Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Welcome, precious | by Grimes, Nikki

A young couple welcomes a new baby to the world, and introduces the baby to the wonders of nature: the rainbow, birds, grass and sunlight. The new baby is also introduced to caring relationships and love- and the pictures illustrate the miracle of it all.

Keywords: african american, baby, balloon, bath, bedtime, family, fun, games, glasses, grandparents, happiness, home, love, marriage, moon, morning, multicultural, night, parents, plants, play, rainbow, rhythm, sky

Oh, brother! | by Grimes, Nikki

Xavier feels sad, angry, and jealous towards his new step brother, Chris. Xavier soon realizes that Chris is coping with loneliness and resentment too. The pain over losing a parent to divorce forms a special band between Xavier and Chris so they promise each other, that no one will ever leave. Through short vignettes, the story ends with Our family is a song we sing, and we can add new notes anytime we like.

Keywords: african american, aggression, anger, apology, baby, baseball, bedtime, behavior, books, celebration, change, chores, climbing, comparisons, conflict, conflict resolution, divorce, emotions, family, fear, feelings, friendship, fun, games, hispanic, jealousy, mountains, multicultural, parents, photograph, playing, pregnancy, relationship, rhythm, school, self esteem, siblings, sports, stepfather, stepmother, sympathy, technology, telephone, verbal communication, wedding

Join in and play | by Meiners, Cheri

Learn how to develop the skills to make friend and play with others. Includes role-playing activities, as well as games to play with your child. Practice goal setting and decision making when playing and working with others.

Keywords: communication, decision making, exercise, friendship, games, goal setting, nonfiction, play, respect

The bat boy and his violin | by Curtis, Gavin

Reginald loves playing the violin. Every free moment Reginald practices his violin, but his dad wants him to play baseball instead. Reginald does not give up. Soon his dad realizes the value and talent that Reginald has for the violin.

Keywords: acceptance, african american, ambition, baseball, bus, camping, car, celebration, crowd, dedication, discrimination, embarrassment, encouragement, family, feelings, games, happiness, hard work, helping, history, instruments, love, mistake, multicultural, music, performance, practice, relationship, running, sports, transportation

I saw your face | by Dawes, Kwame

A poem and child portraits illustrate the shared beauty and heritage of African people living throughout the world.

Keywords: africa, african, animals, birds, body parts, games, geography, ghana, history, identity, maps, market, multicultural, park, play, travel, tree

Emeka's gift: An african counting story | by Onyefulu, Ifeoma

As Emeka sets off to visit his grandmother in the next village, he wonders what he can take her for a present. He passes through the market and sees lots of things Granny would like - there were four brooms, five big hats to keep the sun off, six necklaces, eight water pots. But with no money, Emeka can not buy anything. Will Granny understand?

Keywords: africa, african, decision making, dreams, family, food, friendship, games, geography, giving, grandparents, jewelry, jungle, market, money, multicultural, music, numbers, photograph, photography, play, traditions, travel, work

A child story in a south african city | by Wulfsohn, Gisele

Presents a day in the life of a child living in Johannesburg, discussing the social life, customs, religion, history, and language of South Africa.

Keywords: africa, african, animals, art, bath, cooking, dancing, dog, exercise, family, food, friendship, games, history, instruments, language, learning, market, multicultural, music, photograph, play, rabbit, routine, school, soccer, sports, technology, work

First come the zebra | by Barasch, Lynne

In the Kenyan grassland, Abaani, a Maasai boy takes his cattle out to graze. While he is out he sees a vegetable stand with a young boy from the Kikuyu farms, who are rivals of his tribe because they destroy their land. While arguing, a group of Kamba women and children approach to trade for fruits and vegetables, and one baby wanders toward three warthogs. Abaani sees this and knows he can save the baby himself so he calls to Haki to help. Together they save the boy, which is the beginning of a growing friendship. They learn how to appreciate one another and hope to teach their families to be…

Keywords: animals, assertiveness, cattle, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, fear, feelings, food, friendship, games, geography, heroism, kenyan, language, maps, migration, multicultural, nonverbal communication, peace, relief, sharing, tanzanian, verbal communication, vocabulary, wart hog, wilderness, zebra

Vacation in the village: A story from west africa | by Njeng, Pierre Yves

A boy discovers and takes pride in the customs of his people when he visits his family's village in West Africa.

Keywords: affection, africa, books, boredom, buildings, construction, customs, discovery, dreams, family, fear, feelings, fish, fishing, forest, friendship, games, grandparents, happiness, history, hunting, multicultural, parents, reptiles, school, siblings, storytelling, traditions, train, transportation, travel, turtle, vacation, village, work, worry

Africa brothers and sisters | by Kroll, Virginia

At lunchtime Daddy and Jesse play their favorite game: a question and answer game about people who live in Africa and the ways in which they are connected to Jesse.

Keywords: africa, african, animals, art, clothing, community, critical thinking, dancing, family, farm, fishing, games, geography, giraffe, jewelry, maps, multicultural, parents, recreation, siblings, storytelling, traditions, verbal communication, village

A is for africa | by Onyefulu, Ifeoma

The author, a member of the Igbo tribe in Nigeria, presents text and her own photographs of twenty-six things, from A-Z, representative of all African peoples.

