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

1
2
3
4
5
Next
Last

Sort by:

Remembering Rosalind Franklin: Rosalind Franklin and the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA

Tanya Lee Stone

Rosalind Franklin was a remarkable chemist who captured an image that identified the double helix of DNA in the 1950's. Her Photo 51 helped two of her male colleagues to win the Nobel Prize but Rosalind did not know this ethical overstep before she died of ovarian cancer at a young age of 37. Rosalind's life as a young woman is chronicled from England to Norway and France where she had a zest for life and demonstrated her many skills and talents. If it weren't for Rosalind, we would not know the scientific secrets of life. Her main discovery is that DNA created different patterns when it is wet versus dry. In May 1952, Rosalind's X-ray diffraction images became the important Photo 51. Let us not forget Rosalind Franklin!

Tags

author's note, beach, camera, careers, clothing, england, family, french, friendship, german, history, intelligent, Jewish, language, math, measurement, photographs, research, science, technology, X-ray

Fall ball

McCarty, Peter

Bobby and his friends ride the school bus home with anticipation for playing football together at the park. The fall leaves set the tone for the girls and boys as they through, pass, and run with the ball. When it gets dark at 4:30 pm, the children go home to dinner. Because it had started snowing, they all snuggle in at their houses with good things to eat, cozy pajamas, and warm blankets to watch football on the television.

Tags

anticipation, autumn, ball, bus, clothing, exercise, five senses, food, football, friendship, games, neighbors, park, running, school, seasons, snow, sports, teamwork, technology, television, throwing, time, transportation, weather

What do you do with an idea?

Yamada, Kobi

An idea shows up in a child's life. The child wonders how it came to be and why it stays around. Sometimes the idea makes the child think, and sometimes it wants a lot of attention. The child worries about the idea and sometimes it needs food. The child lets the idea grow into the size of a dream. The child gains the ability to see things differently by walking on his hands. Eventually, the idea becomes part of everything, and it changes the world.

Tags

attention, change, differences, feelings, food, friendship, growth, gymnastics, hope, idea, magic, opportunity, peer resistance, perspective, play, secrets, worry

Dancing hands: A story of friendship in filipino sign language

Que, Joanna//Marquez, Charria

The new neighbors do not use their voices to speak. Their hands move in a rhythm to express their thoughts and feelings. Mai teaches her friend to communicate using her "hands to dance". The girls share their dreams and their aspirations for careers. Sam and Mai become best friends.

Tags

author's note, birds, body parts, butterfly, careers, communication, deafness, differences, disability, dreams, earth, filipino, friendship, gestures, insects, language, learning, multicultural, nature, neighbors, observation, plan, rhythm, sign language

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 crippled lamb

Lucado, Max

A little lamb named Joshua has one leg that doesn't work well so he always limped when he walked. His best friend, Abigail, was an old cow who encouraged Josh with her voice in a kind and friendly way. Abigail also told Josh about God who has a special place for those who feel left out. When all the other sheep are moved to a new meadow, a shepherd tells Josh to go back to the stable and spend the night. Josh gains companions when a young woman with her baby, Jesus, is born in that stable. Even shepherds come to the door to see God's son.

Tags

animals, baby, cattle, correspondence, differences, disability, faith, fear, feelings, friendship, god, royalty, sheep, storytelling, surprise

That flag

Brown, Tameka Fryer

Tags

anger, author's note, bias, change, clothing, comparisons, conversation, differences, family, feelings, flag, friendship, games, hatred, history, illustrator's note, jump rope, learning, museum, neighbors, parents, quiet, racism, reading, recess, respect, sadness, school, technology, television, war

Happy feet: The savory ballroom lindy hoppers and me

Michelson, Richard

A father loves to dance. He also loves to retell the story about the opening of the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. He works hard and saves money so he can put up a shoe shine sign for his own business. When his son is born that day, the new club opens to a sharp-dressing, happy-dancing people from all backgrounds with black people and white people dancing together. The son is named Happy Feet, and he too dreams of dancing at the legendary ballroom someday.

