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

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The greatest potatoes

Stowell, Penelope

Cornelius Vanderbilt sets out on a mission to find the best potato dish ever. He travels around and finds none that are good enough. Vanderbilt goes to Cary Moon's Restaurant, where George Crum is the head chef. Crum makes many dishes that Vanderbilt does not like. Crum decides to make the potatoes so crispy and salty, so he will not like them. Vanderbilt loves them and that is how the potato chip is invented.

A negro league scrapbook

Weatherford, Carole Boston

Through the use of photographs, narrations, and an inspiring poem, the history of African Americans in baseball unfolds. The struggles and triumphs they have experienced in the past have helped to establish the sport that we know today.

House

Lorenz, Albert // Schleh, Joy

A home is a place where people go to feel secure and comfortable. Home is a place of belonging and shelter. Learn interesting facts and details of history by examining different types of home structures from B.C. to the nineteen hundreds. From the Egyptians to the Eskimos, a variety of culture and famous folks are explored.

Tags

africa, assertiveness, critical thinking, culture, dutch, egypt, england, english, eskimo, europe, family, germany, history, home, indian, multicultural, nonverbal communication, norwegian, president, romanian, royalty, south american, stress management

Dangerous crossing

Krensky, Stephen

Showing no signs of fear, young Johnny Adams boards a ship with his father, the future second President of the United States, for a voyage from Massachusetts to Paris to gain support for the colonies. Their journey is depicted with vivid pictures and an exciting storyline portraying the battles, harsh weather and seasickness endured along the way by two key Presidents in U.S. history.

My name was hussein

Kyuchukov, Hristo

Hussein is a young boy who lives in Bulgaria. He and his family are Muslim and are forced to give up their identities when soldiers come. Hussein is renamed Harry but he holds onto his real name and faith traditions. A pictorial view of this is depicted throughout the story as Hussein tries to understand what is happening around him.

Robots slither

Hunter, Ryan Ann

Explore many types of robots in the world today and the diverse things that they can do, from working in the home to performing tasks at the bottom of the sea.

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astronomy, bodies of water, computer, critical thinking, environment, fire, fish, goal setting, health, history, hospital, medicine, nonverbal communication, ocean, octopus, pets, prevention, safety, science, security, snake, whale

An African princess

Edmonds, Lyra

Lyra is a young girl who lives in the city and who comes from a line of African princesses. She is teased by her classmates and starts to wonder whether or not she is a princess. Her family goes to visit her aunt who confirms that she is an African princess.

Tags

african american, airplane, assertiveness, conflict resolution, family, feelings, history, learning, multicultural, parents, royalty, self esteem, teasing, travel, vacation

Encyclopedia prehistorica: Dinosaurs

Reinhart, Matthew // Sabuda, Robert

Discover the world of dinosaurs as they pop-up and come to life! Learn about various dinosaurs and how multiple body parts made them different from other dinosaurs. With the turn of each page, a new dinosaur jumps out to meet you. Interact with raptors, meat eaters, long necked giants, and frill heads in their long-ago world when they were the rulers!

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animals, birds, body parts, bones, critical thinking, detective, dinosaur, extinction, fossil, history, insects, lizard, nonverbal communication, reptiles, rocks, science, shapes, sizes, survival, teeth

Hurricanes

Galiano, Dan

This informational text explains the life cycle of tropical storms, the coriolis effect, and the anatomy of a hurricane. Wind and flooding damage are explained and especially the effects of storm surges. Hurricane strength is measured by a category scale. Improvements in technology have helped us with hurricane prediction and safety.

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comparisons, cyclone, destruction, flood, geography, glossary, history, hurricane, index, maps, nonfiction, prediction, safety, science, storm, technology, typhoon, weather

Hurricanes

Murray, Peter

This informational text describes the Hurricane Hunter planes that are designed to fly in the roughest weather. In 1958, scientists tried to slow down a hurricane by dropping silver iodide crystals into the clouds, but the experiment did not work. The best thing to do with a hurricane is to get out of its way! Explains the destruction of Hurricane Andrew in Florida and Louisiana. Contrasts the death rate of a 1900 hurricane in Texas with the 1992 Andrew due to better warning systems in place.

