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

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The youngest marcher: The story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a young civil rights activist

Levinson, Cynthia

Audrey is a very confident and brave nine-year-old girl who knows all about segregation. She sees how others treat black people, and she wants to speak up and go to places like anybody else. After a church service, Audrey volunteers to go to jail to make a statement about freedom. Jail was quite hard, and the food was awful. After five days, Audrey is released to go home. Two months later, the City of Birmingham Alabama wipes segregation laws off the books. From then on, Audrey Faye Hendricks is known as the "Civil Rights Queen" and the youngest known marcher in the Children's March in May 1963. Audrey can now enjoy her ice cream at the parlor counter like everybody else.

Tags

african american, author's note, children, church, civil rights, comparison, discrimination, equality, faith, family, food, freedom, grandparents, history, marching, multicultural, parents, prison, recipe, signs, timeline

The legend of freedom hill

Altman, Linda Jacobs

A Jewish girl and an African American girl become friends during the Gold Rush in California when slavery was against the law. The two girls work together to save Miz Violet, a runaway slave, by searching for gold to buy her freedom from a slave catcher.

Tags

african american, animals, author's note, book, custom, faith, family, fox, freedom, friendship, games, gold rush, hard work, history, horses, Jewish, multicultural, parents, slavery, teamwork

Voice of freedom Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the civil rights movement

Weatherford, Carole Boston

No woman could be braver and have more courage than Fannie Lou Hamer. For the fearless fight that Fannie demonstrated as the "the country's number one freedom-fighting woman", we learn how her story written in themed prose serves as a chronicle of her life of civil rights. From being the last born of a large Mississippi family to being a speaker at the 1964 Democratic National Convention, Fannie went on to cofound the National Women's Political Caucus. By learning that she had a right to vote, Fannie used her voice to advocate for voting rights for others.

All-of-a-kind family hanukkah

Jenkins, Emily

Gertie, the youngest of five children, wants to help her mother cook for their family dinner on the first night of Hanukkah in New York City’s Lower East Side. After many attempts of trying to help in the busy kitchen, Gertie is sent to her room by her mother and is eventually called down for dinner by her dad. In order to get her to come downstairs, Gertie’s father asks for her helping to light the candles of the menorah for the first time and Gertie happily accepts the offer.

Tags

author's note, body parts, books, celebration, cooking, family, fire, food, freedom, frustration, hanukkah, hebrew, helping, history, holidays, illustrator's note, Jewish, learning, numbers, nutrition, parents, preparation, siblings, singing, traditions

All different now: Juneteenth, the first day of freedom

Johnson, Angela

A young girl wakes up on what she believes to be a normal day, working with her family to complete the daily tasks of her work as a slave. Then, everyone is told that slavery has been abolished and that now they are finally free people. The young girl celebrates with her family and community, excited by the prospects of what their future, independent life will bring.

Tags

author's note, bodies of water, celebration, community, depression, discrimination, farm, five senses, freedom, illustrator's note, ocean, picnic, prejudice, racism, slavery, storytelling, vocabulary

Overground railroad

Cline-Ransome, Lesa

One day, Ruth Ellen and her family leave North Carolina to travel North to New York City, looking for a better life and a brighter future in a society without segregation. During their travels, Ruth Ellen read a book about Frederick Douglass's journey and how his experiences compared to hers. Despite these differences, both traveled in pursuit of a common goal.

Tags

african american, bodies of water, body parts, family, farm, feelings, food, freedom, games, grandparents, history, moon, multicultural, neighbors, parents, reading, river, train, transportation, travel, walking, writing

Ain't nobody a stranger to me

Grifalconi, Ann

As a girl and her grandfather walk to the family’s apple orchard, grandfather shares his experiences as a slave to explain how the apple orchard came to be. Her grandfather traveled north in pursuit of freedom and encountered members of the Underground Railroad who helped their family by providing food, shelter, and transportation. This allowed her grandfather, grandmother, and mother to cross the Ohio River and gain freedom, working until they had enough money to buy land and start their own apple orchard.

Tags

ambition, bodies of water, challenges, courage, family, freedom, future, grandparents, growth, happiness, hard work, helping, kindness, memories, neighbors, plants, progress, protection, river, shelter, slavery, tree, underground railroad

March on! The day my brother Martin changed the world

Farris, Christine

Christine King Farris, the sister of Martin Luther King Jr., watched her brother during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. She describes her brother’s journey from writing his “I Have a Dream” speech to joining the crowds in their demand for freedom. She was moved by her brother’s persistence and success in persuading millions to believe in and fight for a better tomorrow in which all men are created equal.

