Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

The spider who never gave up | by Flores, Travis

Sparkey the spider tries hard to overcome his inability to spin a web. With encouragement from his mom and his friends and a strong will to never give up, Sparkey finally achieves his goal of spinning the perfect web. Read about the real life struggle of Sparky, as he tries one medicine after another in hope of beating Cystic Fibrosis.

Keywords: author's note, bravery, challenges, determination, diseases, dreams, encouragement, family, feelings, insects, parents, pride, self confidence, spider, trust

God bless the child | by Holiday, Billie & Herzog, Arthur Jr.

Each day is a work day for which to be thankful and grateful. There's a lot of work to be done on this land. It's time to go and experience the city life up north where things are different. Dream on, my child!

Keywords: closeness, community, education, emotions, exploration, family, feelings, hard work, migration, parents, playing, reading, separation, siblings, skills, transportation, travel, wealth, work, worry

The blue ribbon day | by Couric, Katie

Ellie and Carrie are best friends in the second grade. They do everything together and this year they are trying out for the soccer team. Carrie does not make the team and feels left out. She finds a new hobby, the science fair.

Keywords: challenges, competition, confidence, feelings, friendship, goal setting, hard work, school, science, soccer, sports

Suddenly alligator: An adverbial tale | by Walton, Rick

A young boy decides it is time to buy a new pair of socks to replace the smelly one's he's worn for three years. He travels to town via the swamp discovering items he's lots along the way. He encounters an alligator and a chase ensues. The alligator gets hold of the boys' shoe and when the shoe cocmes off, the odor from the socks, stuns the alligator. The boy continues on his way to buy new socks. With each step along his journey, he experiences an adverbial action.

Keywords: alligator, anger, animals, bodies of water, body parts, bravery, challenges, clothing, fear, feelings, five senses, happiness, language, learning, running, smell, spelling, stream, swamp

I can't stop! A story about tourette syndrome | by Niner, Holly L.

A young boy goes through the tribulations of finding out he has Tourette Syndrome. He has to learn to deal with his tics. As he becomes more accepting of his disorder, he helps others understand why he has the tics and movements. Others become more understanding.

Hotel deep | by Cyrus, Kurt

A lone sardine attempting to find its school leads an exploration of the sea and its many inhabitants. Use of poetry captures the attention and imagination on the sardine's journey.

The dog who cried wolf | by Kasza, Keiko

Feeling bored and trapped with his current life, Moka the dog runs away. Moka then questions his decision as he becomes homesick.

Keywords: affection, animals, appreciation, assertiveness, boredom, consequences, critical thinking, curiosity, dog, feelings, freedom, happiness, homesickness, loneliness, running away, self esteem, wolf

If you're happy and you know it | by Cabrera, Jane

Come join the frogs, lions, and elephants as they spin around, stamp their feet, and flap their arms to the song If you're happy and you know it.

Keywords: activities, animals, birds, elephant, excitement, feelings, frog, giraffe, happiness, hippopotamus, lion, monkey, mouse, moving, nonverbal communication, pattern, raccoon, repetition, rhythm, verbal communication

The greatest potatoes | by Stowell, Penelope

Cornelius Vanderbilt sets out on a mission to find the best potato dish ever. He travels around and finds none that are good enough. Vanderbilt goes to Cary Moon's Restaurant, where George Crum is the head chef. Crum makes many dishes that Vanderbilt does not like. Crum decides to make the potatoes so crispy and salty, so he will not like them. Vanderbilt loves them and that is how the potato chip is invented.

Keywords: accomplishment, anger, conflict resolution, cooking, critical thinking, decision making, determination, discovery, feelings, goal setting, happiness, history, restaurant, travel, worry

Elephant games and other playful poems to perform | by Bagert, Brad

An entertaining and exciting array of poems cover many issues that children face. Gleeful elephants help explore child-friendly issues such as bullying, feelings, nutrition, parents, animals, dreams, school, pets, trouble-makers and sports. Entertaining illustrations and catchy poems invite the reader to continue exploring.

Why the chameleon had two toes | by Mashiri, Pascal

An older woman, named Gogo Senne, tells interesting stories to the children of a small, quiet South African village. She weaves the mythical take of how the chameleon got his two toes and red eyes. Read about the value of strong friendships, the importance of trust, communication and respecting each other.

