Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

The man who called the crocodiles | by Mashiri, Pascal

Gyiii-eee! This is the sound that calls a crocodile. In this land, the wealthy king takes Lulaba as his new wife. She eventually has Gobango as her only son. She tells Gobango of stories about her father calling crocodiles. Eventually Gobango has to flee from his mom or the dead kingﾒs enemies will kill him. He flees to meet Lulabaﾒs father, his grandfather. He goes on a fishing trip and meets one of the fishermanﾒs beautiful daughters, Nanjobe. Gobango asks her father if he can marry her. He says no because he isnﾒt rich enough to take care of his daughter. Therefore, he…

Keywords: adventures, africa, anger, assertiveness, crocodile, decision making, family, feelings, fish, fishing, folktale, glossary, grandparents, happiness, health, love, multicultural, refusal skills, reptiles, royalty, sadness, siblings, storytelling, stress management, uganda, verbal communication

Memorial day surprise | by 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ﾒs in such a hurry they donﾒt have time to see Marcoﾒ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!

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

This is the matzah | by Levine, Abby

A Jewish family shops, cooks, and prepares for Passover. The traditions and the meanings behind them are explained in a rhyme.

Keywords: alcohol, beverage, celebration, ceremony, cooking, drugs, family, food, grandparents, hebrew, Jewish, multicultural, nonverbal communication, nutrition, parents, party, religion, responsibilities, reunion, shopping, siblings, verbal communication

Sometimes my mommy gets angry | by Campbell, Bebe Moore

When Annie wakes up in the morning, she is relieved to find her euphoric mother in the kitchen. They share a healthy breakfast, then her mother helps her get ready for school. After a fun day at school, Annie comes home to an angry and yelling mother. Annie copes by calling her grandmother to talk about her feelings. She takes care of herself and maintains a positive attitude with happy thoughts. She uses effective strategies to accept her motherﾒs bipolar disorder.

Keywords: acceptance, accomplishment, affection, african american, anger, art, behavior, bipolar, body parts, caring, challenges, conflict resolution, confusion, coping, crisis, decision making, discipline, disobedience, emotions, empathy, encouragement, family, feelings, food, friendship, grandparents, happiness, health, helping, illness, independence, kindness, love, memory, misbehavior, moods, morning, neighbors, night, nonverbal communication, parents, pretend, rain, rhyme, sadness, school, stress management, sun, support, sympathy, teaching, teasing, understanding, verbal communication, walking, weather

The silence in the mountains | by Rosenberg, Liz

Iskander and his family live in Lebanon until war breaks out. Then, they are forced to flee the country they love to live in American where there is no war. However, Iskander is homesick. To help him feel better, each of his family members do something special to make him feel better.

Keywords: airplane, animals, car, cow, family, farm, fear, feelings, goat, grandparents, homesickness, lebanese, mountains, multicultural, nonverbal communication, parents, sadness, transportation, travel, verbal communication, violence, war, woods

The balloon sailors | by Swanson, Diana

When bickering princes take the throne, the kingdom is split in two by a wall so that each brother rules half. The kingdom is divided and it is illegal for people to cross the wall. Since Tamala and Abalon are forbidden to see their grandmother and cousin on the other side of the wall, they decide to float over it in a hot air balloon. They work with their parents to collect materials, build the balloon, and wait for the perfect weather conditions. The family departs during the night, escapes military fire from soldiers, and surprises their relatives in the morning. This adventure is…

Keywords: accomplishment, argument, balloon, barn, bodies of water, bravery, challenges, church, clothing, conflict resolution, cooperation, correspondence, cow, creativity, crisis, dog, emotions, family, germany, goal setting, grandparents, hard work, helping, history, love, multicultural, parents, patience, pets, politics, pond, prison, quilt, reunion, royalty, rules, sadness, separation, sewing, spy, teamwork, train, transportation, verbal communication, weather, wind, writing

My first Chinese New Year | by Katz, Karen

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy New Year! A Chinese child is getting ready for the Chinese New Year by decorating the walls with red, making an alter to honor ancestors, getting a new dress to wear, and getting a haircut to start the new year off fresh and new. They eat a New Year's Eve feast for the good health and finally the New Year's parade with lion dancers, drummers, and the dragon! Then, they wish each other Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Keywords: animals, beauty, china, chinese, clothing, dancing, dragons, family, feelings, food, grandparents, happiness, health, holidays, language, lion, money, multicultural, new year, nutrition, parade, parents, party, plants, self esteem, siblings, verbal communication, wish

Napi | by Ramirez, Antonio

Napi and her Mazateca Indian family live in a village on the bank of a river. As Napi relaxes in the garden and listens to her grandfatherʼs stories, she notices the vibrant colors in the trees, village, river, and animals around her. Napi dreams of being a heron, flying softly above her world.

