness, hippopotamus, lion, monkey, multicultural, parents, river, safety, self esteem, teamwork, tree

Turtles in my sandbox

Curtis, Jennifer Keats

Imagine finding turtle eggs in your sandbox! When a mother diamondback terrapin lays eggs in a young girlﾒs sandbox, the girl becomes a ﾓturtle-sitterﾔ to help the babies safely hatch. She raises the teeny hatchlings until they become big enough to fend for themselves in the wild. Then, with the help of experts, she releases them. Along the way, she learns about these unique animals and that she has made an important contribution to their survival.

Tags

baby, beach, birth, bodies of water, critical thinking, curiosity, discovery, excitement, exercise, family, feelings, nature, ocean, parents, protection, reptiles, research, swimming, turtle, uniqueness

My dad has HIV

Alexander, Earl//Rudin, Sheila//Sejkora, Pam

The virus (called HIV) is explained in this gentle and descriptive story about a young girl whose father is living with HIV. The facts about the virus are described in a way that children can understand. The story helps children to know that a person with HIV can lead a normal life.

Tags

acceptance, aids, awareness, careers, communication, differences, diseases, family, fear, feelings, food, health, hygiene, illness, love, medicine, nutrition, parents, presentation, sadness, school, science, sleep, support, verbal communication

Enemy pie

Munson, Derek

When confronted with his first enemy, a young boy seeks help from his father. He hopes that enemy pie will get rid of his enemy but instead he gains something he never expected.

Tags

acceptance, anger, bravery, conflict resolution, family, feelings, friendship, jealousy, parents, relationship, revenge, stress management, verbal communication

Georgia's bones

Bryant, Jen

A young girl, Georgia, is fascinated with shapes, colors, and objects. Her family does not share nor comprehend her love for art, so they deem her different. With her strong will and determination, Georgia moves to New York to discover a life as an artist. The illustrations help the reader detail the beauty of her work as they take us through the life of Georgia O'Keffe.

Tags

adventures, art, assertiveness, biography, bones, careers, collection, critical thinking, decision making, environment, excitement, family, farm, flowers, goal setting, hobby, images, nature, pride, relationship, self esteem, travel, verbal communication, wildlife

Amy unbounded: Belondweg blossoming

Hartman, Rachel

Through comic book style illustrations, Amy of Eddybrook Lodge encounters many exciting adventures with her best friend. During the summer between her ninth and tenth birthday, Amy and her friend learn many lessons about life. The most important ones are that love does not solve everything and even heroines sometimes need help.

How sitali learned a lesson

Mashiri, Pascal

As the oldest in his family Sitali is supposed to hunt and provide for his younger sisters. He learns a lesson about self-control and hard work after being made chief and then losing it all.

Tags

african, african american, apathy, conflict resolution, critical thinking, family, folktale, laziness, multicultural, obedience, parents, peer resistance, refusal skills, responsibilities, river, siblings, storytelling, village

Wee and the wright brothers

Gaffney, Timothy

An educational story told from Wee the mouse's point of view, of how the Wright brothers succeeded in flight. Wee, an ambitious mouse, tells the story in a humorous yet detailed way of the historical Wright brothers and their flying machine.

Yuck!

Granstrom, Brita & Manning, Mick

Yuck! shows us some of the animal world's most interesting babies, along with what they love to eat for supper! Let's look at what human babies eat!

Tags

amphibians, baby, beetle, birds, comparisons, critical thinking, decision making, family, food, insects, nutrition, spider, toad, worm

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.

Whatever

Bee, William

Billy is a very difficult child. Billy's father tries to please him by showing him the world's curliest trumpet, bounciest castle and smokiest train. He even takes Billy to the edge of outer space, but all Billy can say is whatever. In the end, Billy will get a taste of his own medicine.