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airplane, boat, car, careers, clouds, destruction, disasters, history, hurricane, index, nonfiction, numbers, photograph, preparation, prevention, research, safety, science, sequence, storm, tornado, transportation, vocabulary, weather

Disasters in nature: Hurricanes

Chambers, Catherine

This informational text takes you inside a hurricane with questions of what? where? why? and when? to explain hurricane zones around the earth. Explains rain, wind, and air pressure of hurricanes. Global warming, storm tracking, and prediction problems are discussed for hurricanes and tornadoes. Learn how technology and the natural world alert us about upcoming storms.

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australia, bangladesh, belize, careers, caribbean, change, comparisons, cyclone, destruction, disasters, history, hurricane, india, island, jamaica, japan, maps, multicultural, nature, netherlands, nonfiction, numbers, photograph, prediction, prevention, problem solving, science, sequence, storm, technology, temperature, tornado, typhoon, weather

Hurricanes

Erlbach, Arlene

This informational text describes how tropical disturbances become a tropical storm, then a hurricane. Compares and contrasts hurricanes and tornadoes, including watches and warnings. Learn how storms are predicted and monitored. Photographs show the storm with an eye. Hurricanes have different names across the world.

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careers, central america, china, clouds, comparisons, cyclone, earth, gender, geography, history, hurricane, index, india, maps, month, multicultural, nonfiction, numbers, photograph, prediction, science, seasons, sequence, storm, technology, tornado, typhoon, united states, vocabulary, weather, wind

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.

Can you find it?

Cressy, Judith

Go on an adventure around the world to many exciting places. Search through each painting for many objects. Create your own stories and imagine what life was like in each place.

Patrick's dinosaurs

Carrick, Carol

Patrick's older brother, Hank, knows everything about dinosaurs. As Hank tells Patrick about them, Patrick begins to see them everywhere. They are in the streets, at the zoo, outside his window - until Hank explains that they have been gone for sixty million years.

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dinosaur, family, fear, history, imagination, siblings, verbal communication, zoo

The windy day

Karas, G. Brian

One day, a gust of wind whooshes into a tidy little town and blows everything all over. Little Bernard takes in a breath of the wind only to realize that the wind has been in historical places all over the world.

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adventures, day, food, history, learning, school, verbal communication, weather, wind

Old home day

Hall, Donald

From the time when only plants and animals lived there, to the modern bicentennial celebration, the people who called the fictional village of Blackwater home remember its history.

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aggression, aging, american, animals, author's note, autumn, baby, barn, baseball, birds, birth, bodies of water, bones, careers, celebration, change, community, conflict, conflict resolution, cow, death, decision making, deer, family, farm, farmer, forest, future, generations, goal setting, grandparents, hard work, history, hunting, lake, love, marriage, memories, nature, neighbors, nonverbal communication, parade, parents, peer resistance, plants, pond, reunion, seasons, settlers, snow, sports, spring, summer, war, water, weather, wilderness, winter, work

The snow goose

Gallico, Mary//Gallico, Paul

A young, naive girl attempts to understand her environment in the midst of war. She does this through the love of the birds who live in this area.

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autumn, birds, bodies of water, critical thinking, decision making, feelings, fog, goose, happiness, history, loss, love, nonverbal communication, rain, sadness, sea, seasons, snow, spring, summer, sun, verbal communication, war, weather, winter

Sleds on boston common: A story from the american revolution

Borden, Louise

It's 1774 and British troops are occupying Boston. King George closes Boston Harbor to punish people who speak out against his laws. Henry, a young boy from Boston, hopes to try out his new sled on his birthday. But when he and his brothers and sister get to the hill they find that the troops have set up camp there. After building up enough courage, Henry asks General Gage to move his troops because Boston Common is for everyone. Being a kind man of his word, General Gage agrees and the children can once again sled.

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american, assertiveness, author's note, beliefs, birthday, boat, british, courage, england, exercise, family, giving, history, play, presents, royalty, school, sharing, skating, sledding, snow, transportation, verbal communication, war

Aunt harriet's underground railroad in the sky

Ringgold, Faith

Cassie take a ride on the Underground Railroad with Harriet Tubman as her guide. She learns what steps slaves had to go through in order to reach freedom in the North.

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african american, assertiveness, conflict resolution, courage, critical thinking, decision making, freedom, goal setting, history, multicultural, nonverbal communication, refusal skills, slavery, teamwork, train, transportation, underground railroad, verbal communication

Iron horses

Kay, Verla

Building a railroad takes a lot of work. Many people must be involved from the planners and politicians in the capital, to the Irishmen and Chinese men building the track out west. When it is finally finished, the track is a wonderful form of transportation.

