Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Speedy digs downside up | by Kumin, Maxine W.

Because his friends can do tricks that he cannot do, Speedy decides to dig a hole through the world. Once on the other side, he teaches the people about gravity.

Keywords: assertiveness, critical thinking, exploration, geography, hard work, imagination

Still-life stew | by Pittman, Helena Clare

Rosa wants to paint a still-life picture. First she has to gather the vegetables from her garden that she will use in her painting. Once she is done painting, what will Rosa do with all the vegetables?She's going to make still-life stew!

Keywords: art, collection, colors, cooking, creativity, five senses, food, garden, goal setting, hard work, hunger, nutrition, preparation, recipe, sequence, shapes, smell, taste

The tram to bondi beach | by Hathorn, Elizabeth

Kieran loves to watch the tram. He wants to be a paper boy at the tram stop like Saxon. So his dad gets him a job there, and after learning the job the hard way, he is successful.

Keywords: careers, conflict resolution, critical thinking, friendship, goal setting, hard work, peer resistance, role model, self esteem, success, train, transportation, trolley, verbal communication

A fruit and vegetable man | by Schotter, Roni

For over fifty years, Ruby Rubenstein has owned a fruit and vegetable store on Delano Street. Sun Ho, a young school boy, comes everyday to watch Ruby stack the fruits and vegetables in the most beautiful displays. Eventually, Ruby teaches Sun Ho how to work the register and buy the fruit and vegetables at the market. Ruby gets sick so Sun Ho and his family run the store for Ruby.

Keywords: asian american, careers, colors, cooperation, food, hard work, helping, illness, Jewish, learning, multicultural, nutrition, shapes, shopping

The little blind goat | by Wahl, Jan

Casimiro, the hero, overcomes his disability in this tale of perserverance. The world is not always kind to our disabled friends, but with a little hard work anything can be overcome.

Keywords: accomplishment, animals, blindness, boat, cooperation, critical thinking, dancing, disability, exercise, family, folktale, hard work, listening, loneliness, lost, siblings, smell, stress management, swimming, taste, verbal communication, vision

The tale of the turnip | by Alderson, Brian

With the help of his family, a farmer grows an oversized turnip and presents it to the King. The King gives the farmer a cartload of gold for his turnip. The King's gift entices a squire to present the King with a horse, but the reward is not what the squire has in mind.

Keywords: animals, farm, folktale, food, garden, goal setting, greed, hard work, helping, horse, royalty, sizes

Cornrows | by Yarbrough, Camille

The traditions and history of African American family life are shared throughout history.

Keywords: african american, critical thinking, customs, family, farm, hard work, history, multicultural, parents, self esteem, siblings, traditions

Looking for the easy life | by Myers, Walter Dean

Oswego Pete, a monkey living on Monkey Island, is tired of working for his good life. He wants to find the easy life so he challenges Uh-Huh Freddie, the Chief Monkey, for his position. The two of them, along with other monkeys go off in search for the Easy Life. While exploring, they run into challenges and they realize that work is good if you have a good life.

Keywords: adventures, animals, challenges, conflict, conflict resolution, consequences, decision making, dreams, fear, feelings, goal setting, happiness, hard work, hippopotamus, leadership, lion, monkey, safety, shark, umbrella

Saturday at the new you | by Barber, Barbara E.

A daughter and her mother have a nice relationship. The daughter spends every Saturday helping out in her mother's beauty parlor. Saturday is the daughter's favorite day of the week.

Keywords: african american, careers, day, family, goal setting, happiness, hard work, multicultural, parents, self esteem, working mother

Potato: A tale from the great depression | by Lied, Kate

During the Great Depression Dorothy is just a baby, but she remembers how hard her parents had to work. For two weeks the family moves to Idaho and picks potatoes. They use the left-over potatoes to trade for groceries which helps the family survive the Depression.

