Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Magic: Once upon a faraway land | by Ortega, Mirelle

Once upon a faraway land in Mexico, a young girl highlights her grandfather's pineapple farm, her mom's wool blanket weaving, and her dad's sketches for making stone buildings. She reflects on the way that magic can change things for better and for worse. She loves the beautiful music and sounds that are woven together for people to dance. She also admires her fingertips as an artist when blank pages become pictures to share with others.

Keywords: author's note, body parts, careers, celebration, dancing, Day of the Dead, drawing, farm, food, fruit, games, holidays, magic, Mexico, music, party, sewing, storytelling, traditions, weather, weaving

Brothers of the knight | by 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.

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

Cinder-Elly | by Minters, Frances

A little girl lives with her two sisters in New York. They all get invited to a basketball game to see the prince play. Elly doesn't have anything to wear but her godmother comes and saves the day. Elly goes to the game, gets her prince, and teaches others the value of not being mean.

Keywords: assertiveness, basketball, biking, clothing, comparisons, conflict resolution, exercise, family, godmother, magic, parents, poetry, rhyme, siblings, sports

Big jabe | by Nolan, Jerdine

Momma Mary goes back in time and tells stories of a unique young man named Jabe, who is responsible for creating magic among the slaves of the Plenty Plantation. He is described as a hero with the strength of fifty men, a big heart, and a wondrous gift at leading slaves away to freedom.

Keywords: african, african american, animals, bee, chicken, cow, fable, fantasy, feelings, fish, fishing, flood, food, freedom, generations, happiness, heroism, horse, hunger, magic, multicultural, mystery, nonverbal communication, plants, recreation, river, slavery, storytelling, tornado, tree, uniqueness, unselfish, weather, wind

The way to start a day | by Baylor, Byrd

Morning time is a sacred time. The beginning of a new day is about to unfold. There's a lot of movement around the world. Wake up to enjoy the warmth of the sun.

Keywords: activities, adventures, africa, exercise, five senses, health, magic, multicultural, music, seasons, song, sounds, sun, symbols, time, weather

Monster and the magic umbrella | by Blance, Ellen // Cook, Ann

Monster enjoys a day of play with his friends and his magical umbrella. Monster and the little boy play games in the afternoon sun and make sure to follow good hygiene practices and sun safety by wearing hats and carrying a giant magical umbrella that provides protection from the sun. The monster's umbrella eventually, magically opens into a much larger umbrella filling with rain so all of the neighborhood children can play and cool off.

Keywords: celebration, cleanliness, companion, critical thinking, exercise, feelings, friendship, happiness, hygiene, magic, monsters, play, rain, storm, stress management, sun, swimming, umbrella, weather

Matunje and the wooden spoon | by Mashiri, Pascal

During a time of famine, Matunje goes looking for food. He finds mangoes which fall into the water and are carried out to sea. Matunje follows and is led to the sea king who gives him a magical wooden spoon to feed his country.

Keywords: assertiveness, celebration, community, conflict resolution, critical thinking, dancing, famine, feelings, food, fruit, happiness, helping, magic, mythical, nutrition, song, spiritual, tree

Emma's magic winter | by Little, Jean

When a new neighbor named Sally moves in, Emma learns to overcome her shyness and her fear of reading out loud to her schoolmates. Early readers can explore their friendships and activities during winter then spring.

Keywords: clothing, exercise, family, food, friendship, imagination, jumping, magic, mountains, nature, neighbors, play, reading, school, seasons, self esteem, shyness, siblings, sledding, snow, spring, verbal communication, weather, winter

Possum magic | by Fox, Mem

A grandmother possum puts a magic spell on her granddaughter which makes her invisible. When the granddaughter decides she wants an identity, they must travel all over Australia for the cure.

Keywords: animals, decision making, family, goal setting, grandparents, magic, multicultural, nonverbal communication, opossum, self esteem, travel, verbal communication

Junk pile! | by Borton, Lady

When Jamie Kay helps her dad in their magical junk yard, Robert Haines and other kids make fun of her. Jamie Kay has to find a way to show the kids that her junkyard is magical. But most of all, Jamie has to find a way to make a friend.

