Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

The hickory chair | by Fraustino, Lisa Rowe

Louis is born blind. He and his Gran play hide-and-seek or just sit and tell stories in her favorite old hickory chair. When Gran dies, her memory lives on through the gifts she leaves behind for her family.

Keywords: blindness, correspondence, Days of the Week, death, family, feelings, five senses, flowers, games, giving, grandparents, loss, love, memories, nonverbal communication, play, relationship, shadows, smell, storytelling, surprises, touch, verbal communication

The great pumpkin switch | by McDonald, Megan

A grandpa tells his grandchildren a story about his childhood when he and a friend mistakenly cut the vine on his sister's pumpkin. Grandpa's sister grew the pumpkin in order to earn a patch for her quilt. The boys find a way to save the pumpkin so that her hard work is not lost.

Keywords: conflict resolution, deception, family, food, friendship, grandparents, growing up, holidays, memories, nutrition, plants, problem solving, quilt, storytelling, verbal communication

The chalk doll | by Pomerantz, Charlotte

Rosie is sick and asks her mother to tell her stories about when her mom was young. Her mother remininses about the clothes she used to wear, the toys she played with, and the foods she ate when she was little. At the end of the day, Rosie is feeling better so they make a paper doll together.

Keywords: clothing, critical thinking, family, food, illness, memories, nutrition, parents, self esteem, storytelling, teamwork, toys, verbal communication

Grandma remembers | by Shecter, Ben

A grandma and her grandson take a tour of her house and recount old memories in each room of the house she will be moving out of.

Keywords: change, coping, critical thinking, family, feelings, grandparents, memories, moving, shelter, verbal communication

That dreadful day | by Stevenson, James

Two children, Mary Ann and Louie, tell their grandpa how terrible their first day of school was. Grandpa tells them a story about his own horrible day at school with an evil teacher named Mr. Smeal, but the next few days were lots of fun.

Keywords: family, fear, feelings, grandparents, memories, refusal skills, school, self esteem, storytelling, stress management, verbal communication

What's under my bed? | by Stevenson, James

Mary Ann and Louie's grandpa tell them a scarey story. Later one night, they run to tell him that something is under their bed. The grandpa shares another story about when he was young and what he would do when he was scared at bedtime.

Keywords: bedtime, family, fear, feelings, grandparents, imagination, memories, sleep, storytelling, verbal communication

That terrible halloween night | by Stevenson, James

Marry Ann and Louie try to scare their grandpa on Halloween. Instead he tells them a story about a terrible Halloween he had years ago. He went into an old, rundown house and was scared by terrible creatures.

Keywords: family, fear, feelings, grandparents, halloween, holidays, memories, storytelling, verbal communication

William and grandpa | by Schertle, Alice

William goes to his grandpa's house where they enjoy singing, jumping on shadows, watching the stars and other things that grandpa enjoyed doing as a child.

Keywords: exercise, family, grandparents, memories, nonverbal communication, play, recreation, self esteem, shadows, song, stars, verbal communication

Someday a tree | by Bunting, Eve

A family has a beautiful tree in their yard which becomes poisoned and dies. The young daughter plants her acorns in hopes of a new tree growing someday.

Keywords: caring, community, dedication, environment, memories, nature, neighbors, stress management

Tanya's reunion | by Flournoy, Valerie

It's family reunion time so Tanya goes to the farm early with her grandmother to help with the preparations. Tanya is excited to see the farm house and to spend time with her grandmother. But when Tanya gets to the farm, she is very disappointed. Will Tanya be able to overcome her disappointment and get something positive from this trip?

Keywords: african american, celebration, critical thinking, disappointment, family, farm, feelings, food, grandparents, loneliness, memories, multicultural, nutrition, preparation, reunion, verbal communication

Gypsy | by Seredy, Kate

Gypsy, a mother cat, has kittens. As she lays with her kittens, she remembers her past and thinks about what her kittens will go through.

Keywords: animals, birth, cat, change, decision making, family, goal setting, growing up, memories, nature, nonverbal communication, parents

Someone special died | by Prestine, Joan Singleton

A young girl deals with the death of someone close to her. She has many feelings of anger, sadness, and loneliness. She has many feelings of anger, sadness, and loneliness. She finds a way to feel better, though, when she makes a scrapbook to remember everything about this special person. She learns that everything dies.

Keywords: acceptance, aggression, anger, art, books, coping, death, feelings, loneliness, loss, memories, play, pretend, reading, sadness, toys

The josefina story quilt | by Coerr, Eleanor

A small girl named Faith had a very special friendship with her goose Josefina. Faith is part of a pioneer family moving West. Throughout their journey, Faith makes a patch to represent each event she encounters, including the death of Jusetina. At the end, the quilt tells the story of the friendship between the goose and the little girl.

Keywords: birds, change, conflict resolution, critical thinking, death, decision making, friendship, goal setting, grief, memories, moving, nonverbal communication, pets, pioneers, problem solving, stress management, transportation, travel, verbal communication

Blow me a kiss, miss lilly | by Carlstrom, Nancy White

A young girl, Sara, has an elderly woman as her best friend. They spend much time together. One day the old woman dies and Sara is very sad. She remembers the good things about her best friend and still feels her love.

Keywords: aging, death, friendship, grief, memories, nonverbal communication, self esteem, stress management, verbal communication

Grandad | by Yolen, Jane

A little boy tries to understand his feelings about his grandfather's death by asking adults how they feel. At the end, he realizes his feelings are his own and that his gradfather is still alive in him.

Keywords: change, coping, death, family, feelings, grandparents, loss, memories, sadness

Posy | by Pomerantz, Charlotte

It is Posy's bedtime and she asks for her father to tell her stories about when she was little. He tells her four separate stories and they discuss their memories.

Keywords: assertiveness, bedtime, curiosity, family, growing up, memories, parents, sleep, storytelling, verbal communication

Patchwork tales | by Roth, Susan//Phang, Ruth

Right before bedtime, a little girl asks her grandma to tell her stories about her quilt.

Keywords: bedtime, creativity, curiosity, family, grandparents, memories, quilt, self esteem, storytelling, verbal communication

The wall | by Bunting, Eve

A father and son go to the Vietnam Memorial Wall to see the boy's grandfather's name. The little boy does not understand the wall at first, but this experience tells him a little about how his grandfather died.

Keywords: coping, death, family, grandparents, grief, memories, nonverbal communication, stress management, verbal communication, war

Time for uncle joe | by Jewell, Nancy

A little girl remembers her uncle who has died. She talks about what they did together, and the things that remind her of his coming and going.

Keywords: coping, death, family, feelings, grief, memories, seasons

Fox song | by Bruchac, Joseph

Jamie remembers her grandmother and all the things that they did together. These memories help Jamie deal with the loss of her grandmother.

Keywords: change, coping, critical thinking, death, family, grandparents, loss, love, memories, multicultural, native american, traditions

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