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

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Stone soup

McGovern, Ann

A young man is hungry and convinces an old woman that he can make soup from a stone. By the time the soup is ready, the woman has added several things from her garden to the soup. They eat the soup and when the boy leaves her house, he pulls the stone out of his pocket.

Tags

deception, five senses, folktale, food, hunger, nutrition

How the rabbit stole the moon

Moeri, Louise

All of the animals in the forest were sad because at night they could not see. All of the animals tried to get the sun to give them a little bit of light for the night. The rabbit stole some sun and created the moon and stars.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, community, conflict resolution, coping, courage, critical thinking, fear, feelings, folktale, goal setting, moon, nature, peer resistance, rabbit, sight, woods

Rip van winkle

Moses, Will

Could you sleep 20 years of your life away?Well, Rip Van Winkle didn't think he could. One day he was walking around his old familiar town, talking with his old familiar friends, and hunting with his old familar dog. The next day (or so Rip thinks) his old familiar town, friends, and dog are no longer famliar. Come find out what happens when Rip sleeps for 20 years.

Tags

aging, american, author's note, community, contentment, dutch, farm, folktale, helping, history, hunting, mountains, multicultural, nature, neighbors, responsibilities, reunion, sleep, time

Mother goose

Moses, Will

As assortment of Mother Goose rhymes and riddles. Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep, Humpty Dumpty has a great fall, and find all your favorite rhymes, one and all.

Tags

editor's note, folktale, poetry, rhyme, riddle, traditions

The wisdom bird: A tale of Solomon and Sheba

Oberman, Sheldon

Queen of Sheba, the wisest woman in the world, travels to Jerusalem after hearing about King Solomon, the wisest man in the world. She hopes to learn something new, but after asking for a palace made out of bird beaks, they both learn something important. This folktale is derived from Jewish, African and Biblical tales.

Tags

africa, african, birds, critical thinking, culture, folktale, israelian, Jewish, leadership, multicultural, religion, riddle, royalty, self esteem, ship, storytelling, teaching, transportation, travel, wisdom

Bearskin

Pyle, Howard

Bearskin, an infant son of a miller, is sent down the river by the king only to be found by a she-bear who raises him. As Bearskin gets older he goes out into the world to be with other people. He learns about a three-headed dragon who takes the princess. If anyone can kill the dragon, then they get to marry the princess. Will Bearskin be able to kill the dragon and win her heart?

Tags

adoption, adventures, affection, animals, art, baby, bear, bravery, castle, ceremony, challenges, clothing, companion, conflict, courage, deception, dragons, fable, fear, folktale, food, heroism, honesty, marriage, multicultural, nature, nutrition, picnic, royalty, violence

Dragon kite of the autumn moon

Reddix, Valerie

Every year, Tad-Tin and his grandfather make a special kite to fly on Kite's Day. This year Grandfather is sick, so it is up to Tin to sacrifice his special Dragon kite in order to carry all their misfortune away.

Rosie's fiddle

Root, Phyllis

Rosie O'Grady loves being by herself, but people can't stay away when she plays her fiddle. She is so good that they say she could out-fiddle the devil himself!One day, the devil shows up to challenge Rosie to a contest, the devil's golden fiddle for Rosie's soul!

The morning the sun refused to rise

Rounds, Glen

Although it seems impossible, there once was a day when the sun did not rise. As it turns out, the Earth's axle froze at the North Pole and the world stopped revolving. With the help of Paul Bunyan and a few friends, the earth was set in motion again.

Tags

animals, bear, conflict resolution, folktale, geography, morning, problem solving, seasons, sun, winter

I know an old lady who swallowed a fly

Rounds, Glen

During this familiar folksong, an old lady swallows all sorts of animals. In each instance, she swallows another animal in hopes of catching the previously swallowed animal.

Tags

animals, birds, cat, dog, five senses, fly, folktale, goat, horse, humor, sequence, song, spider, taste

The secret of the stones

San Souci, Robert D.

John and Clara work very hard all day, but they have no children to love. One night Clara finds two little white stones and brings them home with her. When they came home the next night all of the chores had been done, and John and Clara must find out who their helpers are and how to help them!