Tags

african american, author's note, body parts, business, car, cleanliness, clothing, community, dance, dancing, feelings, friendship, happiness, hard work, history, language, multicultural, music, new baby, party, performance, shoes, signs

Ruth and the green book

Ramsey, Calvin Alexander

Ruth and her parents drive from Chicago to Alabama to visit her grandma. Along the way, they saw signs that said "White Only" where they couldn't eat in the restaurants or use the bathroom inside. Ruth's mother had food packed for the trip, and they sang songs along the way to stay happy. They also visited a friend, Eddy, in Tennessee where Eddy and Ruth's daddy played music together. When the family drove into Georgia, a man explained "The Negro Motorist Green Book" which would list places in different states that would welcome black people who were traveling. Ruth and her family learns how to use the Green Book to find places to sleep, eat, shop, and get a haircut on their travels because Jim Crow laws were unfair and discriminatory against black people. When a 'tourist home' welcomes them for free, Ruth learns that it is important to help each other and treat others like a big family. After this lesson, she gives her Brown Bear to a little boy who was traveling away from home with his mother for the very first time. Ruth said that she no longer needed Brown Bear because she was too old now, then she told his mother about buying a Green Book for her travels.

Tags

african american, anger, author's note, books, car, conversation, discrimination, family, fear, feelings, food, friendship, grandparents, happiness, instruments, law, learning, literacy, map, multicultural, music, oppression, parents, reading, signs, singing, storytelling, toy, transportation, travel

Strong

Kearney, Rob & Rosewood, Eric

Rob dreams of becoming a champion strongman because his favorite sport was weightlifting. But there are lots of ways to be strong because he had to learn to overcome unkind words and criticisms for how he liked to dress in rainbow clothing with strong, bold colors. He trained hard and lifted huge tires, boulders, sandbags, and cars, so he could become the strongest man in the world. And one day we did just that by lifting a log over this head and was named the strongest person in North America!

Tags

clothing, competition, differences, exercise, friendship, hard work, homosexuality, sports, weightlifting

The me I choose to be

Tarpley, Natasha Anastasia

There are many "I am" statements from different children who refer to a planet, to hope, to a bridge builder, and to a weaver of words. Through creativity, children can become who they choose to be. Feelings of joy, sadness, and laughter are represented by wind, light, and a free spirit. The possibilities are endless for children.

Tags

african american, art, colors, creativity, feelings, friendship, generations, hope, imagination, light, multicultural, photography, plants

The talk

Williams, Alicia D.

Jay has many favorite things he likes to do with his friends and family. His mom measures him as he grows inch-by-inch which means he can do more and more as he gets older and older. Although his feet don't reach the gas pedal of his Daddy's car, he can skateboard up and down the street and and do flips with many friends. Jay's grandpa tells his grandchildren not to crowd in groups of four or more - which is only one of many unfortunate realities of African American families and parents when they have to say, "Jay, its time we had a talk" about racism.

My best friend

Fogliano, Julie

Two girls become friends and realize that they are able to make each other smile and laugh. They both enjoy doing the same gardening and creative gardening and creative activities and, despite some of their differences, they value each other's company. They are best friends and their relationship will continue to grow for many years to come.

Tags

body parts, drawing, feelings, food, friendship, games, garden, kindness, love, plants, play, tree, writing

Gaston

DiPucchio, Kelly

Mrs. Poodle takes Gaston and his three siblings to the park where they meet Mrs. Bulldog and her family. Suddenly, they realize that Gaston looks more like Mrs. Bulldog’s child and Gaston goes to live with her family. However, Gaston realizes that he likes his old family and returns to live with Mrs. Poodle, making sure to play with Mrs. Bulldog’s children when they are at the park.