Vanilla ice cream

Graham, Bob

A young curious sparrow escapes from the truck stop and makes his way through an eventful journey to find food. The adventure leads him to Edie Irvine and his grandparents, including the moment of Edie's first taste of vanilla ice cream!

Tags

adventures, baby, birds, change, comparison, critical thinking, curiosity, day, escape, five senses, food, freedom, grandparents, nonverbal communication, nutrition, plants, restaurant, ship, sparrow, tractor, transportation, tree, truck

Click, clack, splish, splash

Cronin, Doreen

While a farmer is sleeping, a long sequence of farm animals are busy. Join in the fun with 4 chickens, 5 cows, 6 goats, 7 pigs, 8 sheep, and 9 mice then repeat it backwards. Enjoy the 1 to 10 counting rhyme as the farm animals take you on the journey to release some fish at the end.

Tags

adventures, animals, birds, boat, chicken, counting, cow, duck, farm, fish, fishing, freedom, goat, math, mouse, pig, rhyme, sequence, sheep, sleep, transportation

Big jabe

Nolan, Jerdine

Momma Mary goes back in time and tells stories of a unique young man named Jabe, who is responsible for creating magic among the slaves of the Plenty Plantation. He is described as a hero with the strength of fifty men, a big heart, and a wondrous gift at leading slaves away to freedom.

Tags

african, african american, animals, bee, chicken, cow, fable, fantasy, feelings, fish, fishing, flood, food, freedom, generations, happiness, heroism, horse, hunger, magic, multicultural, mystery, nonverbal communication, plants, recreation, river, slavery, storytelling, tornado, tree, uniqueness, unselfish, weather, wind

The dog who cried wolf

Kasza, Keiko

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

Tags

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

Dangerous crossing

Krensky, Stephen

Showing no signs of fear, young Johnny Adams boards a ship with his father, the future second President of the United States, for a voyage from Massachusetts to Paris to gain support for the colonies. Their journey is depicted with vivid pictures and an exciting storyline portraying the battles, harsh weather and seasickness endured along the way by two key Presidents in U.S. history.

Alec's primer

Pitts-Walter, Mildred

Alec was a slave who wanted to be free. Ms. Josephine, one of his masters and three years older than him, told Alic if he wanted to be free he needed to learn to read. Ms. Josephine taught him to read and when Alec was old enough he couragously fights in the Civil War and obtained his freedom.

Hannah is my name

Yang, Belle

Hannah and her family come to America from Taiwan to gain freedom. For them to become Americans and have their freedom, they must obtain their greencards. Hannah and her family's journey of over 2 years, encompasses many trials. Hannah and her family feel relief, excitement and prode as they finally receive their greencards and are now able to call American their home.

Aunt harriet's underground railroad in the sky

Ringgold, Faith

Cassie take a ride on the Underground Railroad with Harriet Tubman as her guide. She learns what steps slaves had to go through in order to reach freedom in the North.

Tags

african american, assertiveness, conflict resolution, courage, critical thinking, decision making, freedom, goal setting, history, multicultural, nonverbal communication, refusal skills, slavery, teamwork, train, transportation, underground railroad, verbal communication

Freedom school, yes!

Littlesugar, Amy

Jolie shows courage in her community by protecting the school that will educate her and others. Jolie is afraid others will burn down the school. Jolie never gives up hope, and learns about famous African Americans who were brave and made a difference in their community, just like Jolie.

Tags

african american, anger, art, body parts, books, bravery, buildings, careers, change, church, community, courage, education, family, fire, freedom, god, hard work, history, music, neighbors, poetry, quilt, relationship, religion, running, school, slavery, song, spiritual, stars, teaching

Lift every voice and sing

Johnsson, James Weldan

Lift every voice puts pictures to the African American National Anthem. The lyrics tell the story of Black people's past struggles and the hope that Blacks will continue to have towards their future.

Tags

africa, african american, bodies of water, body parts, courage, culture, day, diversity, family, fear, freedom, god, history, hope, illustrator's note, lyrics, moon, multicultural, music, night, poetry, pride, relationship, rhythm, running, sea, ship, singing, sky, song, tree, violence, water

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

Papa's mark

Battle-Lavert, Gwendolyn

Simms teaches his father how to write. For many years, Simm's father struggled when writing his own name. However, Papa learns just in time so he can vote in the first election which gave Blacks the right to vote.