Keywords: assertiveness, baby, conflict resolution, critical thinking, depression, family, farm, feelings, food, goal setting, happiness, hard work, history, hope, love, parents, pig, siblings

The year of the perfect christmas tree | by Houston, Gloria

This Christmas story describes the struggles and sacrifices that a mother and daughter experience while the father is off at war. Hard work and faith are rewarded when the father returns on Christmas Day.

Keywords: assertiveness, christmas, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, family, fear, feelings, goal setting, hard work, holidays, parents, war

The little princess | by Burnett, Frances Hodge

Young Sara is forced to attend Miss Minchin's select seminary for young girls in London when her father gets shipped off to war. Miss Minchin, the director of the seminary becomes a bit apprehensive about Sara's stay with them because her father said that she is to have the very best of everything. When a note arrives that says Sara's father died, things change for the worse. Poor Sara is forced to live the life of a slave. She eventually meets up with an Indian gentleman who helps her to gain her life back.

Keywords: adventures, aging, beverage, celebration, change, child care, conflict resolution, death, emotions, family, food, hard work, hindu, hunger, indian, learning, loss, love, mistake, multicultural, nonverbal communication, orphan, party, persistence, problem solving, relationship, resentment, school, sharing, slavery, sleep, storytelling, support, war

Hurry, hurry, mary dear | by Bodecker, N.M.

An old man sits in his chair. He tells his wife that winter is coming. While he sits and directs, she carries out the chores needed to be done for them to be prepared for the winte. She works hard to get ready for winter while he does nothing. But in the end, she gets her revenge.

Keywords: autumn, cleanliness, conflict resolution, correspondence, exercise, food, garden, hard work, nutrition, plants, poetry, preparation, responsibilities, revenge, seasons, tree, winter, wood, work

Arthur's teacher trouble | by Brown, Marc

Arthur goes to school on the first day and finds out he has the meanest teacher. The hardwork that Arthur does enables him to win the spelling bee.

Keywords: determination, goal setting, hard work, practice, school, spelling, stress management, teaching

Rolling round | by Myller, Rolf

The king had to deal with his horse getting sick, so he invents a wheel after many tries. Everyone is happy about this new excitement and means of escape.

Keywords: animals, critical thinking, decision making, determination, goal setting, hard work, horse, illness, inventions, royalty

The monster and the tailor | by Galdone, Paul

A tailor is asked by the Grand Duke to make a suit. For good luck, the tailor must sew it at a grave yard at night. Even though a monster appears, the tailor works hard and completes his task. For the completion of the suit, he receives a bag of gold.

Keywords: assertiveness, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, determination, fear, feelings, folktale, goal setting, hard work, nonverbal communication, self esteem, verbal communication

Oasis of the stars | by Economakis, Olga

A desert family has to move constantly to be near a water supply. The young son of the family decides he is tired of moving. Using ingenuity, he digs a hole until he hits water. The family builds a well and the boy has his wish granted.

Keywords: assertiveness, bodies of water, conflict resolution, desert, determination, family, goal setting, hard work, nature, self esteem, travel

Giant john | by Lobel, Arnold

Giant John and his mother are very poor. Giant John leaves the enchanted forest to find a job. He comes across a castle and works for the royal family. Later, John returns with money just in time, before his mother is so desperate she must eat her shoe.

Keywords: conflict resolution, decision making, dedication, family, goal setting, hard work, hunger, parents, poverty, refusal skills, royalty

Angelina ballerina | by Holabird, Katharine

Angelina wants to be a ballerina. She never does her chores and dances all the time, annoying her parents and friends. Finally, her parents decide to enroll her in dance lessons. Angelina practices very hard for many years and eventually becomes a famous ballerina.

Keywords: animals, careers, conflict resolution, dancing, dedication, determination, exercise, friendship, hard work, mouse

Cornelius | by Lionni, Leo

Cornelius the crocodile is able to walk upright by standing on his head. The other crocodiles become jealous when Cornelius brags about his skill.

Keywords: animals, assertiveness, crocodile, envy, fable, feelings, goal setting, hard work, jealousy, learning, monkey, nonverbal communication, peer resistance, reptiles, self esteem, teaching, uniqueness, verbal communication

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