Tags

alliteration, animals, behavior, change, discipline, diversity, dog, friendship, growing up, happiness, love, manners, sadness, siblings, sizes

Crown: An ode to the fresh cut

Barnes, Derrick

A boy goes to the barbershop to get a haircut. As he sits there, he notices everyone around him, gaining confidence with each unique style. Once his haircut is complete, the boy feels ready to accomplish anything with a newfound conviction and trust in himself.

Tags

african american, author's note, body parts, careers, confidence, friendship, instruments, multicultural, music, perspective, pride, self confidence

The rock from the sky

Klassen, Jon

Turtle really likes standing in his favorite spot. He asks his friend to come over to experience it too, but his friend feels uneasy there. Through a series of questions, the friendship continues to live in the moment and imagine into the future. The addition of another companion wants to join the sunset but misses the moment.

Tags

amphibians, communication, concepts, feelings, five senses, friendship, future, hearing, imagination, morning, night, onomatopoeia, rocks, sleep, snake, sun, turtle

I am you: A book about ubuntu

Moahloli, Refiloe

Ubuntu is an ancient philosophy from many African cultures. The word promotes the idea that a person is known through other people - a concept of shared humanity, compassion, and oneness. Observe the many ways that we are all connected.

Tags

caring, community, dancing, differences, friendship, home, kindness, language, listening, love, lyrics, publisher's note, similarities, song, teasing, vision, walking

Fry bread: A Native American family story

Maillard, Kevin Noble

Children help a Native American grandmother make fry bread while learning about the history, social ways, food, art, and politics of America's 573 recognized Indian tribes.

Tags

america, art, author's note, baking, colors, diversity, family, five senses, food, friendship, geography, heritage, history, native american, nutrition, preparation, recipe, sounds, storytelling, variety

We found a hat

Klassen, Jon

Two turtles find a hat that looks good on both of them, but with fairness in mind, they decide to leave it be - until night falls and one of the turtles changes its mind.

Tags

amphibians, animals, change, clothing, communication, comparisons, differences, dreams, friendship, missing, sleep, sun, teamwork, turtle

What happens next

Hughes, Susan

Bully B. makes a student feel uncomfortable at school by making fun of him and calling him mean names. This student goes home and acts like he is fine, but his mother is able to tell that this is not true and she suggests that her son talks to the bully. With this advice, he talks to Bully B. and expresses how her behavior makes him feel and explains how similar they actually are, ending their negative relationship.

Two grooms on a cake: The story of America's first gay wedding

Sanders, Rob

Michael and Jack met and fell in love, growing closer over time. Even though no one had done it before, Michael and Jack wanted to get married, and although it was difficult, they were the first same-sex couple to marry in America legally. Today, they are still married and work to ensure that other same-sex couples can also get married.

Tags

affection, celebration, discrimination, emotions, equality, friendship, government, happiness, history, homosexuality, justice, law, marriage, patience, politics, recipe, relationship, sequence, sexuality, time, wedding

Unplugged

Antony, Steve

Blip accidentally becomes unplugged and spends the day outside, traveling through the forest and sailing through a river. Blip starts to make friends with the animals and realizes they love to spend time outdoors, away from the screen. Finally, Blip returns home and leaves soon after to join their friends again.

Tags

change, computer, friendship, games, learning, music, nature, play, playing, technology

My wiggly smile

Woodruff, Amira

Olive wakes up one day and finds that she has a loose tooth! She runs downstairs to tell her parents and keeps wiggling it all day, but it won't come out! At school, Olive talks to a girl named Jordan who tells her about the "My Wiggly Smile" which says to keep track of the teeth she's lost. When Olive gets home, her dad surprises her with a "My Wiggly Smile" book of her own, and they leave for the dentist where Olive's tooth is finally pulled by the dentist. That night, while she is fast asleep, the Tooth Fairy comes to visit Olive, and she wakes up with a gift under her pillow!