Keywords: acceptance, assertiveness, bus, careers, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, disability, dog, family, forgiveness, friendship, imagination, magic, song, teasing, transportation, work

The wreck of the zephyr | by Van Allsburg, Chris

A young boy's dream of being the greatest sailor brings him to ruin when he misuses his ability to sail his boat above land.

Keywords: assertiveness, boat, bodies of water, careers, determination, magic, mischief, peer resistance, sea, storm, transportation, verbal communication, weather

The children of LIR | by MacGill-Callahan, Sheila

When King Lir's evil new wife becomes jealous of his children and turns them into swans, the two sets of twins must make new friends and problem solve to go back to their beloved father.

Keywords: animals, birds, celebration, dancing, direction, evil, family, folktale, friendship, happiness, ireland, light, magic, mountains, problem solving, royalty, siblings, song, swan, whale

In the time of the drums | by 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.

Keywords: 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

The magic kite | by Stanbridge, Bobette

A kite travels to America through time and watches America change and grow. Katy the kite spends time with a young girl in a city until it becomes too busy to fly. A Native American medicine man teaches Katy to speak to mother earth, father sky, angels, and fairies.

Keywords: angel, animals, birds, butterfly, elephant, friendship, grasshopper, imagination, insects, kite, magic, multicultural, native american, picnic, prayer, spiritual, tree, turtle

The magician and McTree | by Coombs, Patricia

An old magician accidentally creates a potion that makes his cat, McTree, talk. Although he is supposed to keep his new talent a secret, McTree ends up a famous attraction at the palace. But when McTree loses his appeal, the King and Queen order the old magician to be kidnapped so he can make all of the castle's pets talk. McTree must use his sense to outwit the royal party and save his old companion.

Keywords: animals, birds, cat, dog, fame, fish, forest, friendship, greed, guilt, heroism, insects, kidnap, magic, medicine, moth, pig, royalty, secrets, song, speech, storytelling, trick

Ella sets the stage | by D'Amico, Carmela

Ella wants so badly to be in the school talent show, but she has no talent. She decides instead to join the talent show committee and helps make the show the best it can be. During the show, something unexpected happens and Ella comes to the rescue, finding her true talent: helping others.

Keywords: animals, arabian, art, cooking, dancing, discovery, elephant, exercise, feelings, happiness, helping, heroism, identity, instruments, juggling, jumping, magic, music, performance, poetry, practice, puppets, sadness, school, shyness, song, sounds, support, writing

Mzimba and the crowned cranes | by Mashiri, Pascal

Keywords: africa, animals, birds, crane, elephant, folktale, glossary, kenyan, magic, multicultural, storytelling, vulture

The magic rocks | by Herbert, Barbara N.

An African woman struggles to find firewood so that she can cook for her family. While cooking porridge, an old weak man came along asking for food. Because she felt sorry for him, she gave him the porridge. In return, he gave her some magic rocks that would turn to gold. However, the woman couldnﾒt get them to change. When her family came home to realize they had nothing to eat, her husband was angry and threw the rocks in the fading fire. The family fell asleep hungry and cold. In the morning, they woke to a burning fire and porridge cooking. The family found more rocks and called…

Keywords: africa, anger, cold, cooking, decision making, emotions, family, fire, food, fuel, future, giving, hunger, kindness, light, magic, night, nutrition, pollution, verbal communication

Once upon an ordinary school day | by McNaughton, Colin

An ordinary boy has no idea what is in store for him one fateful, ordinary day. Everything appears to be normal until his new school teacher; Mr. Gee walks through the door. The once ordinary day turns into a whirlwind of adventures

Keywords: adventures, animals, bedtime, change, dreams, fantasy, imagination, magic, music, preparation, pretend, routine, self esteem, surprises, teaching, writing

So happy! | by Henkes, Kevin

A magic seed was planted, a rabbit wandered, and a little boy just wanted something to do. Just before it began to rain the seed became thirsty, the rabbit was lost, and the little boy was bored. The rain brought happiness to the boy and left the rabbit wet and scared. As the seed grew, the boy built a bridge to reach it and the rabbit used it to cross the creek to return to his family. The little boy returned home with the flower that grew from the seed as a present to his mother.

Keywords: animals, bodies of water, boredom, creek, family, fear, feelings, happiness, imagination, magic, multicultural, native american, nonverbal communication, parents, plants, rabbit, rain, seed, sun, weather

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