Keywords: affection, africa, african, alphabet, bodies of water, colors, exercise, family, food, friendship, games, grandparents, home, jewelry, jumping, jungle, language, multicultural, music, muslim, nonverbal communication, photograph, play, religion, river, school, spiritual, traditions, verbal communication, work

Skippyjon Jones and the treasure hunt | by Schachner, Judy

Have you ever been on a treasure hunt? Join Skippyjon Jones and friends as they make their way through Mexico in search of the treasure. They'll look for matching pairs and see new sights along the way.

Keywords: animals, cat, five senses, friendship, games, language, multicultural, spanish, touch, word association

I lost my tooth in africa | by Diakite, Penda

While visiting her father's family in Mali, a young girl loses a tooth and places it under a calabash tree. She receives a hen and a rooster from the African Tooth Fairy.

Keywords: africa, african, animals, birds, cattle, chicken, community, cooking, donkey, games, garden, goat, grandparents, language, multicultural, music, parents, play, singing, sleep, teeth, traditions, travel, tree, vacation, village

John Willy and Freddie Mcgee | by Meade, Holly

Two guinea pigs, John Willy and Freddy McGee, are bored of sitting in their cage where nothing ever changes. One day, when their cage door is left open, the guinea pigs decide to go exploring throughout the house. They end up traveling through the tunnel of a pool table and run for their lives when pool balls start rolling through the tunnel. The guinea pigs run for the safety of their cage but when they get there and see how everything is the same, they leave to start a new adventure.

Keywords: adventures, animals, boredom, cat, colors, courage, discovery, dog, escape, exploration, games, guinea pig, independence, recreation, sounds

Count on your fingers African style | by Zaslavsky, Claudia

This beautifully illustrated four color picture book takes children through the markets, showing traditional finger counting of various African people - the Maasai, the Kamba, and the Taita in Kenya, the Zulu of South Africa, and the Mende of Sierra Leone. This book examines the role that numbers play in creating a common language across cultural boundaries.

Keywords: africa, african, author's note, body parts, cattle, chicken, counting, cow, food, fruit, games, language, learning, market, multicultural, nonverbal communication, numbers, parents, play, school, siblings, verbal communication

Jamela's dress | by Daly, Niki

Jamela's mama has just bought some beautiful fabric for a new dress. While she's watching it dry outside in the South African air, Jamela wraps it around herself and starts parading down the street. Everyone is watching her, she is so proud. When she gets home, Jamela finds her mama very upset because her fabric is ruined. With the help of a friend, Jamela buys her mama more fabric. At this South African wedding, both Jamela and her mama are beautiful in their new dresses.

Keywords: african, animals, birds, celebration, chicken, clothing, conflict resolution, critical thinking, dog, forgiveness, friendship, games, helping, language, love, market, money, multicultural, photograph, pretend, sewing, shopping, verbal communication, wedding

For you are a Kenyan child | by Cunnane, Kelly

Follow a little Kenyan boy through his village on a typical but eventful day in Kenya. He learns an important lesson about listening to his elders as he visits with the neighbors in his village.

Keywords: africa, african, animals, beetle, butterfly, chicken, cow, dog, dove, family, forgetful, forgiveness, friendship, games, goat, grandparents, hunting, insects, kenyan, lion, lizard, monkey, moth, multicultural, parents, pride, respect, siblings, sleep, traditions, tree, village

One child, one seed: A south african counting book | by Cave, Kathryn

Play a simple counting game. Watch a pumpkin grow. Follow young Nothando and discover the rhythms of her daily life in her South African village.

Keywords: africa, african, cattle, chicken, cleanliness, cooking, counting, cow, dog, family, farm, friendship, games, garden, hard work, home, language, numbers, parents, photograph, plants, play, preparation, siblings, summer, walking

Molasses man | by May, Kathy L.

A young boy and his family make molasses every summer. This summer the sourghum turns into a recipe that the boy's Grandfather has perfected. The boy spends his summer days helping his family make molasses and playing outside during the cooking process. While some molasses is cooling, Mama and her sisters pour it into glass jars and set up a stand near the road for passers-by.

Keywords: african american, animals, author's note, books, community, cooking, family, farm, five senses, food, games, generations, glasses, grandparents, happiness, hard work, horse, moving, mule, neighbors, noise, observation, plants, playing, pretend, recreation, sequence, smell, teamwork, traditions

Yesterday I had the blues | by Frame, Jean Ashford

A family explores the various emotions they face each day. Through the use of colors, the main character realizes that even with all the ups and downs of emotions, one color really matters- LOVE of family.

Keywords: african american, anger, animals, basketball, bicycle, buildings, bus, car, colors, confidence, cooking, dancing, Days of The Week, depression, dog, drawing, emotions, exercise, family, feelings, games, grandparents, instruments, jumping, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, rhythm, school, sports, stress management, subway, technology, transportation

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