Tags

accomplishment, african american, american, animals, bedtime, buildings, change, church, community, cow, crowd, discrimination, education, election, equality, family, food, freedom, hard work, helping, horse, learning, letters, multicultural, night, parents, prejudice, quilt, relationship, school, shopping, signs, teaching, writing

Memorial day surprise

Golding, Theresa Martin

Marco and his mother are off to see the Memorial Day parade! Today, mother is in a hurry because she has a special surprise for Marco. She is in such a hurry that they don't have time to see Marco's grandfather. Once they reach the parade, Marco sees his two best friends which he believes is the surprise. Yet, they are not the surprise his mother has in store for him. Neither is the marching band, fire engine, Statue of Liberty, or candy. Marco could never imagine the surprise in store for him at the end of the parade!

Tags

accomplishment, america, careers, celebration, disability, family, flag, food, freedom, grandparents, heroism, history, memorial day, memory, monuments, noise, parade, parents, pride, recognition, sounds

A sweet smell of roses

Johnson, Angela

One morning, after a night of rain, Minnie and her sister sneak out of the house to join many men and women to march for freedom and equality. When they arrive at the beginning of the march, the girls walk with many others keeping their eyes straight ahead and their feet steady. Despite the criticism and yells from people standing by, the girls continue to march. As the day passes, more people join the march to where Dr. Martin Luther King gives his famous speech about peace, love, and equality for all.

The patchwork path: A quilt map to freedom

Stroud, Bettye

Hannah and her father are slaves who decide to escape to freedom. They use the patterns in the quilt made by her mother, who passed away, to follow the Underground Railroad.

Marsupial Sue

Lithgow, John

Marsupial Sue is not a happy kangaroo. She does not enjoy the things kangaroos do. Marsupial Sue decides to go explore and find the place where she belongs. She tries to fit in with many other groups of animals. She finally discovers the place where she is happiest.

Tags

animals, autumn, birds, bodies of water, climbing, conflict resolution, decision making, exercise, feelings, freedom, goal setting, happiness, health, hopping, illness, kangaroo, koala, learning, music, nonverbal communication, platypus, sadness, sand, sea, self esteem, song, summer, verbal communication, wallaby

The old Africa

Lester, Julius

An elderly slave uses the power of his mind to ease the suffering of his fellow slaves and eventually lead them back to Africa

Tags

africa, african, boat, bodies of water, escape, farm, fear, feelings, freedom, history, hope, nonverbal communication, ocean, sadness, slavery, stress management, transportation, travel

To be a drum

Coleman, Evelyn

Daddy Wes whispers to his two young children about the history of Africans forced into slavery and how the pulse of the drum has moved through them over time. Daddy Wes promises his children that as long as they can hear the heartbeat of the earth, they will be free.

Tags

africa, african, art, bodies of water, careers, colors, community, culture, dance, five senses, freedom, hearing, history, instruments, language, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, ocean, playing, pride, rhythm, sea, ship, slavery, sounds, spiritual, storytelling, symbols, time, verbal communication, war

The alphabet tree

Lionni, Leo

The alphabet tree is full of letters. After the storm, all the letters grouped together because they were afraid. A bug and a caterpillar teach teamwork so the letters can say something important.

Tags

alphabet, assertiveness, bug, caterpillar, closeness, cooperation, creativity, critical thinking, diversity, freedom, insects, peace, sequence, teamwork, tree, verbal communication, weather, wind

The red piano

Leblanc-Barroux, Andre

A young pianist is sent to a re-education camp in China. She lives for her secretive two hours of music after a long day's work. Her parents managed to send a piano to Mother Han's house and she manages to smuggle music in notebooks. One night the pianist is caught at the piano, forcing her to live through an extended-re-education while her love and talent for music are challenged.

Freedom river

Rappaort, Doreen

John Ripley shows courage and perseverence in Southern Ohio through his actions. John crosses the Ohio River into the slave state of Kentucky to help other African Americans escape to freedom. John listens to nature as he rows a slave family across the Ohio River to freedom along the Underground Railroad.

