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

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A castle on Viola street

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!

Tags

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

A day in the life of a dentist

Adamson, Heather

Dr. Fong provides readers with an outline of what she does in her job as a dentist. Starting at the beginning of her day, Dr. Fong describes the various articles of clothing that she and the other office staff wears. This includes office managers and hygienists, who help the dentist when she cares for her patients. After eating her lunch, Dr. Fong demonstrates various techniques, including x-ray imaging and models, that she uses to visualize a patient's mouth. Finally, Dr. Fong shows the tools she uses when examining a patient and describes the importance of visiting dentists, like her, regularly!

Tags

appearance, careers, critical thinking, dentist, education, hard work, helping, history, hygiene, nonverbal communication, responsibilities, role model, routine, teamwork, teeth, tools, verbal communication, work

A day's work

Bunting, Eve

Fransico takes his grandfather out to look for work. His grandfather does not speak English, so Fransico must translate. Fransico accepts a gardening job for his grandfather by telling the man he is a great gardener. When the man comes at the end of the day, he finds the job done incorrectly. Fransico's lie teaches him an invaluable lesson.

A different pond

Phi, Bao

A young boy accompanies his dad to catch fish for food before the sunrises and before other family members awake. The dad tells the bait man at the all-night store that he is starting a second job. The boy meets a Hmong man and a black man who are also fishing -- but this time, it is just the boy and his dad under the starlit sky. The boy learns to make a fire and to bait his hook and to honor the stories of his Dad as he explains how life was in Vietnam when he was a boy. When they return home, the dad and mom head to work while the boy looks after his brothers and sisters.

Tags

african american, author's note, bicycle, bodies of water, counting, feelings, fire, fishing, food, hard work, hmong, illustrator's note, language, learning, loss, morning, multicultural, photograph, pond, poverty, refugee, responsibilities, sadness, siblings, sleep, storytelling, teeth, tree, vietnamese, war, work

A fruit and vegetable man

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.

Tags

asian american, careers, colors, cooperation, food, fruit, hard work, helping, illness, Jewish, learning, market, multicultural, nutrition, shapes, shopping, vegetables

A good morning's work

Zimelman, Nathan

When Mitsuo hoes his garden, he finds rare things in nature which he tries not to harm. All the while, his dad makes sure he's working.

Tags

asian, beauty, critical thinking, decision making, family, garden, hard work, multicultural, nature, nonverbal communication, parents, plants, responsibilities, sight, sun, verbal communication

A song for ba

Yee, Paul

A young, ambitious boy spends a lot of time with his grandfather learning how to sing and follow in the footsteps of his father who travels with a Chinese opera troupe. Wei, the little boy, loves to go to the opera and watch his father perform hoping one day, he too, will be a star. Through difficult times and financial loss, a young boy comes to the rescue of both his father and his cultural background.

African beginnings

Haskins, James//Benson, Kathleen

Come explore and celebrate the powerful impact people of African descent have made on world history and on the American experience.

Tags

africa, african, animals, architecture, art, bodies of water, business, clothing, culture, dancing, death, desert, discrimination, donkey, egypt, europe, flood, food, geography, ghana, hard work, history, instruments, islam, leadership, lizard, maps, multicultural, music, muslim, nigerian, nonfiction, nonverbal communication, ocean, religion, river, ship, slavery, time, traditions, transportation, verbal communication, village, work, zimbabwe

Ain't nobody a stranger to me

Grifalconi, Ann

As a girl and her grandfather walk to the family’s apple orchard, grandfather shares his experiences as a slave to explain how the apple orchard came to be. Her grandfather traveled north in pursuit of freedom and encountered members of the Underground Railroad who helped their family by providing food, shelter, and transportation. This allowed her grandfather, grandmother, and mother to cross the Ohio River and gain freedom, working until they had enough money to buy land and start their own apple orchard.

