Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Food and festivals: West Africa | by Brownlie, Alison

Describes the West African culture of food, including the kinds of food grown and eaten, and various feast days like Ramadan, Easter, naming ceremonies, and yam festivals.

Keywords: africa, african, baby, beach, bodies of water, camel, cattle, celebration, ceremony, chicken, community, cooking, dancing, family, farm, food, friendship, fruit, ghana, goat, hard work, holidays, language, multicultural, music, muslim, parade, preparation, religion, respect, river

Oh, crumps! Ay, caramba! | by Bock, Lee

One night, a sleepy farmer has a lot of chores to do and also has a hard time keeping his chore list straight. One mishap after another keeps him from getting sleep. As a result, he mixes up his tasks so that he plans to mow the cow, climb the fence, repair the hay, and milk the silo. Hopefully no one will disturb the farmer's sleep again before morning!

Keywords: animals, bedtime, cat, cow, critical thinking, dog, exercise, farm, glossary, goat, hard work, language, multicultural, responsibilities, sleep, spanish, walking

Ruth and naomi | by Marzollo, Jean

After their husbands sadly pass away, Ruth moves to Bethlehem with her widowed mother-in-law Naomi. With no money and no sense of hope, the two women are unsure as to what will happen. A kind farmer known as Boaz, however shows his kindness and restores their happiness so that they can begin anew.

Keywords: anger, bravery, courage, critical thinking, faith, feelings, food, friendship, god, happiness, hard work, helping, kindness, loneliness, love, loyalty, marriage, moving, nutrition, sadness, song, spiritual, stress management, unselfish

Our community garden | by Pollak, Barbara

Neighborhood children plant a garden together and each contribute by helping take care of the garden. They set goals, work hard, and build healthy friendship. After harvesting their crops, everyone from the community comes together for a special meal made from vegetables grown in the garden. What a nutritious, heart-warming treat!

Keywords: ant, bug, community, cooking, diversity, friendship, garden, goal setting, hard work, helping, insects, ladybug, learning, multicultural, nature, neighbors, nonverbal communication, nutrition, plants, responsibilities, teamwork, worm

Manana, Iguana | by Paul, Ann Whitford

Following the story line of Little Red Hen, Iguana decides to throw a fiesta and invite all of her friends. Set in the desert, the lazy cat, dog, and mouse are replaced by Conejo (rabbit), Culebra (Snake), and Tortuga (tortoise). As Iguana sets the stage for invitations, decorations, and of course, food preparation, her three lazy friends have an excuse for every task presented to them. Either they are too fast, too slow, or have no arms. As the evening of the fiesta approaches, Iguana decides that her three friends should not be included, as they did nothing. Feeling bad about not only…

Ant and honey bee: What a pair! | by McDonald, Megan

Ant and Honey Bee use their friendship to create a two-things-that-go-together pair of costumes for Cricket's party. As it starts to rain on the walk to Cricket's house, what will happen to Ant and Honey Bees costumes?

Keywords: ambition, ant, anticipation, assertiveness, bee, beetle, butterfly, challenges, communication, conflict resolution, creativity, cricket, critical thinking, determination, feelings, fly, friendship, goal setting, happiness, hard work, imagination, insects, party, persistence, sadness, spider, teamwork, verbal communication

Get to work trucks! | by Carter, Don

In the morning trucks, such as dump trucks, bulldozers, cement mixers, tow trucks, cranes, and rollers, go to work. Learn about types of machines, sizes, colors, and numbers. At night, the trucks are finished working for the day.

Keywords: assertiveness, careers, colors, concepts, construction, crane, critical thinking, decision making, hard work, height, machines, morning, moving, night, numbers, progress, reptiles, responsibilities, rocks, sizes, transportation, truck, turtle, verbal communication, work

I dream of trains | by Johnson, Angela

A young boy from Mississippi listens for the sound of the train whistle while doing his work as a sharecropper. As he picks cotton, he dreams of someday leaving on a train. He refers to the train whistle as a call to his soul.

Keywords: accidents, careers, dreams, family, farm, friendship, geography, hard work, history, hope, multicultural, parents, slavery, sounds, spiritual, storytelling, stress management, train, transportation

Little sister and the Month brothers | by Schenk de Regniers, Beatrice

A retelling of the Slavic folktale in which the Month brothers' magic helps Little Sister fulfill seemingly impossible tasks, Her tasks prove the undoing of her greedy stepmother and stepsister.