Tags

african american, author's note, baby, boat, bodies of water, cabin, community, courage, escape, family, fear, feelings, fight, freedom, happiness, history, illustrator's note, listening, maps, money, multicultural, night, parents, prayer, quiet, relationship, rhythm, river, running, sadness, safety, secrets, slavery, transportation, underground railroad, woods, work, worry

The bus ride

Miller, William

Sara stands up for justice on her city bus. Sara gets tired of sitting in the African American section of the bus. Sara does not undertsand why she does not have the same rights as the white Americans, so she takes a stand to change that law.

Tags

african american, america, anger, author's note, body parts, bus, car, change, community, courage, crowd, discrimination, equality, feelings, freedom, heroism, hunger, justice, law, money, newspaper, parents, pride, school, segregation, support, transportation

The roman twins

Gerrard, Roy

Maximus and his twin sister Vanilla are slaves to the cruel master Slobbus Pompius. They run away when Slobbus buys Polydox the horse then quickly decides to kill him. Maximus and Vanilla go through a chariot race and an invasion of Rome before they finally gain their freedom.

Tags

animals, architecture, assertiveness, bravery, critical thinking, decision making, freedom, heroism, history, horse, peer resistance, rhyme, siblings, slavery, war, work

Peacebound trains

Balgassi, Haemi

Sumi, a young Korean girl, lives with her grandmother when her mother goes off to the army. Sumi watches the train go by each day, wishing her mother would come home soon. The train reminds her grandmother of the days of war when she had to leave her own husband.

Tags

affection, aging, birthday, caring, change, chinese, coping, courage, death, destruction, dolls, family, feelings, freedom, grandparents, hope, korean, loss, multicultural, peace, presents, sadness, school, seasons, train, transportation, understanding, war, winter

A. lincoln and me

Borden, Louise

A young boy discovers that he shares a birthday on the same day as Abraham Lincoln's. Learn how many other common characteristics a boy shares with a past president.

Tags

appearance, appreciation, baseball, birthday, body parts, books, bus, calendar, celebration, freedom, friendship, history, individuality, learning, money, monuments, music, playground, president, reading, running, school, self confidence, self esteem, slavery, sports, teaching, transportation

Starring mirette and bellini

McCully, Emily Arnold

Young Mirette and the Great Bellini are high wire partners in Paris. While performing on a tour of Europe, they visit Russia where the people are not free. Bellini speaks to them about freedom during their act and is arrested. Then it is up to Mirette to be brave and rescue him from prison.

The other side

Woodson, Jacqueline

A fence not only divides two properties -- it segregates two families because of their different cultures. Initial fears from the parents cause them to set rules that will forbid the friendship of their young daughters. Little did they know that their daughters would break the barrier as they climbed the fence together to see the world as it should be, not as it is.

Barefoot: Escape on the underground railroad

Edwards, Pamela Duncan

A boy runs along the pathway of the Underground Railroad until he needs to take a rest. While he is resting, his pursuers are getting closer. They get too close and the boy can not run from his hiding place. Is he bound to be captured or can someone or something help him?

Tags

amphibians, animals, critical thinking, deer, escape, fear, freedom, frog, hiding, history, running away, secrets, slavery, transportation, underground railroad

I have heard of a land

Thomas, Joyce Carol

Moving across country must have been very hard. Pioneers often picked up their belongings and moved on toward a common goal: starting a new life!

Petunia, I love you

Duvoisin, Roger

Raccoon hopes to eat Petunia for a goose dinner, but while walking in the forest, they end up as good friends.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, birds, decision making, food, forest, freedom, friendship, goal setting, goose, kindness, nutrition, raccoon

The velveteen rabbit

Bianco, Margery Williams

A stuffed rabbit searches for his life, yearning to be free and real. He reaches his destiny with the help of a few friends.

Tags

animals, anticipation, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, freedom, friendship, goal setting, helping, nonverbal communication, rabbit, self esteem, stress management, verbal communication

The big box

Morrison, Toni//Morrison, Slade

Patty, Mickey, and Liza Sue just can't handle their freedom. The things they do frighten the adults around them. The adults decide to put them in a big brown box because they care about the youngsters. The children will have everything they need, except their freedom. Isn't that the one thing children need?

Tags

animals, beaver, behavior, birds, caring, culture, family, farm, food, freedom, games, health, love, misbehavior, nature, nonverbal communication, nutrition, owl, parents, playing, presents, rabbit, rhyme, rules, school, seagull, toys

Return of the shadows

Baruffi, Andrea

Free-spirited shadows leave their maker to roam the world. They eventually grow lonely and return to where they belong.