Tags

acceptance, affection, animals, appreciation, communication, conflict resolution, family, giraffe, misbehavior, mischief, respect, stress management, taste, tiger

Spaghetti eddie

SanAngelo, Ryan

Eddie loves spaghetti. He eats it all the time. While running an errand for his mother, Eddie helps several neighbors by using his spaghetti noodles as a shoestring, a fishing net, and guitar strings. Eddie even stops a robber with a meat ball.

Tags

bravery, celebration, community, critical thinking, family, food, friendship, giving, instruments, kindness, neighbors, nutrition, party, self esteem

When charlie mcbutton lost power

Collins, Suzanne

Charlie loves to play computerized games. When lightning strikes a nearby tower, Charlie's home is left without power. After several poor choices in finding something to occupy his time, Charlie discovers he can have fun without plugging in.

Tags

activities, affection, aggression, behavior, closeness, computer, conflict resolution, consequences, critical thinking, decision making, family, imagination, lightning, playing, rhyme, siblings, storm, technology, weather

Picnic

McCully, Emily Arnold

Have you ever been lost or disconnected by those you love? Little Bitty experiences those experiences when she accidentally falls out of the truck on the way to a family picnic. Will the mouse family successfully find Little Bitty?

Tags

accidents, animals, family, feelings, hunger, loneliness, lost, mouse, nature, parents, picnic, sadness, siblings

If nathan were here

Bahr, Mary

Nathan was a brother, a wonderful best friend, and a great classmate. Then one day, Nathan was gone. If Nathan Were Here tells a story of what it is like for a community and family to lose a loved one. This book shows us the true need and meaning for friendship.

Tags

baseball, change, coping, death, family, feelings, friendship, happiness, loss, love, memories, nonverbal communication, sadness, school, siblings, sports, stress management

First snow

McCully, Emily Arnold

Little mice children enjoy the first snow with Grandma and Grandpa. They skate, make a snowman, and sled down the hill.

Tags

acceptance, animals, decision making, exercise, family, fun, grandparents, mouse, nonverbal communication, playing, seasons, self confidence, skating, sliding, snow, verbal communication, weather, winter

Going home, coming home

Tran, Truong

Ami Chi is going on a trip to Vietnam with her parents. Not very happy, Ami Chi sees her grandmother and her uncle. Along the way she meets a girl named Thao at the market. Thao shows Ami Chi all around the market. Ami Chi finally goes back to her grandmother's house, where her parents are worried. Now with an appreciation for her other home, Vietnam, she goes back home to America.

Cherry free

Bond, Ruskin

A girl from India gathers cherries and plants a cherry seed. She takes care of the cherry tree even when experiencing many problems. The girl watches the tree grow up as her grandfather watches her grow up.

Tags

aging, family, food, garden, grandparents, growing up, india, multicultural, patience, plants, seasons, spring, stress management, tree, verbal communication, winter

Bird, fly high.

Horacek, Petr

As the bird flies, flaps, hops, pecks, and tugs; she fetches food. For the bird and her little ones, it is breakfast time.

Tags

birds, caring, decision making, determination, exercise, family, food, goal setting, hopping, nature, nutrition, parents, responsibilities, shelter, verbal communication, worm

Heaven's all star jazz band

Carter, Don

A young boy's grandpa dies and he goes to heaven. In heaven, his Grandpa Jack is in a jazz band with all the great musicians.

Tags

african american, angel, band, dancing, death, diversity, emotions, family, feelings, grandparents, happiness, instruments, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, vocabulary

Little fur family

Brown, Margaret Wise

A father bear goes to work, and the younger bear goes exploring. He comes across many animals different from him. He comes home for dinner and bed.

Tags

animals, bear, bedtime, bodies of water, bug, comparisons, critical thinking, curiosity, environment, exploration, family, fish, five senses, flowers, food, forest, grandparents, home, nonverbal communication, nutrition, parents, rhyme, river, sounds, tree, wildlife, wind

Shi-shi-etko

Campbell, Nichola I.

Shi-shi-etko is a young Native American who will be leaving for residential school in a few days. Before she leaves, her family takes her on walks and canoe rides to learn about nature. She gathers all the information she can and adds them to her memories before leaving.