Vegetable dreams

Jeffers, Dawn

Erin dreams about having a garden. Her parents allow her to share a garden with her neighbor, Mr. Martinez. Erin cares for her garden everyday and enjoys eating and canning the fresh food with her family. She learns that she loves learning and the friendship developed with Mr. Martinez more than the vegetables themselves.

Good-bye: 382 shin dang dong

Park, Frances; Park, Ginger

Jangmi is sad because she is moving from her home in Korea to America. She is sad because she is leaving her best friend and all of the things she loves in Korea. Jangmi says goodbye to her Korean home and is skeptical about America. Jangmi meets a new friend, slowly accepting and appreciating her new life in America.

Tags

america, feelings, friendship, homesickness, Korea, korean, moving, sadness, travel

Sophie's squash

Miller, Pat, Zietlow

Sophie buys a squash at the farmer's market. The squash's name is Bernice, and she is Sophie's best friend. Bernice starts look unhealthy, so Sophie plants her in the ground. The next year, Bernice makes two new squash for Sophie to befriend.

Tags

acceptance, animals, autumn, beliefs, caring, cat, conflict resolution, decision making, differences, family, farm, fish, food, friendship, garden, gymnastics, health, library, love, market, nutrition, parents, patience, picnic, plants, problem solving, refusal skills, seasons, spring, summer, winter

Julia, child

Maclear, Kyo

Best friends, Julia and Simca, are little girls who love the art of French cooking. They wish to stay young with little worries and lots of marvelous times. They decide to share their recipes for growing young with grown-ups. These adults fear the youthful food will not last, so the girls must make a dessert and cookbook to remind the adults to enjoy life. Note: References to Julia Child are fictionalized even though she was a famous chef in France and the U.S.

Tags

aging, book, careers, conflict resolution, cooking, dreams, food, french, friendship, fun, goal setting, growing up, hunger, language, learning, multicultural, nonverbal communication, nutrition, problem solving, recipe, tools, worry, writing

Flags

Trottier, Maxine

A young child enjoys a neighbors garden when spending time at his grandparents house. Mr. Hinoshi's garden allows the children to learn until one day Mr. Hinoshi is taken away. The child cares for Mr Hinoshi's garden in his absence until new neighbors move in. The child plants her own garden in honor of Mr. Hiroshi. The flags are symbolically named for Japanese irises.

Tags

change, community, culture, family, flowers, friendship, garden, grandparents, japanese, loss, love, neighbors, plants

The greatest blessings

Isaacs, Mark

Fame, Fortune, and Power are brothers who decide how well all people in their kingdom will fare in life - especially Boy who is an abused and abandoned child. In this tale, Boy spurns the three brothers in favor of family, friendship, and brotherhood.

Tags

animals, cow, fable, fame, family, fortune, friendship, horse, royalty, sheep

Alejandro's gift

Albert, Richard

A lonely man plants a garden full of vegetables in the middle of the desert. A wide array of desert wildlife finds their way to his garden and watering hole. He wants to be friends with the animals and help them.

Tags

animals, author's note, badger, birds, cactus, caring, coyote, critical thinking, deer, desert, donkey, dove, feelings, fox, friendship, garden, habitat, hummingbird, loneliness, mouse, plants, presents, rabbit, rat, responsibilities, shelter, skunk, sparrow, squirrel, tortoise, vegetables, wildlife, woodpecker, wren

Annie Rose is my little sister

Hughes, Shirley

A little boy and his baby sister do everything together. They each have friends of their own, but spend time doing things mostly with one another.

Tags

anger, beach, bodies of water, books, diving, exercise, exploration, family, feelings, flowers, friendship, games, happiness, love, ocean, parents, reading, relationship, siblings, swimming, toys, verbal communication

Hopper's treetop adventure

Pfister, Marcus

Hopper the rabbit meets a young squirrel searching for his buried nuts. Hopper agrees to help the squirrel find his nuts if he agrees to what they find. The rabbit and squirrel find more then just hazel nuts; they find friendship. Each had to give and take in order to grow their friendship.

