Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Hopper's treetop adventure | by Pfister, Marcus

Hopper the rabbit meets a young squirrel searching for his buried nuts. Hopper agrees to help the squirrel find his nuts if he agrees to what they find. The rabbit and squirrel find more then just hazel nuts; they find friendship. Each had to give and take in order to grow their friendship.

Keywords: animals, baby, compromise, conflict resolution, deer, discovery, family, fear, feelings, friendship, goal setting, parents, problem solving, rabbit, seasons, self esteem, sharing, spring, squirrel, tree, verbal communication, woodpecker

The patchwork quilt | by Flournoy, Valerie

Tanya loves spending time with her Grandma. Grandma teaches Tanya the importance of using old scraps of material to make unique and warm quilts. One day Grandma gets sick before the quilt is complete. Tanya must help Grandma finish the quilt.

Keywords: activities, african american, art, cooking, dancing, family, friendship, generations, grandparents, halloween, hard work, holidays, illness, patience, quilt, seasons, sharing, trust

Armadilly chili | by 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!

Jitterbug jam | by Hicks, Barbara Jean

Jitterbug Jam is about a young monster who is afraid to deal with the scary boy under his bed! After a helpful story and piece of advice from his grandpa, or Boo-Dad, the little monster is brave enough to go under his bed, and later decides to make a friend.

Keywords: assertiveness, conflict resolution, decision making, family, fantasy, fear, feelings, friendship, grandparents, monsters, parents, sharing, storytelling

How groundhog's garden grew | by Cherry, Lynne

In this story of friendship and sharing, Squirrel teaches Groundhog how to grow a garden. Groundhog learns how to plant and care for many different plants and vegetables. In the end there is enough for all of their friends to enjoy.

Keywords: author's note, autumn, cooperation, critical thinking, friendship, garden, goal setting, groundhog, hibernation, plants, problem solving, seasons, seed, sharing, squirrel, sun, teaching, verbal communication, water, wind

The shaking bag | by Battle-Lavert, Gwendolyn

Though Miss Annie Mae doesn't always have much food for herself or her dog Effie Lucille, she faithfully feeds the birds in the lawn. One day a stranger comes to visit. He shakes many special surprises for her out of the old seed bag to reward her for all her generosity.

Keywords: african american, animals, birds, books, dog, fantasy, fire, food, hunger, kindness, multicultural, noise, nutrition, plants, poverty, raven, sharing, sounds, spiritual, unselfish

Monster goes around the town | by Blance, Ellen // Cook, Ann

Monster goes for a trip around the town with a little boy. The little boy brings his camera and takes pictures at all the places they visit together.

Keywords: assertiveness, basketball, boat, bodies of water, bus, car, disappearance, environment, excitement, feelings, friendship, fun, goal setting, happiness, hobby, monsters, nonverbal communication, photograph, river, self esteem, sharing, shopping, teamwork, travel, verbal communication

My mountain song | by Crum, Shutta

Observe a relationship that blossoms between competing cousins over their grandparents. Enjoy the scenic illustrations of summer life on the mountains while reading about a legacy being passed down.

Keywords: companion, conflict resolution, family, farm, generations, grandparents, growing up, nature, nonverbal communication, relationship, seasons, sharing, song, summer

Grandpa's soup | by Kadono, Eiko

Grandpa is lonely after Grandma dies. He wants to make meatball soup just like his wife use to make. Each day after Grandpa makes the soup, friends come and eat it with him. Grandpa finds that eating the soup with friends helps to ease his loneliness.

Keywords: animals, cat, cooking, critical thinking, death, decision making, determination, dog, family, feelings, food, goal setting, grandparents, happiness, loneliness, loss, mouse, nonverbal communication, nutrition, sharing, stress management, verbal communication

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.

Why rabbit doesn't lie | by Mashiri, Pascal

While every animal of the forest is planning for next year's harvest, Rabbit decides to grow money. He lies to the chief and keeps the money for himself. Eventually the chief grows angry with Rabbit and demands the money Rabbit was supposed to grow. Rabbit deceives everyone in order to get out of his lie and he vows to never lie again.