Tags

critical thinking, family, grandparents, learning, multicultural, native american, nature, parents, school, traditions

The promise quilt

Ransom, Candice

A little girl, living in the mountaintops of Virginia, wants to go to school. Her father promises to send her when she is old enough, but he goes off to fight in the civil war. During the war the school and books are burned. Find a special way to build a new school.

Tags

books, critical thinking, decision making, family, fear, feelings, goal setting, history, loss, parents, poverty, prayer, quilt, reading, rhyme, sadness, siblings, war, writing

Hopper

Pfister, Marcus

A mother rabbit wakes up her baby rabbit to get ready for their day. The rabbits are surrounded by the brilliance of white snow. They encounter a few mishaps throughout the day during their quest for food.

Tags

adventures, animals, baby, birds, critical thinking, deception, exercise, falcon, family, feelings, friendship, health, hygiene, parents, rabbit, running, seasons, snow, weather, winter, worry

Myrtle

Pearson, Tracey Campbell

Myrtle the mouse has a very happy life until Frances the bully moves in next door. The bully won't leave her and her brother alone, so myrtle refuses to play outside anymore. Myrtle's aunt from Africa convinces her to come back outside and arms her with a plan to stop the bully.

Tags

african, animals, assertiveness, bully, conflict resolution, family, fear, feelings, goal setting, happiness, mouse, multicultural, parents, problem solving, sadness, self confidence, shyness, siblings, stress management

I kissed the baby

Murphy, Mary

A new baby duck arrives on the farm and everyone is making a fuss. They all tickle, kiss, sing, and feed the baby duck.

Tags

affection, animals, ant, baby, community, duck, family, farm, insects, parents, sounds, verbal communication

Big bad wolf

Marurel, Claire

Things aren't always what they seem. The villagers keep talking about a big, bad wolf and describe him. Their details are accurate, but skewed a little. The wolf has a family just like them and kisses his children good night after a run in the forest.

Tags

animals, bedtime, day, discovery, fable, family, folktale, forest, night, nonverbal communication, parents, siblings, tree, verbal communication, wolf

Just like new

Manson, Ainslie

It is a time of war and children in England won't have Christmas presents. A little girl's class decides to give gifts they love that are like new. The little girl unselfishly gives up her most cherished doll and inserts a note, and a girl from England becomes her pen pal after receiving the gift.

Tags

books, canada, charity, christmas, church, correspondence, critical thinking, decision making, dolls, empathy, england, family, feelings, food, friendship, happiness, history, holidays, maps, multicultural, nutrition, parents, sadness, ship, siblings, toys, transportation, verbal communication, war

The spirit of tio fernando: A day of the dead story

Levy, Janice

Fernando, a little boy from Mexico, loses his favorite uncle. The family celebrates a holiday called Day of the Dead. Fernando must find the perfect gift to remember his uncle. What does he choose?

Tags

celebration, critical thinking, death, family, flowers, food, holidays, instruments, language, mexican, multicultural, music, parents, spanish, theatre

Welcoming babies

Knight, Margy Burns

People celebrate the gift of a new baby in different ways around the world. Babies are welcomed into their families using different customs like singing, kissing, touching, blessing, naming, and other special actions.

Tags

adoption, afghani, african, cambodian, correspondence, customs, family, food, glossary, grandparents, indian, iranian, Jewish, korean, language, multicultural, muslim, native american, pakistani, parents, puerto rican, quakers, siblings, spanish, spiritual, traditions, vietnamese

Do like Kyla

Johnson, Angela

A little girl looks up to her older sister Kyla. Anything Kyla does, her little sister mimics. Her adoration for her sister is evident from waking up to bedtime.

Tags

activities, affection, bedtime, body parts, books, clothing, exercise, family, food, friendship, nutrition, parents, reading, relationship, seasons, self esteem, sequence, shopping, siblings, snow, verbal communication, walking, winter

I dream of trains

Johnson, Angela

A young boy from Mississippi listens for the sound of the train whistle while doing his work as a sharecropper. As he picks cotton, he dreams of someday leaving on a train. He refers to the train whistle as a call to his soul.

