Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Betsy who cried wolf | by Levine, Gail Carson

An eight year old girl has been taught to call out, wolf! whenever she sees one too close to her sleep. However, everytime she hollers, he disappears and no one listens. Betsy finds her own way to protect the sheep and makes a friend too.

Keywords: animals, bodies of water, climbing, conflict resolution, decision making, exercise, food, helping, listening, peer resistance, persistence, river, sheep, stress management, walking, wolf

The day I had to play with my sister | by Bonsall, Crosby

A boy has a hard time dealing with his younger sister while teaching her the rules of hide-and-seek. She just won't listen! Uggh...being a big brother can be tough!

Keywords: animals, attention, autumn, behavior, challenges, communication, counting, determination, dog, family, feelings, frustration, games, individuality, learning, listening, numbers, patience, play, playing, relationship, resentment, seasons, sequence, siblings, teaching

Ruby's wish | by Bridges, Shirin Yim

Ruby is known for wearing red and being an exceptionally bright student. Even during a time in China when ...most girls were never taught to read and write. However, Ruby's grandfather hires a teacher to come to the house, making it possible for any grandchild living in the house to learn. This initiates a desire in Ruby to attend university, a place that women in China were not encouraged to go.\r\n*Based on a true story of the author's grandmother.

Keywords: acceptance, accomplishment, ambition, appreciation, art, asian, assertiveness, beliefs, change, china, chinese, conflict, conflict resolution, courage, culture, customs, decision making, dedication, depression, determination, disappointment, emotions, encouragement, equality, excitement, family, frustration, generations, giving, goal setting, grandparents, happiness, independence, individuality, intelligence, kindness, language, learning, listening, new year, nonverbal communication, obedience, parade, patience, persistence, poetry, prevention, progress, reading, recognition, refusal skills, relationship, relief, resentment, resolution, role model, school, self confidence, self esteem, skills, stress management, support, symbols, sympathy, teaching, traditions, understanding, verbal communication, wealth, wish, writing

Aunt Claire's yellow beehive hair | by Blumenthal, Deborah

Annie, Grandma Marilyn, and Great Aunt Ruth search through family memorabilia as they put together an album to show to their family. While scrapbooking the many memories, Grandma Marilyn and Great Aunt Ruth share stories about makeup, clothing, jewelery, hairdos, and food. Annie learns all about the relatives she never met.

Stage struck | by DePaola, Tomie

Tommy knows the story of Peter Rabbit by heart. When his class decides to put on the production he wants to be cast in the roll of Peter. Tommy is so excited he does not pay attention to his teacher and as a result gets cast as Mopsy. However, Tommy has a plan to keep him in the spotlight.

Keywords: acting, ambition, animals, attention, confidence, conflict, cooperation, creativity, dancing, disappointment, forgiveness, friendship, garden, humor, independence, listening, mouse, obedience, parents, performance, rabbit, school, self confidence

Three days on a river in a red canoe | by Williams, Vera B

A boy and his brother Sam take a canoe trip with their mother and aunt and engage in a variety of adventurous activities along the way.

Keywords: birds, boat, bodies of water, camping, car, cat, family, fire, fish, fishing, fog, food, heron, island, listening, maps, moose, morning, mosquito, preparation, rainbow, recipe, recreation, rescue, river, safety, shelter, shopping, sky, sleep, stars, storytelling, sun, swimming, travel, water, weather

Pictures for Miss Josie | by Belton, Sandra

A young boy is introduced by his father to Miss Josie, who as first freightens him. As he grows up, he learns to admire her and the two develop a special friendship. Soon the grown boy passes on his memories to his own son and introduces Miss Josie to him.

Keywords: african american, aging, airplane, art, celebration, church, contentment, dancing, dreams, family, fear, giants, listening, marriage, memories, multicultural, radio, role model, school, skills, teeth, telephone, train, transportation, walking, worry

The goat lady | by Bregoli, Jane

Two young children new to Lucy Little Road, help us reveal the simple yet important life of the goat lady; a life that many people in the town despise. Through the children's time spent helping the goat lady, they learn of her vast life experiences. It isn't until after the children's mother takes portraits of the goat lady, that the rest of the town see waht a truly wonderful person the goat lady is.