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author's note, celebration, ceremony, chinese, competition, construction, cooperation, fun, geography, hard work, history, immigrants, irish, mountains, multicultural, rain, rocks, snow, storm, tools, train, transportation, travel, weather

Willie and the all-stars

Cooper, Floyd

Willie is a young African American boy who learns about discrimination against black baseball players. Willie's fear of prejudice will prevent him from being a famous baseball player. Willie receives tickets to attend a Negro league game and realizes that maybe his dream is possible.

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accomplishment, african american, baseball, bat, body parts, buildings, car, celebration, creativity, discrimination, dreams, friendship, games, grandparents, history, hope, imagination, multicultural, neighbors, practice, prejudice, presents, pretend, radio, relationship

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.

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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

Racing against the odds: The story of Wendell Scott, stock car racing's African-American champion

Weatherford, Carole Boston

Wendell O. Scott made history as the only black driver to win a race in a NASCAR Grand National division. Using secondhand Fords that he fixed up in his garage, he competed in five hundred races in NASCAR'S top division. This is the story of a man who worked full time while racing on the side. A man who didn't just dust the competition, he blazed the trail.

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accidents, alcohol, body parts, car, careers, competition, food, games, history, language, mischief, school, segregation, skating, transportation, war

Lift every voice and sing

Johnsson, James Weldan

Lift every voice puts pictures to the African American National Anthem. The lyrics tell the story of Black people's past struggles and the hope that Blacks will continue to have towards their future.

Tags

africa, african american, bodies of water, body parts, courage, culture, day, diversity, family, fear, freedom, god, history, hope, illustrator's note, lyrics, moon, multicultural, music, night, poetry, pride, relationship, rhythm, running, sea, ship, singing, sky, song, tree, violence, water

In the time of the drums

Siegelson, Kim L.

Mentu and Twi tell the story of an African family newly arrived in the Americas. Twi never gives up on returning to her native Africa. Twi tells stories of cooking, planting, music and dancing from her native land.

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african, african american, bodies of water, community, creek, culture, escape, farm, feelings, five senses, folktale, freedom, generations, grandparents, history, home, instruments, island, language, magic, music, mythical, relationship, repetition, rhythm, sadness, secrets, ship, slavery, song, sounds, storytelling, transportation

Count your way through Ireland

Haskins, Jim & Benson, Kathleen

Count your way through Ireland as you learn to count in their original language, Gaelic. Enjoy many sports, foods, and musical instruments of Ireland and handcrafted goods from lace to waterford crystal.

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colors, flag, geography, history, ireland, island, language, maps, multicultural, numbers, poetry, religion, sequence, symbols, vocabulary

Tutankhamun

Demi

Learn about King Tutankhamun's life and his challenges when ruling his kingdom in Egypt.

Tags

archeology, biography, decision making, education, egypt, egyptian, god, history, hunting, language, marriage, multicultural, religion, royalty, sand, secrets, shapes, spiritual, sun

The bat boy and his violin

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.

Tags

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

The piano man

Chocolate, Debbie

A young girl listens to her grandfather share his deep love for music and the piano. Grandfather shares the history of silent movies, Vaudeville, Ragtime, and Broadway. He never lets his passion for music end and continues to share it with his grandaughter.

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african american, aging, author's note, body parts, careers, celebration, clothing, dancing, emotions, entertainment, exercise, family, feelings, film, grandparents, history, humor, instruments, marriage, medicine, memories, multicultural, music, new baby, opera, performance, presents, relationship, rhythm, sounds, technology, theatre, travel

Up home

Grant, Shauntay

A young woman of African decent recalls her childhood in her native homeland of Preston, Canada. She remembers long hot days of summer playing with cousins, singing on Sunday mornings, climbing trees and picking blueberries. Gatherings with her family are special celebrations.

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african american, body parts, canada, celebration, church, climbing, clothing, cooking, family, flowers, food, friendship, fun, garden, glasses, grandparents, history, instruments, love, memory, multicultural, music, nutrition, park, quilt, seasons, song, spiritual, storytelling, woods

Saturn for my birthday

McGranaghan, John

Jeffrey wants Saturn for his birthday, and he wants the moons too- all 47 of them! But he's not selfish: he'll share the rings with some of his friends at school and with his teacher, Mrs. Cassini. Facts about Saturn are woven seamlessly throughout this funny story as Jeffrey explains just what he'll do with his present and how he'll take care of it.