Tags

accidents, careers, dreams, family, farm, friendship, geography, hard work, history, hope, multicultural, parents, slavery, sounds, spiritual, storytelling, stress management, train, transportation

Maria's comet

Hopkinson, Deborah

A little girl dreams of being an astronomer like her father. She daydreams of catching a comet by the tail to sweep the sky and stars. She tries hard to hold onto her dreams while being forced to the forefront of reality.

Tags

assertiveness, astronomy, bias, biography, bodies of water, careers, decision making, discovery, exploration, family, grandparents, history, moon, ocean, parents, planet, ship, siblings, stars, technology, transportation, vision

The storm

Harshman, Marc

A young boy confined to a wheel chair because of an accident, doesn't like the way people see and talk about him. He wants people to see past the wheelchair and see him. A tornado comes through Indiana and he shows how strong and able he truly is.

Tags

acceptance, animals, chicken, critical thinking, death, differences, disability, family, farm, feelings, goal setting, handicap, horse, nonverbal communication, parents, problem solving, relief, sadness, safety, school, self esteem, storm, stress management, tornado, weather

Nutik, the wolf pup

Gearge, Jean

As Eskimo girl brings a sickly wolf pup home to her brother who cares for it until it's old enough to rejoin the pack. The two grow close, so when it is time for the pup to leave, they can't say good-bye.

Tags

animals, caring, companion, conflict resolution, courage, decision making, family, feelings, multicultural, native american, nonverbal communication, parents, pets, sadness, show, siblings, storytelling, weather, wolf

Good night sam

Gay, Marie-Louise

Sam and Stella lay down to go to sleep, but Sam can't fall asleep without his dog Fred. Stella gets up to help him find his dog. They look everywhere before giving up and going back to bed. They find Fred asleep in Sam's bed!

Tags

animals, bedtime, critical thinking, dog, family, fear, feelings, moon, night, siblings, sleep, stress management, verbal communication

Gerald Mcboing boing

Dr. Suess

A little boy makes unique noises instead of talking. He doesn't seem to fit in anywhere and is lonely. He is found by a man who has a radio station. He appreciates the boy's abilities.

Tags

acceptance, challenges, conflict resolution, differences, family, feelings, frustration, loneliness, nonverbal communication, parents, radio, rhyme, rhythm, sadness, sounds, technology, uniqueness, verbal communication

Old granny and the bean thief

Defelice, Cynthia

Granny loves her beans any way she can get them. A mischievous thief steals Granny's beans three nights in a row. She embarks on a journey to tell the sheriff about the thief. Along the way she makes several friends. They help Granny stop the thief in a very unique fashion.

Tags

alligator, animals, bodies of water, cactus, community, conflict resolution, cooking, cow, critical thinking, desert, family, fantasy, food, grandparents, nutrition, pond, raccoon, reptiles, snake

Miss Bridie chose a shovel

Conner, Leslie

In 1856, Miss Bridie traveled to America with only her family shovel. She finds many uses for her shovel and it proves to be the right choice. She carves her path through life with a simple everyday shovel.

Tags

aging, baby, critical thinking, death, drought, exercise, family, farm, feelings, flood, flowers, garden, happiness, history, ice, immigrants, loss, marriage, parents, plants, sadness, seasons, ship, siblings, skating, tools, transportation, travel

Ella Sarah gets dressed

Chodos-Irvine, Margaret

A young girl named Ella knows what she wants to wear and no one in her family can convince her otherwise. She refuses each person's suggestions for alternative clothing choices. Ella shows confidence and determination as she chooses her own style and presentation.

Tags

appearance, assertiveness, clothing, colors, determination, family, feelings, friendship, frustration, independence, individuality, nonverbal communication, opinions, parents, pattern, refusal skills

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