Keywords: animals, author's note, comparisons, cow, fable, feelings, flowers, food, hard work, month, peace, resentment, responsibilities, royalty, seasons, siblings, stepmother

A castle on Viola street | by Disalvo, Dyanne

Andy's family lives in a small, cramped apartment, and his parents work long hours to support the family. He never thought that they would ever live in an actual house, but one day they find a flyer saying You too can own a home. The organization buys empty houses and allows families to fix-up houses and then other people will help fix up a house for them. Andy's family is so excited as they help clean, paint, put down hard wood flooring, and pass out lemonade. At the end of the year, they find out that the next house to be built will be theirs!

Keywords: author's note, celebration, change, community, construction, decision making, family, food, goal setting, hard work, home, hope, neighbors, safety, self esteem, teamwork

Start saving Henry | by Carlson, Nancy

Henry gets $5 every week for his allowance, but he spends it immediately on something that catches his eye. One day he sees Super Robot Dude, but his mother won't buy it for him and tells him he has to save his allowance. Whenever Henry is close to $30, something happens to make him lose his money again. One day, his grandma has a surprise for Henry, and he learns that working hard to save money will pay off in the end!

Keywords: books, decision making, family, giving, goal setting, grandparents, hard work, learning, library, money, numbers, parents, persistence, presents, refusal skills, responsibilities, sharing, verbal communication

Karate hour | by Nevius, Carol

A group of children practice karate. They kick, punch, chant and roll as they learn the value of self discipline, respect, and self esteem in both self and others.

Keywords: accomplishment, activities, assertiveness, author's note, challenges, dedication, determination, exercise, feelings, goal setting, hard work, history, karate, nonverbal communication, practice, rhyme, running, self esteem, skills, sports, stress management

Making room | by Taylor, Joanne

John William Smith dedicated his life to helping others, especially people in need by inviting them into his very own home! His dedication to family is heart-warming and his marriage is strong. Readers will find a unique meaning of home in this story.

Keywords: animals, assertiveness, baby, chicken, construction, contentment, cow, critical thinking, decision making, dedication, family, farm, feelings, goal setting, grandparents, hard work, helping, home, marriage, nonverbal communication, parents, pride, relationship, respect, responsibilities, role model, self esteem, sheep, support, teamwork, tools, verbal communication, work

In the time of the drums | by Siegelson, K.

Raised by his grandmother Twi, a young boy named Mentu learns of the toils and tragedies of slavery and how one day he too will have to be strong in the cotton fields. As Mentu grows, Twi shares her talks of living in Africa through the use of drums. When Twi's spirit calls her home to Africa, Mentu's day to be strong arrives.

Keywords: africa, african, aging, author's note, beliefs, boat, bodies of water, customs, escape, family, fear, garden, grandparents, hard work, history, island, language, memories, mischief, music, running away, ship, slavery, spanish, storytelling, transportation, travel, verbal communication, water

Welcome dede!: An African naming ceremony | by Onyefulu, Ifeoma

Amarlai has a new baby cousin and he can't wait for her to be given a name. A tradtional African name will tell people where she comes from and which child she is in the family.

Keywords: africa, african, baby, birth, celebration, ceremony, clothing, community, cooking, family, feelings, food, geography, giving, grandparents, happiness, hard work, language, maps, market, multicultural, parents, photograph, prayer, presents, traditions, village

My rows and piles of coins | by Mollel, Tololwa M.

What would you buy if your mother gave you some money? Saruni wants a bicycle- a bicycle of his very own! Saruni saves his coins and works hard to help his mother. Unfortunately, Saruni is disappointed because he does not have enough to buy his very own bicycle. Where there is a will, there is a way, so Saruni finally gets a bicycle to help his mother to the Tanzanian market.

Keywords: accidents, accomplishment, africa, african, author's note, bicycle, decision making, dedication, disappointment, goal setting, happiness, hard work, language, market, money, multicultural, parents, practice, pride, self esteem, tanzanian, transportation, wagon, walking

Recycle every day! | by Wallace, Nancy Elizabeth

Through a poster contest at school, Minna and her family discover many ways they can recycle. Many of the other contestants' posters demonstrate ways to recycle, however Minna ultimately wins the contest through her poster that reminds everyone to re-re-remember, re-re-recycle every day.

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

Hush harbor: Praying in secret | by Evans, Freddi Williams

Simmy is both excited and nervous for his job as Scout during the community meeting. Simmy is excited because this means the elders trust him, but he is nervous because slaves are not supposed to gather and sing together. Simmy must be very careful and listen for the master during the meeting.

Keywords: african american, anger, anticipation, author's note, bravery, cabin, closeness, communication, cooking, creativity, creek, critical thinking, culture, dancing, death, faith, family, folktale, forest, friendship, hard work, hearing, hope, horse, listening, missing, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, prayer, relief, religion, rhythm, river, running away, safety, secrets, slavery, song, spiritual, storytelling, woods, worry

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