Tags

african american, animals, author's note, bones, cabin, chicken, conflict resolution, cow, decision making, escape, farm, folktale, food, hard work, magic, multicultural, nutrition, orphan, poverty, rocks, song, stream, verbal communication

The tale of Willie Monroe

Schroeder, Alan

Willie isn't a smart man, but he sure is strong. He decides to enter a contest to prove it. However, Delilah and her granny have to get him in shape first. Now Willie's reputation and Delilah's love depend on his winning the contest. Do you think he can do it?

Tags

accomplishment, animals, appalachian, author's note, barn, celebration, ceremony, challenges, competition, confidence, cow, determination, encouragement, exercise, family, farm, feelings, folktale, food, friendship, grandparents, hard work, horse, love, marriage, multicultural, nutrition, preparation, pride, self esteem, travel, walking, wedding

In the time of the drums

Siegelson, Kim L.

Mentu and Twi tell the story of an African family newly arrived in the Americas. Twi never gives up on returning to her native Africa. Twi tells stories of cooking, planting, music and dancing from her native land.

Tags

african, african american, bodies of water, community, creek, culture, escape, farm, feelings, five senses, folktale, freedom, generations, grandparents, history, home, instruments, island, language, magic, music, mythical, relationship, repetition, rhythm, sadness, secrets, ship, slavery, song, sounds, storytelling, transportation

Paper john

Small, David

Paper John is a man who everyone loves. He also has a great talent for making things out of paper. He runs into a devil who appears in town as a thief. Paper John captures the devil before it destroys the town.

Tags

anger, community, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, devils, feelings, folktale, greed, nonverbal communication, problem solving, rescue, robbery, verbal communication

Mufaro's beautiful daughters: An African tale

Steptoe, John

The king of Zimbabwe is choosing a new wife. Mufaro sends his two beautiful daughters to be considered. The main difference between the daughters is that one has a kind temperment and the other has a bad temper.

Tags

african, differences, family, feelings, folktale, jealousy, marriage, nonverbal communication, parents, plants, royalty, self esteem, siblings, verbal communication, zimbabwe

Why the bush fowl calls at sunrise

Tredgold, Margaret

In this folktale from Zimbabwe, a repeated sequence of inadvertent events between people, animals, and objects lead to the bush fowlﾒs eggs being crushed. The bush fowl is too sad to call the sun in the morning so the Great Spirit intervenes. As each participant is questioned by the Great Spirit, the sequence is repeated and deconstructed. Finally, the buzzing fly is restricted to saying only ﾓBUZZﾔ and the bush fowl promises to always call the sun in the morning.

Tags

african, animals, birds, elephant, fly, folktale, insects, multicultural, rat, sequence, snake, sounds, zimbabwe

The little blind goat

Wahl, Jan

Casimiro, the hero, overcomes his disability in this tale of perserverance. The world is not always kind to our disabled friends, but with a little hard work anything can be overcome.

Tags

accomplishment, animals, blindness, boat, cooperation, critical thinking, dancing, disability, exercise, family, folktale, hard work, listening, loneliness, lost, siblings, smell, stress management, swimming, taste, verbal communication, vision

The hare and the tortoise: A fable from aesop

Ward, Helen

Just like Aesop's original folktale, the hare and the tortoise are going to race. The quick but lazy hare takes his speed for granted when he challenges the tortoise. However, when the hare becomes too confident, the tortoise creeps past him to win the race.

Tags

accidents, animals, author's note, bodies of water, caring, challenges, competition, decision making, exercise, folktale, food, garden, goal setting, hard work, intelligence, laziness, nutrition, rabbit, river, running, swimming, tortoise, walking

Sun mother wakes the world: An Australian creation story

Wolkstein, Diane

The indigenous people of Australia believe their ancestors created the world through the sun shining on all living things to wake them up, bringing them to life. Sun Mother then creates the Morning Sun and the Moon to watch over ther children living on Earth in this spiritual, emotional, and multicultural story of creation.

Tags

aborigine, amphibians, animals, australian, beetle, birds, caterpillar, cave, celebration, cricket, direction, earth, emotions, emu, fear, folktale, frog, grub, happiness, insects, kangaroo, life, love, moon, multicultural, nonverbal communication, owl, plants, platypus, reptiles, self esteem, sky, sleep, snake, stars, sun, tree, understanding, verbal communication, walkabout, wind, wombat

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Browse Items (69 items total)