Keywords: acceptance, aging, animals, appreciation, art, assertiveness, barn, birds, cold, companion, coping, critical thinking, curiosity, decision making, discovery, emotions, environment, food, friendship, goal setting, goat, hard work, home, illness, listening, loyalty, neighbors, nonverbal communication, pets, pride, relationship, respect, support, teaching, trust, verbal communication

Elephant games and other playful poems to perform | by Bagert, Brad

An entertaining and exciting array of poems cover many issues that children face. Gleeful elephants help explore child-friendly issues such as bullying, feelings, nutrition, parents, animals, dreams, school, pets, trouble-makers and sports. Entertaining illustrations and catchy poems invite the reader to continue exploring.

When I heard the learn'd astronomer | by Whitman, Walt

A boy is overwhelmed by all the charts and figures about space, but he gets tired of listening to the lectures. He goes outside to look up at the night sky. He is able to make the connection between what he heard and what he sees.

Zen shorts | by Muth, Jon

One day, three young children meet a panda after his umbrella lands in their yard. The children become friends with the panda, whose name is Stillwater. He passes on folktales to them to help them solve problems they are having.

A song for ba | by 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.

Lucy's quiet book | by Medearis, Angela Shelf

An annoyed Lucy decides to go the library to get away from her brothers. The librarian gives her a book to quiet her brothers down. Once Lucy begins to read to her brothers, they quiet down and Lucy learns the positive effects of books.

Talking | by Xaba-Mashiri, Zadwa

A man digs out a talking yam from his garden. The man is confused and asks his dog if he is talking, but the dog says it is the yam talking. The man runs to the village to tell people about the talking yam and dog. People do not believe the man until things starts talking to them.

Hiawatha passing | by Hagen, Jeff

A young boy awakens on a cold winter night to the sound of a passenger train roaring past his grandparent's farm. What do you know about the train Hiawatha?

Keywords: anticipation, bedtime, cold, colors, environment, excitement, family, five senses, grandparents, hearing, instruments, listening, nature, night, noise, nonverbal communication, observation, sight, sky, sleep, snow, sounds, stars, train, transportation, travel, verbal communication, weather, wind, winter

Polar bear night | by Thompson, Lauren

Take a quiet journey through the stillness of the night where stars form a blanket of light over sleeping animals. Then let the warmth of mother bear's fur guide you into a deep slumber.

Keywords: animals, bear, family, listening, moon, mountains, night, observation, sea, seal, sight, sleep, snow, stars, walrus, whale

Not norman: A goldfish story | by Bennett, Kelly

When a boy gets Norman, a goldfish, for his birthday he is disappointed. He wants an energetic pet with which to run and play. He makes a plan to take Norman back to the pet store and get another pet. After show and tell at school, he decides to keep him. Norman likes his music and makes him laugh; besides any other pet just wouldnﾒt be the same, they would not be Norman.

The heroic symphony | by 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!

Going north | by Harrington, Janice N

Goodbye, Alabama, hello, Lincoln, Nebraska! This family moves from the South to the North so that the papa can find a better job. During their trip up North the family endures a couple struggles, such as the children not wanting to leave their home, the baby crying, and getting restless, and lastly, almost running out of gas! They make it to Nebraska and realize they are together and need to be brave and pioneering.

Keywords: african american, car, cooking, decision making, emotions, family, food, goal setting, listening, maps, multicultural, parents, pioneers, refusal skills, sadness, siblings, song, sounds, storytelling, transportation, travel, verbal communication

My teacher for president | by Winters, Kay

Oliver writes a letter to the local news station to nominate his teacher for president in the next election. He thinks she meets the requirements because she signs important papers, likes white houses, goes to meetings, acts quickly in a crisis, is used to being followed around, wants peace, cares for people and the environment, goes on trips, and deals with the media. The only downfall is he doesnﾒt want her to leave before the end of the year.

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