Tags

decision making, freedom, loneliness, missing, nonverbal communication, self esteem, shadows

Two tickets to freedom

Freedman, Florance

A true story of Ellen and William Craft, two slaves, who run away and try to find freedom.

Tags

african american, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, escape, freedom, history, multicultural, slavery, train, transportation, truth

Lemon whip

Razvan

A cake and a lemon escape from a refrigerator to explore the world together. They see many things and decide to travel over land and sea together, forever.

Tags

conflict resolution, cooperation, decision making, escape, excitement, food, freedom, friendship, goal setting, marriage, nutrition, travel, verbal communication, wedding

Kite flier

Haseley, Dennis

A young man leaves home, marries, and begins to fly kites. He teaches his son the joy of kite flying, and with each changing event in their lives, a new kite is launched. When the son wants to travel, too, they make a very symbolic kite for both of them.

Tags

conflict resolution, critical thinking, death, feelings, freedom, happiness, kite, loneliness, loss, nonverbal communication, play, sadness, stress management, traditions, travel, weather, wind

Yertle the turtle

Seuss, Dr.

Yertle the turtle is the king of all turtles and everything that he can see. In order to see more things, therefore becoming more powerful, he would stack turtles to stand on. Finally, the stack of turtles got so high that Yertle came crashing down and set all the other turtles free.

Tags

assertiveness, feelings, freedom, goal setting, greed, refusal skills, reptiles, self esteem, turtle

A hanukkah treasury

Kimmel, Eric

Hanukkah is to me the time for lighting the menorah, spinning the dreidel, and remembering heros from the past. Poetry, music, and recipes help keep the Hanukkah tradition alive!

Tags

acceptance, accomplishment, adventures, ambition, american, animals, anticipation, appreciation, assertiveness, beliefs, bias, bravery, celebration, ceremony, challenges, change, charity, closeness, communication, conflict, conflict resolution, cooking, courage, critical thinking, culture, customs, decision making, destruction, determination, discrimination, elephant, family, feelings, folktale, food, freedom, games, goal setting, god, grandparents, grief, hanukkah, happiness, hebrew, heroism, history, holidays, hope, immigrants, independence, individuality, israelian, Jewish, kindness, language, love, loyalty, memories, miracle, moose, moving, multicultural, music, parents, peace, pilgrims, poetry, polish, politics, poverty, prayer, prejudice, presents, racism, religion, russian, sadness, secrets, siblings, snow, song, spiritual, storytelling, toys, traditions, war, weather

More than anything else

Bradby, Marie

Booker and all the other African Americans have been set free. Money is tight and food is scarce, but the one thing that Booker cares most about is learning to read. His mother gives him an alphabet book, so he seeks the help of a man who knows how to read.

Tags

african american, amphibians, assertiveness, books, critical thinking, decision making, exercise, family, feelings, food, freedom, frog, frustration, happiness, hunger, learning, multicultural, nutrition, parents, reading, siblings, walking

The wagon

Johnston, Tony

A slave boy grows up on a plantation with his family. He hates being a slave and wishes that he could be free. Soon the war comes and President Lincoln sets the slaves free. The boy and his family celebrate as they leave the plantation in the wagon they built.

Tags

african american, assertiveness, celebration, family, feelings, freedom, grandparents, happiness, history, love, multicultural, nonverbal communication, parents, sadness, slavery, transportation, wagon

Wingfin and topple

Valens, Evans

Topple, the long-finned herring, learns that his difference is actually a blessing. He learns from another long-finned herring that he can fly, and in turn his seemingly unlucky fins save his life.

Tags

assertiveness, critical thinking, decision making, differences, fish, freedom, heroism, herring, jumping, peer resistance, sea, stress management, swimming, verbal communication

The invisible princess

Ringgold, Faith

Mama and Papa Love are two of Captain Pepper's slaves. They are going to have a baby, but they fear for it's life. With the help of the Powers of Nature, their baby is saved. For years Mama and Papa Love live peacefully until Captain Pepper threatens their child once again. By asking for help from the Powers of Nature, the slaves are able to live happily and peacefully with out any fear of Captain Pepper.

Tags

baby, bee, blindness, death, decision making, family, farm, fear, feelings, freedom, friendship, insects, loss, love, nature, parents, peace, plants, slavery, tree, trust, water

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