Keywords: animals, birds, bodies of water, colors, culture, customs, day, dreams, family, grandparents, heron, language, mexican, multicultural, native american, river, storytelling

Memorial | by Crew, Gary

Storytime is a great time to recollect and gain lessons on past events. Take a stand with a young boy as he tries to preserve a memory.

Keywords: assertiveness, conservation, critical thinking, decision making, family, fight, generations, grandparents, history, memories, monument, plants, storytelling, tree, war

The day gogo went to vote: South africa, 1994 | by Batezat Sisulu, Elinor

Thembi and her beloved great-grandmother, who has not left the house for many years, go together to vote on the momentous day when black South Africans are allowed to vote for the first time.

Keywords: africa, aging, celebration, critical thinking, dancing, determination, election, family, grandparents, helping, history, holidays, illness, parents, politics, pride, song, storytelling

What the animals were waiting for | by London, Jonathan

The story of the dramatic cycles of life on the African savanna, one of the last great, wild places on earth.

Keywords: africa, animals, bodies of water, celebration, crocodile, elephant, family, giraffe, grandparents, language, lightning, lion, moon, multicultural, nature, night, patience, river, storytelling, wisdom, zebra

My great-grandmother's gourd | by Kessler, Cristina

Residents of a Sudanese village rejoice when a traditional water storage method is replaced by modern technology, but Fatima's grandmother knows there is no substitute for the reliability of the baobab tree.

Keywords: africa, african, celebration, community, dancing, family, feelings, grandparents, hard work, helping, language, progress, rain, sadness, teamwork, technology, traditions, tree, village, water, wisdom

My little round house | by Baasansuren, Bolormaa Adapted by: Mixter, Helen

Baby Jilu talks through his first year in the world, from when he is born to when he is a year old. he is born into a round world, with a round bed in a round home in Mongolia. His family comes to meet him, and they travel to their autumn quarters. Once snow begins to fall, Jilu's family moves on to their winter campground and soon celebrate Tsagaan Sar, meaning Spring will come again. In the spring, Jilu can ride on the camel saddle with his mother, and he will not have to wear boots again until after summer.

Keywords: animals, autumn, baby, birthday, camel, clothing, community, critical thinking, day, decision making, family, food, goat, grandparents, growing up, home, moving, multicultural, night, safety, seasons, sequence, sheep, snow, spring, summer, survival, travel, weather, winter

Bintou's braids | by Diouf, Sylviane

When Bintou, a little girl living in West Africa, finally gets her wish for braids, she discovers that what she dreamed for has been hers all along.

Keywords: africa, african, america, animals, beach, birds, bodies of water, celebration, chicken, clothing, critical thinking, dreams, envy, family, feelings, fish, food, fruit, grandparents, moon, multicultural, parents, prayer, pride, sadness, sea, selfishness, siblings, sleep, sounds, stars, storytelling, stress management, sun, traditions, tree, village

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

Here comes our bride | by Onyefulu, Ifeoma

Ekinadose wants his Uncle Osaere to get married - then he can go to a wedding. One day, he sees people welcomed into his grandfather's house. They've come to collect their bride - and Edinadose will be going, not just to one wedding ceremony, but two!

Keywords: celebration, ceremony, challenges, community, family, friendship, grandparents, harmony, jewelry, maps, marriage, nigerian, patience, peace, photograph, presents, symbols, traditions, wedding

Ogbo: Sharing life in an african village | by Onyefulu, Ifeoma

Ogbo are a special part of village life in Nigeria, uniting children of the same age in a lifelong fellowship - a group with whom they celebrate festivals, share day-to-day chores, and face the challenges of growing up. A young girl named Obioma helps us understand what belonging to an ogbo means. Growing, working, and relaxing together, the ogbo weave the fabric of village life.

Keywords: africa, african, celebration, chores, cleanliness, community, customs, death, family, friendship, grandparents, instruments, language, multicultural, music, nigerian, parents, photograph, respect, responsibilities, singing, song, storytelling, traditions, village, work

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

Boundless grace | by Hoffman, Mary

According to the stories Grace read, her family is not normal. Grace's father lives in Africa while she and her mother live in America. Grace visits her father to learn about his new family and the African culture in Gambia. Grace's visit to Africa helps her to understand that her family is normal.

Keywords: african, african american, change, comparisons, crocodile, divorce, family, grandparents, letters, love, multicultural, parents, reptiles, shopping, siblings, storytelling, travel, vacation, verbal communication

Can you hear the sea? | by Cumberbatch, Judy

Sarah's grandpa gives her a special shell and says if she listens carefully she can hear the sea, but all she hears are every day village noises.

Keywords: africa, african, animals, beliefs, bodies of water, cooking, family, food, fruit, grandparents, instruments, listening, monkey, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, persistence, river, sea, shells, sounds, trust, village

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