The table where rich people sit | by Baylor, Byrd

A young girl feels that her family is so poor that rich people wouldn't even sit at her family's table. She holds a meeting with her family to discuss the money her family has. During the meeting she discovers how rich her family really is. She also learns the important things in life such as, family is more valuable than money itself.

Keywords: assertiveness, birds, conflict resolution, critical thinking, family, greed, money, parents, perspective, pheasant, poverty, relaxation, responsibilities, rules, self esteem, sharing, wealth

Sleds on boston common: A story from the american revolution | by 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.

Keywords: 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

Stella and roy | by Wolff, Ashley

Stella and Roy's little brother have a race with their scooter and tricycle to the popcorn stand. Stella thinks that she is so fast that she can stop and look around at everything during the race. Who do you think wins the race?

Keywords: animals, bicycle, biking, birds, competition, crocodile, dog, exercise, fish, food, frog, goal setting, goose, horse, nutrition, plants, reptiles, running, seasons, sharing, skating, spring, transportation, turtle

Runaway radish/ El rabano que escapo | by Levy, Janice

It's the Night of the Radishes and don Pedro wants to carve the best radish sculpture in town. But one radish won't cooperate. The Night of the Radishes is an annual festival held on the evening of December 23rd in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Keywords: animals, cactus, carving, celebration, competition, donkey, escape, food, instruments, language, market, Mexico, multicultural, restaurant, royalty, running away, sharing, spanish

Kumak's fish: A tall tale from the far north | by Bania, Michael

Kumak takes his family ice fishing. Kumak uses his uncleﾒs amazing hooking stick. Kumak patiently waits for a fish which results in enough fish to share with the entire village.

Keywords: community, dancing, eskimo, exercise, family, feelings, fishing, happiness, ice, lake, language, multicultural, parents, patience, running, sharing, teamwork, verbal communication, village, winter

The heart of the lion | by Watson, Pete

An American boy comes to understand and admire the rich culture and traditions of West Africa.

Keywords: africa, african, animals, art, baboon, butterfly, chicken, cooking, courage, culture, customs, dog, elephant, family, food, friendship, hunting, lion, magic, multicultural, parade, parents, scorpion, sharing, teasing, traditions, tree, uniqueness, verbal communication, village

First come the zebra | by Barasch, Lynne

In the Kenyan grassland, Abaani, a Maasai boy takes his cattle out to graze. While he is out he sees a vegetable stand with a young boy from the Kikuyu farms, who are rivals of his tribe because they destroy their land. While arguing, a group of Kamba women and children approach to trade for fruits and vegetables, and one baby wanders toward three warthogs. Abaani sees this and knows he can save the baby himself so he calls to Haki to help. Together they save the boy, which is the beginning of a growing friendship. They learn how to appreciate one another and hope to teach their families to be…

Keywords: animals, assertiveness, cattle, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, fear, feelings, food, friendship, games, geography, heroism, kenyan, language, maps, migration, multicultural, nonverbal communication, peace, relief, sharing, tanzanian, verbal communication, vocabulary, wart hog, wilderness, zebra

Start saving Henry | by Carlson, Nancy

Henry gets $5 every week for his allowance, but he spends it immediately on something that catches his eye. One day he sees Super Robot Dude, but his mother won't buy it for him and tells him he has to save his allowance. Whenever Henry is close to $30, something happens to make him lose his money again. One day, his grandma has a surprise for Henry, and he learns that working hard to save money will pay off in the end!

Keywords: books, decision making, family, giving, goal setting, grandparents, hard work, learning, library, money, numbers, parents, persistence, presents, refusal skills, responsibilities, sharing, verbal communication

Panda's new toy | by Dunbar, Joyce

Panda just got a new toy and he is having a lot of fun playing with it. Gander wants to try it too, but Panda is unwilling to share. When Gander decides to play with another toy, Panda wants that one too. The friends talk about it and decide that sharing and working together are more fun than being selfish.

Keywords: animals, argument, birds, conflict resolution, cooperation, feelings, fight, friendship, goose, jealousy, panda, playing, sadness, selfishness, sharing, toys, verbal communication

Browse Abstracts (169 total)