Tags

animals, baby, compromise, conflict resolution, deer, discovery, family, fear, feelings, friendship, goal setting, parents, problem solving, rabbit, seasons, self esteem, sharing, spring, squirrel, tree, verbal communication, woodpecker

Franklin has a sleepover

Bourgeois, Paulette

Franklin and Bear are excited for their first sleepover at Franklin's house. It's fun to play games, have a campfire, and campout in the livingroom with your friend. However, when it's time to go to bed, Bear and Franklin realize how scary sleepovers can be.

Tags

animals, anticipation, bear, bedtime, camping, conflict resolution, critical thinking, emotions, excitement, fear, feelings, food, friendship, games, growing up, happiness, health, homesickness, parents, playing, pretend, sadness, safety, separation, toys, traditions, turtle

Jack & Jim

Crowther, Kitty

An adventurous blackbird wants to venture out, beyond his home in the forest, to explore the beach. He meets a white seagull and the two quickly become friends. However, their outward appearances quickly cause some adverse reactions from others in town. These friends stand fast to their friendship and overcome adversity. Eventually, the village of seagulls accepts Jack for his gift of stories.

Tags

acceptance, assertiveness, birds, blackbird, bodies of water, community, conflict resolution, curiosity, friendship, ocean, peer resistance, prejudice, seagull, self esteem, travel

Loudmouth George and the sixth-grade bully

Carlson, Nancy

George's first day of school is ruined by Big Mike, who bullies George and steals his lunch. All week, George does everything he can to keep Big Mike happy. However, George can't live in fear forever! George and his friend Harriet spend the weekend devising a plan to stop Big Mike and his evil ways.

Crickwing

Cannon, Janell

Crickwing is different from all the other cockroaches. He likes to create sculptures and has a twisted wing. Crickwing is tired of being bullied by the bigger animals in the forest and mistakenly takes his anger out on the leaf-cutter ants, learning a valuable lesson in return.

Muriel's red sweater

Dokas, Dara

Muriel Magee's party invitations are very late because her birthday is today! She runs around town handing out invitations to her friends. What she doesn't realize is that her sweater unravels with each person she invites. By the time she gets home, she sees that her sweater is all gone, but she is in for a surprise! Her friends are all there to wish her a happy birthday, and they give her a present. When she opens it she realizes it's just what she needed - a new sweater!

Tags

animals, balloon, beaver, birds, birthday, bridge, celebration, clothing, duck, excitement, feelings, friendship, hedgehog, mystery, nonverbal communication, otter, owl, park, party, presents, rabbit, river, squirrel, travel, verbal communication

The greedy triangle

Burns, Marilyn

A triangle gets bored doing the same old thing every day. He decides to take up a different shape, so he visits the shapeshifter to add on a few more angles. After a life of being a quadrilateral, pentagon and hexagon, the shape returns to its old self of being a triangle.

Minnie and moo go to paris

Cazet, Denys

Minnie and Moo go to see Africa, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and a monsoon in China all in time to be milked in America by five. Moo's delighted to see new places and new faces during her journey.

Tags

adventures, africa, america, animals, bus, china, companion, confusion, cow, culture, curiosity, determination, farm, food, france, friendship, glasses, multicultural, reading, recognition, transportation, travel, verbal communication

Monster on the bus

Blance, Ellen // Cook, Ann

Join Monster and a little boy as they take a ride on a bus. While Monster and the little boy are enjoying looking at the sights, the bus suddenly stops. The people on the bus are scared, but soon realize a dog is in the way and refuses to move. The people, bus driver, and policeman try to push and chase the dog away, but he does not want to get out of the way. Luckily, Monster steps in and scares the dog away, so everyone cheers, gets on the bus, and goes to their important destinations.

Tags

animals, bus, careers, companion, conflict, dog, emotions, excitement, fear, friendship, monsters, nonverbal communication, pride, transportation

Arthur's nose

Brown, Marc

Arthur does not like his nose! Although his friends and family like Arthur's nose just the way it is, he feels that it is always getting in the way and decides to get a new nose!

