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

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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

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

Where does the trail lead?

Albert, Burton

A boy explores Summertime Island and observes many things. At the end of the trail, he is back with his family.

Tags

adventures, curiosity, exploration, family, freedom, island, nature, nonverbal communication, observation

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.

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

Up and down on the merry-go-round

Martin, Bill Jr.//Archambault, John

A little girl describes her adventure on a merry-go-round using the sights and sounds around her.

Tags

adventures, animals, bear, clowns, colors, disappointment, feelings, five senses, freedom, happiness, humor, music, ostrich, pig, sight, sounds

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

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 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 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

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 unbreakable code

Hoagland Hunter, Sara

A young boy is insecure about moving away and leaving what is familiar to him. His grandfather tells about the time when he felt the same way and how he grew proud of his accomplishments.

The tiny patient

Pederson, Judy

A little girl and her grandma find an injured bird, so they nurse it back to health. When the bird recovers, they let it go into the wild.

Tags

birds, caring, critical thinking, decision making, family, fear, freedom, goal setting, grandparents, injury, nonverbal communication

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

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.

The red comb

Pico, Fernando

Vitita discovers a runaway slave under her porch. Vitita is determined to save the slave woman from the slave catcher. Vitita and sina Rosa furnish the woman with supplies through a mango tree. Vitita and sina Rosa come up with a plan to get the slave catcher out of town. After the slave catcher leaves, Vitita and sina Rosa introduce their new friend to the neighbors.

Tags

beliefs, bravery, caring, community, critical thinking, decision making, determination, family, freedom, friendship, multicultural, neighbors, parents, puerto rican, respect, slavery, teamwork, verbal communication

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.

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.

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

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

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

The drinking gourd

Monjo, F.N.

Tom misbehaves in church and is sent home early. He goes to play in the barn and discovers runaway slaves. He and his father help them escape and Tom learns all about freedom through the Underground Railroad.

Tags

african american, assertiveness, bravery, church, critical thinking, decision making, escape, family, freedom, goal setting, helping, history, misbehavior, multicultural, nonverbal communication, play, slavery, underground railroad, verbal communication

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

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 blues of flats brown

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.

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

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

Tar beach

Ringgold, Faith

A young, 8 year old, African American girl dreams of flying above her Harlem home and having the many things she sees. She speaks of her wish to have money and liberation for her family and herself.

Tags

african american, airplane, art, creativity, discrimination, dreams, family, freedom, goal setting, imagination, money, multicultural, nonverbal communication, poverty, quilt, self esteem, transportation

Sweet clara and the freedom quilt

Hopkinson, Deborah

Claro makes a quilt that describes the path that slaves must take to walk to freedom. She runs away with Jack and gets to freedom because of the quilt.

Tags

assertiveness, clothing, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, diversity, family, freedom, goal setting, love, parents, quilt, siblings, slavery, verbal communication

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.

Richard wright and the library card

Miller, William

Due to segregation in the 1920s, African Americans are not allowed to check out books from the library. Richard Wright discovers his passion which becomes a road to his freedom - books.

Tags

african american, books, challenges, critical thinking, discrimination, freedom, goal setting, multicultural, nonverbal communication, reading, self esteem, storytelling, stress management, verbal communication, work

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

Poppy's puppet

Gauch, Patricia Lee

Poppy is an amazing puppeteer who has the magical ability to listen to wood and carve beautiful marionettes. When he comes across the unique teakwood, Clarinda, he makes the mistake of not listening to what she wants to be. He wants her to be a ballerina, but that is not her passion. Will Poppy help this special marionette achieve her dream and allow her to blossom?

Tags

art, beauty, bicycle, careers, conflict resolution, creativity, dancing, feelings, freedom, frustration, happiness, hard work, imagination, individuality, listening, music, nonverbal communication, performance, perspective, puppets, stereotypes, toys, travel, uniqueness, walking, wood

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

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

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

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

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

Molly bannaky

McGill, Alice

After spilling a bucket of milk and being brought before the court, Molly Walsh is sent from England to America as an indentured servant. After seven long years she gains her freedom, a farm of her own, and an African slave who becomes her husband.

Tags

african, animals, author's note, boat, books, compromise, cow, crime, critical thinking, determination, family, farm, freedom, friendship, hard work, history, marriage, multicultural, ox, plants, reading, royalty, self esteem, settlers, slavery, tobacco, travel, verbal communication

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

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

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.

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

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

Jovita wore pants: The story of a Mexican freedom fighter

Salazar, Aida

Jovita is a brave young girl who joins the fight for religious freedom in Mexico during the Cristero War. Although girls are supposed to wear dresses and skirts, Jovita joins her brothers and father to become a revolutionary in so many ways. Jovita is a Mexican Freedom Fighter who fights dangerous battles against the government and eventually surrenders peacefully after fighting hard for six years. She is remembered by a song written in her honor.

Tags

animals, author's note, birds, bodies of water, cave, church, clothing, courage, death, dog, dreams, family, fight, fire, freedom, government, history, home, hope, horse, illustrator's note, justice, loss, memories, mexican, Mexico, multicultural, nature, parents, persistence, photography, plan, plants, running, secrets, shelter, siblings, stars, war

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

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!

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.

Goodbye little bird

Damjan, Mischa

Ben goes bird catching for the first time and catches a beautiful jay. Ben takes the bird home but it grows sick and lonely and Ben must set it free. The jay doesn't forget Ben and they remain life-long friends.

Tags

birds, bluejay, dreams, freedom, friendship, illness, loneliness

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