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anticipation, bedtime, birds, birthday, cat, celebration, colors, communication, excitement, family, feelings, food, history, holidays, moon, mouse, numbers, nutrition, parents, pets, planet, presents, radio, sizes, space, technology, television, temperature

Olivia saves the circus

Falconer, Ian

After making breakfast for her two younger brothers, Olivia dresses herself and heads to school. Today is Olivia's turn to tell the class about her vacation. She tells of a time when all the circus people are sick and she has to run the entire show. She uses her imagination to tell about her experiences as a lion tamer, juggler, and more. Olivia then heads for home, talks with her mother, and goes to bed.

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acrobat, animals, bedtime, circus, dog, elephant, history, imagination, lion, photograph, pig, presentation, school, storytelling, vacation, verbal communication

Memorial day surprise

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 is in such a hurry that they don't have time to see Marco'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!

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

I saw your face

Dawes, Kwame

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

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

A sweet smell of roses

Johnson, Angela

One morning, after a night of rain, Minnie and her sister sneak out of the house to join many men and women to march for freedom and equality. When they arrive at the beginning of the march, the girls walk with many others keeping their eyes straight ahead and their feet steady. Despite the criticism and yells from people standing by, the girls continue to march. As the day passes, more people join the march to where Dr. Martin Luther King gives his famous speech about peace, love, and equality for all.

Apples to oregon

Hopkinson, Deborah

Loosely based on a true pioneer story, this tale describes the trip of apples across the country. When Papa decides to travel the Oregon Trail, he refuses to leave his beloved fruits, especially the apples. Building a wagon to carry his trees, the family forges rivers, endures hailstorms and droughts, and deals with nasty Jack Frost. Papa has the help of his children (and their clothing) to save his trees.

Tags

animals, bodies of water, critical thinking, decision making, desert, exercise, family, feelings, food, frost, fruit, gold rush, happiness, history, instruments, maps, ox, parents, pioneers, plants, relief, river, sadness, siblings, stress management, swimming, transportation, travel, wagon, weather, wind

The heroic symphony

Harwell-Celenza, Anna

Ludwig Van Beethoven learns he is going deaf. He is an accomplished and promising young pianist and this devastates him. Beethoven realizes his condition is actually leading to his destiny not his downfall. In creating his symphony no. 3 he searches for a hero on which to base his musical inspiration. He eventually realizes it is about him!

Silver threads

Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk

Ivan and Anna flee from Ukraine and sail to Canada where they are promised land for farming. They begin a new life, but Canada soon joins World War I. Ivan tries to fight for Canada in the war, but they take him as a prisoner instead. Years pass and Anna waits alone until Ivan finally returns to the farm from an internment camp

Tags

assertiveness, canada, christmas, conflict resolution, cooperation, escape, farm, food, history, holidays, hope, immigrants, love, loyalty, multicultural, patience, prayer, spider, stress management, ukrainian, war

The balloon sailors

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 loosely based on the true story of two East German families sailing over the Berlin Wall in their own hot air balloon in 1979.

Tags

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

Something to tell the grandcows

Spinelli, Eileen

Hoping to have a wonderful adventure to tell her grandcows, Emmadine volunteers to go to the South Pole in 1933. Emmadine learns a lot of interesting facts about Antarctica. After being there for a while, Emmadine misses the other animals on the farm. When she returns home from her adventure, her grandcows are very impressed with her experiences on the Byrd Antarctic Expedition

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adventures, animals, antarctica, assertiveness, boat, cow, critical thinking, dancing, decision making, family, farm, feelings, history, illness, jealousy, pig, pride, seasons, self esteem, summer, time, transportation, verbal communication, winter

The patchwork path: A quilt map to freedom

Stroud, Bettye

Hannah and her father are slaves who decide to escape to freedom. They use the patterns in the quilt made by her mother, who passed away, to follow the Underground Railroad.

Memorial

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.

Tags

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

We

Schertle, Alice

Describes the emergence of humankind out of Africa, charting the course of human development from seven million years ago to today, highlighting the development of diversity among peoples and our ability to invent and discover.

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africa, art, astronomy, baseball, boat, bodies of water, buildings, construction, desert, discovery, exploration, forest, history, home, inventions, machines, moon, mountains, music, nonverbal communication, poetry, prayer, religion, rhythm, river, sea, sports, sun, technology, transportation, travel, verbal communication, war

The day gogo went to vote: South africa, 1994

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.

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