Tags

ambition, bodies of water, challenges, courage, family, freedom, future, grandparents, growth, happiness, hard work, helping, kindness, memories, neighbors, plants, progress, protection, river, shelter, slavery, tree, underground railroad

Alec's primer

Pitts-Walter, Mildred

Alec was a slave who wanted to be free. Ms. Josephine, one of his masters and three years older than him, told Alic if he wanted to be free he needed to learn to read. Ms. Josephine taught him to read and when Alec was old enough he couragously fights in the Civil War and obtained his freedom.

Allie's basketball dream

Barber, Barbara

Allie loves basketball, but she is often the only girl on the court. Buddy and other boys tease Allie about playing basketball. Allie believes in her ability and keeps practicing so that one day she can be better at basketball than the boys!

Amelia bedelia

Parish, Peggy

Amelia Bedelia is left to do housework and she does it in her own style. When the Rogers family returns they almost fire her until they taste her lemon meringue pie!

Tags

careers, conflict resolution, confusion, decision making, food, hard work, literal interpretation, nonverbal communication, nutrition, rhyme

Amelia to zora

Chin-Lee, Cynthia

Explore in an alphabet formula, biographies that examine different successes and triumphs of famous women in history from Amelia Earhart to Zora Neale.

Angelina ballerina

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.

Tags

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

Angelina's birthday surprise

Holabird, Katharine

Angelina breaks her bicycle while riding with Alice. She works hard to earn money for a new bike. She gets a bike for her birthday because of her hard work.

Tags

bicycle, biking, birthday, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, dedication, exercise, goal setting, hard work, nonverbal communication, persistence, presents, stress management, teamwork, verbal communication

Ant and honey bee: What a pair!

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?

Antonia's surprise

Gunthorp, Karen

Antonia has a big surprise for the picnic, but she needs her boat to get there quickly, and it is filled with holes. Will she get there before it is too late?!

Tags

amphibians, boat, decision making, frog, hard work, patience, picnic, surprises, transportation

Ants don't get sunday off

Pollock, Penny

Anya is a hardworking ant. She longs for an adventure outside her nest or at least a day off. When a heavy rainstorm comes, Anya gets the adventure of a life time.

Tags

adventures, ant, assertiveness, conflict resolution, decision making, determination, goal setting, hard work, insects, peer resistance, rain, refusal skills, self esteem, stress management, weather

Armadilly chili

Ketteman, Helen

Billie decides to make armadilly chili. She asks her friends to help her but they are all busy and do not want to help. After Billie makes the chili, all of her friends knock on her door. Billie will not let them eat because they wouldn't help. She soon realizes her chili is missing something: her friends!

Armien's fishing trip

Stock, Catherine

A boy struggles to find his own place among the hard working people of Kalk Bay in Southern Africa.

Tags

african, assertiveness, bodies of water, careers, decision making, hard work, multicultural, ocean, peer resistance

Arthur's birthday party

Hoban, Lilliam

Arthur's determination to have the best birthday party and be the best all-around gymnast causes him to be inconsiderate of the feelings of his sister and friends. When Arthur forgets to be fair and have fun at the competition, his younger sister is quick to point out that each chimpanzee has his or her own special skill to be honored with a medal at the birthday competition.

Arthur's new power

Hoban, Russell

Arthur's family uses too much electricity and keeps blowing fuses. So Arthur, the chimp, learns how to use water power and he makes a generator for the family to use

Tags

cooperation, critical thinking, family, hard work, learning, technology

Arthur's teacher trouble

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.

Tags

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

Barn savers

High, Linda Oatman

A young boy gets out of bed early to head to work with his father. They work all day long restoring an old barn to keep it from being torn down. They are the barn savers.

Tags

barn, careers, caring, clothing, cold, conservation, dedication, family, farm, hard work, hunger, parents, safety, sleep, teamwork, tools, truck, work

Beatrice's goat

McBrier, Page

Beatrice lives in Uganda and helps her mother care for her younger siblings. Money is scarce until Mugisa, a goat arrives. Mugisa provides milk, and the family is nourished by it. Mugisa's milk and babies provide enough money so Beatrice and her family can live a better life. Beatrice can afford her dream of attending school. This story has an afterwords by Hillary Rodhman Clinton.