Keywords: african, chameleon, communication, companion, conflict resolution, feelings, folktale, food, friendship, loneliness, peer resistance, refusal skills, respect, trust, truth

Monster goes around the town | by Blance, Ellen // Cook, Ann

Monster goes for a trip around the town with a little boy. The little boy brings his camera and takes pictures at all the places they visit together.

Keywords: assertiveness, basketball, boat, bodies of water, bus, car, disappearance, environment, excitement, feelings, friendship, fun, goal setting, happiness, hobby, monsters, nonverbal communication, photograph, river, self esteem, sharing, shopping, teamwork, travel, verbal communication

Monster and the magic umbrella | by Blance, Ellen // Cook, Ann

Monster enjoys a day of play with his friends and his magical umbrella. Monster and the little boy play games in the afternoon sun and make sure to follow good hygiene practices and sun safety by wearing hats and carrying a giant magical umbrella that provides protection from the sun. The monster's umbrella eventually, magically opens into a much larger umbrella filling with rain so all of the neighborhood children can play and cool off.

Keywords: celebration, cleanliness, companion, critical thinking, exercise, feelings, friendship, happiness, hygiene, magic, monsters, play, rain, storm, stress management, sun, swimming, umbrella, weather

The best place | by Meddaugh, Susan

An old wolf loves his house, especially his screened in porch. A bird suggests he sells his house to see if there is anything better. He regrets this and wants his house back. He becomes frustrated when he cannot get his house back and scares his neighbors. The conflict resolves when the wolf finds a place he likes better than his old home and he makes some new friends.

Keywords: accomplishment, anger, animals, apology, appreciation, birds, change, community, conflict resolution, consequences, cooperation, decision making, feelings, forest, frustration, helping, home, nonverbal communication, rabbit, stress management, tree, wolf

Matunje and the wooden spoon | by Mashiri, Pascal

During a time of famine, Matunje goes looking for food. He finds mangoes which fall into the water and are carried out to sea. Matunje follows and is led to the sea king who gives him a magical wooden spoon to feed his country.

Keywords: assertiveness, celebration, community, conflict resolution, critical thinking, dancing, famine, feelings, food, fruit, happiness, helping, magic, mythical, nutrition, song, spiritual, tree

My name was hussein | by Kyuchukov, Hristo

Hussein is a young boy who lives in Bulgaria. He and his family are Muslim and are forced to give up their identities for Christian ones. A pictorial view of this is depicted throughout the story as Hussein tries to understand what is happening around him.

Monster buys a pet | by Blance, Ellen // Cook, Ann

A friendly monster and a little boy think it is lonely in their house. They decide that if they go to the pet store and buy an animal to keep them company, it will help. After picking out two dogs and two cats, the owner of the pet store coaxes monster and the little boy to give all the pets a home.

Keywords: animals, companion, critical thinking, decision making, feelings, friendship, gerbil, loneliness, monsters, peer resistance, pets, play, responsibilities, sadness, vacation, verbal communication

Hooray for fish! | by Cousins, Lucy

Little Fish goes for a swim to see all of his friends. Along the way, Fish introduces his friends of various colors, size and numbers.

Keywords: counting, emotions, family, feelings, fish, friendship, moods, opposites, parents, rhyme, verbal communication

Dog blue | by Dunbar, Polly

A young boy named Bertie loves the color blue. Bertie also loves dogs, but he does not have a blue dog. He pretends that he has a blue dog, until he actually finds a real dog! Although his new dog is black and white, Bertie loves him and decides to name him Blue.

Keywords: animals, closeness, colors, conflict resolution, dreams, excitement, feelings, friendship, goal setting, happiness, humor, imagination, nonverbal communication, pets, play, pretend, relationship, verbal communication

An African princess | by Edmonds, Lyra

Lyra is a young girl who lives in the city and who comes from a line of African princesses. She is teased by her classmates and starts to wonder whether or not she is a princess. Her family goes to visit her aunt who confirms that she is an African princess.

Keywords: african american, airplane, assertiveness, conflict resolution, family, feelings, history, learning, multicultural, parents, royalty, self esteem, teasing, travel, vacation

Browse Abstracts (1556 total)