When Catherine the Great and I were eight!

Best, Cari

Sara, her mother, and Russian grandmother Catherine the Great, pile into Mr. Minsky's car along with a few of their other neighbors. They make their way to the beach to escape the heat of the hot summer day. Although they find it takes longer than planned to reach the beach, everyone has fun along the way.

Things that sometimes happen

Avi

This collection of short stories are exaggerated to intrigue your imagination. The stories are full of odd events involving animals, traveling, and much more.

Angelo

Macauley, David

A man is repairing when he comes upon an injured pigeon. He nurses the pigeon back to health and a friendship fast emerges. The pigeon helps the man fulfill his lifelong dream and is surprised to find an addition to the building.

Tags

aging, ambition, birds, careers, church, death, food, friendship, health, italian, kindness, monuments, multicultural, music, pigeon, teamwork, work

Badger's bad mood

Oram, Hiawyn

Badger is in a bad mood and this is very unusual. His forest friends don't know what to do about his terrible demeanor. They need him and try different ways to cheer him up. After several failed attempts at cheering badger up, mole realized all he needed was to feel appreciated.

Tags

acceptance, animals, appreciation, badger, bat, conflict resolution, critical thinking, depression, feelings, friendship, identity, mole, moods, rabbit, sadness, self esteem, stress management

Little polar bear

De Beer, Hans

A baby polar bear wakes up to find himself in a world surrounded by color. He makes many friends, but becomes homesick. His friends help him develop a plan to get back home where everything is white.

Tags

animals, baby, beach, birds, bodies of water, chameleon, climbing, critical thinking, eagle, exercise, family, friendship, goal setting, hippopotamus, homesickness, jungle, ocean, parents, polar bear, seasons, snow, summer, swimming, travel, whale, winter

And to think that we thought we'd never be friends

Hoberman, Mary Ann

Arguments erupt everywhere. For a brother and sister, conflicts end as quickly as they begin. When a fight almost starts with their neighbors next door, music erupts until the whole town marches into the ocean. Even the whales join in the rhythmic fun!

Tags

anger, animals, argument, beverage, bodies of water, conflict, conflict resolution, dancing, exercise, family, feelings, five senses, friendship, instruments, music, neighbors, nonverbal communication, ocean, parade, parents, relationship, rhyme, siblings, walking, whale

The patchwork quilt

Flournoy, Valerie

Tanya loves spending time with her Grandma. Grandma teaches Tanya the importance of using old scraps of material to make unique and warm quilts. One day Grandma gets sick before the quilt is complete. Tanya must help Grandma finish the quilt.

Tags

activities, african american, art, cooking, dancing, family, friendship, generations, grandparents, halloween, hard work, holidays, illness, patience, quilt, seasons, sharing, trust

Stage struck

DePaola, Tomie

Tommy knows the story of Peter Rabbit by heart. When his class decides to put on the production he wants to be cast in the roll of Peter. Tommy is so excited he does not pay attention to his teacher and as a result gets cast as Mopsy. However, Tommy has a plan to keep him in the spotlight.

Tags

acting, ambition, animals, attention, confidence, conflict, cooperation, creativity, dancing, disappointment, forgiveness, friendship, garden, humor, independence, listening, mouse, obedience, parents, performance, rabbit, school, self confidence

Rachel, a Hutterite girl

Maendel, Rachel

A young Hutterite girl named Rachel explores her farm home. On her journey, she learns facts about the natural world as well as the social traditions and cultural customs of her Hutterite family and community.

Tags

animals, bull, chicken, cow, customs, dutch, family, farm, friendship, german, goose, grandparents, language, multicultural, neighbors, parents, pets, quakers, religion, responsibilities, siblings, unselfish

1
2
3
4
5
Next
Last

Browse Items (1101 items total)