Tags

africa, animals, birds, chicken, conflict resolution, dug, family, food, future, garden, goal setting, goat, hard work, helping, hope, hunger, language, leadership, learning, market, maturity, money, multicultural, poverty, presents, respect, school, siblings, uganda, village

Big moon tortilla

Cowley, Joy

Marta Enos finishes her homework and accidentally knocks it out the window. She doesn't know what to do so she asks her grandmother for help. With a song and a warm tortilla, Grandmother helps Marta feel better.

Tags

accidents, animals, author's note, birds, coping, decision making, desert, dog, eagle, family, feelings, food, glasses, grandparents, happiness, hard work, hunger, lion, multicultural, native american, nature, nutrition, problem solving, sadness, song, storytelling, stress management, symbols, vision

Bird

Elliot, Zetta

Mehkai struggles with the challenges of life: death of his grandfather and his older brother's drug addition. He soon learns how to cope and manage his stress through drawing. In fact, drawing is an outlet for Bird's emotions and imagination. Mehkai learns the benefits of perseverance, hard work, and family.

Tags

african american, aggression, airplane, art, birds, buildings, crime, day, death, decision making, drawing, dreams, drugs, emotions, family, feelings, grandparents, hard work, imagination, instruments, loss, museum, music, park, problem solving, relationship, robbery, school, siblings, storytelling, stress management, technology

Birdie's lighthouse

Hopkinson, Deborah

Ten year-old Bertha, daughter of a lighthouse keeper, receives a diary for her birthday. She records significant family events such as their relocation to rugged Turtle Island and the time when her brother went to sea for a long time.

Tags

author's note, birds, birthday, boat, bodies of water, bravery, calendar, careers, challenges, change, courage, diary, family, fishing, fog, growing up, hard work, helping, heroism, island, light, moving, ocean, recreation, responsibilities, sea, seagull, seal, ship, storytelling, stress management, transportation, verbal communication, weather, writing

Brothers of the knight

Allen, Debbie

Twelve brothers magically disappear every night even though their door is locked. Their father hires a housekeeper to figure out the mystery of his boys. She learns to listen, which turns out to be more powerful than simply solving a mystery.

Tags

african american, bedtime, careers, church, conflict resolution, dancing, deception, exercise, family, generations, hard work, magic, multicultural, music, mystery, parents, relationship, secrets, siblings, stress management

Building

Cooper, Elisha

An empty lot is transformed by an architect, surveyors, and workers of all kinds. Big construction equipment moves earth and trucks deliver materials throughout the building process. The building stands between two other buildings not far from downtown. It stands empty now, waiting to be filled with people.

Tags

architecture, buildings, careers, community, construction, determination, food, goal setting, hard work, sequence, sounds, tools

Burro's tortillas

Fields, Terri

Burro finds it hard to get any help from his friends as he diligently works to turn corn into tortillas. Expect repetition, puns, and an accurate picture of the traditional way that tortillas are made.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, central america, cooking, coyote, donkey, fable, feelings, food, friendship, hard work, language, Mexico, multicultural, nutrition, pattern, plants, rabbit, repetition, sadness, spanish

By the dawn's early light

Ackerman, Karen

Rachel and Josh's mother works the graveyard shift at the factory. The children play with their Nana and she helps them with their homework then gets them ready for bed. They share a special time with their mom in the morning before school, cherishing their time with her by the dawn's early light.

Tags

careers, caring, child care, family, grandparents, hard work, love, nonverbal communication, parents, siblings, stress management, verbal communication, working mother

Clever cat

Collington, Peter

Tibs, the cat, is tired of waiting for his family to feed him every morning, so he decides to start doing it himself!This encourages Tibs to embark on different adventures around town. Everyone thinks that Tibs is such a clever cat, but a turn of events makes Tibs wonder...is he really that clever?

Come a tide

Lyon, George Ella

Snow and rain come together and cause a flood. This story explains how one family overcomes the flood.

Tags

conflict resolution, cooperation, coping, decision making, family, flood, hard work, rain, snow, teamwork, weather

Cornelius

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.

Cornrows

Yarbrough, Camille

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

Tags

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

Dakota dugout

Turner, Ann

A woman tells her grandchild about the hard times she and her husband had on the Dakota prairie. The first year was hard, but then the corn grew and they were able to build a house and buy dresses.

Tags

clothing, family, farm, grandparents, hard work, marriage, pioneers, plants, seasons, shelter, storytelling

Days with frog and toad

Lobel, Arnold

Frog and his friend, Toad, go through many adventures. On these adventures, Toad learns many valuable lessons from Frog.

Tags

adventures, birds, companion, conflict resolution, critical thinking, encouragement, friendship, frog, goal setting, hard work, learning, nonverbal communication, peer resistance, robin, self esteem, stress management, toad, verbal communication

Degas and the little dancer: A story about Edgar Degas

Anholt, Laurence

Marie dreams of being a famous dancer until one day her chance of being in the Christmas show diminishes when her father becomes ill. Marie begins to model for a painter to earn money for her family's lost income. One day, Maria's sculpture shows up in the art museum and becomes the famed sculpture of Edgar Degas.

Tags

apology, art, careers, dancing, disappointment, dreams, excitement, fame, fear, hard work, illness, loneliness, museum, opera, poverty, practice, school, security, sympathy, teaching

Duck for president

Cronin, Doreen

Duck gets tired of doing chores on the farm, so he holds an election to change the way things are run. Duck wins the election, but gets bored and runs for Governor. He wins again and does not like the stress, so he runs for President and wins. Being President is even harder work than being on the farm so he returns to the farm to write his autobiography.

Earth day - hooray!

Murphy, Stuart J.

Ryan, Carly, and Luke set out to clean up Gilroy Park for an Earth Day celebration. They decide to plant flowers to beautify the park while collecting cans to raise money through recycling. The children use math and find school resources to help them with their project.

Ethan's favorite teacher

Colman, Hila

A boy hates school because it is boring and the teachers never answer his questions. He would prefer to spend his time ate the zoo playing tic tac toe with an ape. Doing this, he works hard to learn how to beat the ape because he's having fun. He overcomes the doubts of his peers and teacher.

Tags

animals, ape, assertiveness, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, games, goal setting, hard work, learning, peer resistance, play, recreation, refusal skills, school, self esteem, stress management, verbal communication

Five trucks

Floca, Brian

A little boy observes how five different trucks assist in the preparation and take-off of his airplane. Description of the trucks and their duties are very clear. It takes many people working together to complete the goal of take-off!

Tags

airplane, careers, cooperation, counting, critical thinking, diversity, fly, goal setting, hard work, machines, nonverbal communication, skills, tractor, transportation, travel, truck, verbal communication, work

Flicka, ricka, dicka: The big red hen

Lindman, Maj

Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka offer to care for their Aunt's hens while she is away. One of the hens disappear and the girls find her and a great surprise!

Food and festivals: West Africa

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.

Tags

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

Fox and heggie

Guzzo, Sandra E.

Fox tries to earn enough money to buy a Greek fishing hat by helping out all his friends and neighbors. But, his generosity keeps him from earning the money, so his friends pull through for him in the end.

Tags

animals, bear, clothing, conflict resolution, critical thinking, fox, frustration, giving, hard work, presents, rabbit, raccoon, stress management, unselfish, verbal communication

Freedom school, yes!

Littlesugar, Amy

Jolie shows courage in her community by protecting the school that will educate her and others. Jolie is afraid others will burn down the school. Jolie never gives up hope, and learns about famous African Americans who were brave and made a difference in their community, just like Jolie.

Tags

african american, anger, art, body parts, books, bravery, buildings, careers, change, church, community, courage, education, family, fire, freedom, god, hard work, history, music, neighbors, poetry, quilt, relationship, religion, running, school, slavery, song, spiritual, stars, teaching

Garth pig and the ice cream lady

Rayner, Mary

When Garth Pig goes to buy ice cream for himself and his nine brothers and sisters, he is kidnapped in the ice cream truck by a wolf pretending to be the ice cream lady. His siblings come to rescue him.

Get to work trucks!

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.

Tags

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

Giant john

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.

Tags

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

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Browse Items (173 items total)