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

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Ugh

Yorkins, Arthur

Many, many years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, there was a boy named Ugh who was looked down on and treated like a slave by his siblings. Ugh tells them he will be famous one day. After seeing a wheel, he invents the bicycle, and because of this becomes the boy king.

Tags

anger, assertiveness, bicycle, cave, change, chores, confidence, critical thinking, differences, dinosaur, family, feelings, happiness, inventions, jealousy, moon, sadness, self esteem, siblings, verbal communication, whale

Eddie's garden and how to make things grow

Garland, Sarah

Eddie and his mother and sister decide to start a garden. While doing this, they have lots of fun and learn everything there is to know about seeds, plants and gardening. Their garden yields just enough yummy food for a family picnic!

Tags

bee, butterfly, conflict resolution, cycle, family, flowers, food, garden, goal setting, grandparents, insects, parents, picnic, seed, siblings, teamwork

Papa's latkes

Edwards, Michelle

A Jewish family deals with the recent death of their mother and wife, while trying to keep their Chanukan traditions alive. Each family member deals with their emotions. They work as a single parent family to move on, while embracing their traditions of the past.

Feast for 10

Falwell, Cathryn

A family goes grocery shopping. As they find the groceries, they count each item as it is put in the cart. When they get home, they unload the groceries and count the items as they take them out.

Tags

african american, counting, family, food, multicultural, numbers, nutrition, parents, siblings

The golden rain

Mashiri, Pascal

A young child learns from his mother's stories about decision making and choices. He comes to understand that choices make some people happy and leave some disapointed. The child also realizes that help is sometimes needed for the decision making, but ultimately it is up to the individual.

Leo: the little st. bernard

L'Hommediev, Dorthy K.

Leo wants to be a working dog for the monks at the Hospice. When they do not choose him, he decides to runaway to the Hospice. On his way up the mountain he encounters Angelena, a cashmere goat. Together they set out on a snowy and dangerous adventure.

Tags

animals, bravery, climbing, conflict resolution, courage, critical thinking, decision making, dog, exercise, family, goal setting, goat, heroism, multicultural, patience, pride, relationship, running, self esteem, siblings, snow, swiss, verbal communication, wind

Lucy's quiet book

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.

Big surprise in the bug tank

Horowitz, Ruth

Leo and his brother love their two giant pet cockroaches given to them by their mother. After the two cockroaches have babies, the boys try many different solutions to try to get rid of them. They finally find a solution after they receive help from their mom and local library.

Tags

bug, chores, community, critical thinking, decision making, family, goal setting, insects, library, math, numbers, parents, pets, responsibilities, sexuality, siblings, stress management, verbal communication

Scribble

Freedman, Deborah

Emma and Lucie are sisters and they both love to draw. They don't always like each other's drawings, but Lucie learns through a fantastic adventure that drawings don't always agree with their artists and they sometimes decide that they like each other.

Tags

aggression, anger, animals, argument, art, colors, drawing, family, fantasy, feelings, love, marriage, rescue, resentment, siblings

Making room for uncle joe

Litchfield, Ada B.

Uncle Joe has Down Syndrome and must leave his home at the hospital because it's closing. He goes to live with his sister and her family. His family learns to live with him and to love him.

Tags

acceptance, down syndrome, love, nonverbal communication, parents, patience, peer resistance, refusal skills, self esteem, siblings, stereotypes, stress management, teaching, verbal communication

Princess pooh

Muldoon, Kathleen

A young girl with a disability gets special attention sometimes. Her sister is jealous of this attention. When she finds out what it is like to be in her sister's shoes, she feels differently. After that she showers her sister with special attention too.

Tags

feelings, jealousy, nonverbal communication, siblings

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.

Tags

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

Arthur's pen pal

Hoban, Lillian

Arthur longs to be his pen pal's big brother, so they can wrestle and do karate. He does not like having to jump rope with his little sister. But one day, he learns something very surprising about his pen pal.

Emma's magic winter

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.

Tags

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

Happy winter

Gundersheimer, Karen

Two sisters share their snowy days together. There are fun things to do outside and inside the house.

Tags

cleanliness, clothing, day, family, food, fun, gymnastics, night, nutrition, parents, play, recipe, rhyme, seasons, siblings, snow, sports, weather, winter

Snow day!

Joosse, Barbara M.

Robby awakes to find school is cancelled because of snow. Many fun things happen on his unexpected day off.

Tags

activities, family, fun, parents, school, siblings, snow, surprises, weather

Sami and the time of troubles

Heide, Florence Parry//Gilliland, Judith Heide

Sami lives with his family in Beriut. Once it was one of the most splendid cities in the world but today it is a place of ruin and trouble. Living in violence allows Sami to look at all the good memories when troubles arrive. In the end, Sami learns a great deal about fighting.

Sweet dried apples: A vietnamese wartime childhood

Breckler, Rosemary

It is wartime in Vietnam, and a little girl who lives in the country is faced with the prospect of her father leaving for the army. Her father, the village herb doctor, comes to stay with them until he dies. Their village is bombed and the little girl and her family must flee Vietnam.

Tags

change, community, death, grandparents, language, loss, market, plants, siblings, travel, vietnamese, war

Nicky and the big, bad wolves

Gorbachev, Valeri

Little Nicky is having a bad dream when his cries for help wake everyone up. After telling his mom about the dream, Nicky realizes it wasn't as bad as it seemed. He scared his brothers and sisters though, so mom has to go outside and pretend to get rid of the scary wolves so everyone can sleep.

Tags

animals, caring, counting, dreams, family, fear, feelings, night, numbers, parents, pretend, rabbit, siblings, sleep, storytelling, verbal communication, wolf

Mama & papa have a store

Carling, Amelia Lau

Mama and Papa have a store. Day to day the routine is similar. The same people come in to buy the same things. This little girl likes these routines and she shares them with us. From what Mama is cooking to Papa counting on the abacus we spend the whole day with one little girl.

Tags

author's note, business, chinese, colors, cooking, counting, culture, customs, family, fish, food, guatemalan, indian, language, market, money, multicultural, nutrition, parents, photograph, play, rain, rainbow, shopping, siblings, sounds, spanish, traditions, verbal communication, weather

My rotten redheaded older brother

Polacco, Patricia

Patricia Polacco tells the story about her sibling rivalry with her brother. She wanted to be able to do something better than he could. Eventually, her wish comes true, but not exactly the way she had imagined.

Tags

assertiveness, change, competition, conflict resolution, family, goal setting, grandparents, self esteem, siblings, uniqueness, verbal communication, wish

Snipp, snapp, snurr and the reindeer

Lindman, Maj

Snipp, Snap and Snurr vacation with their parents in Sweden. They meet a family from Lapland who come to their rescue accompanied by their pet reindeer.

Moonlight on the river

Kovacs, Deborah

Two brothers silently sneak out of their home late one night. They sail up the river and find themselves fighting a rough sea in order to make it home safely.

Tags

boat, bodies of water, bravery, family, fish, moon, river, safety, siblings, transportation

Mac & marie & the train toss surprise

Howard, Elizabeth Fitzgerald

Mac and Marie receive a letter from Uncle Clem which says that he will toss them a package when his train passes their house. They anxiously await the arrival of the train in the field one summer night. When the train passes, they find a package and open it to find a conch shell from Florida!

Tags

anticipation, dreams, family, night, presents, siblings, surprises, train, transportation

The children of LIR

MacGill-Callahan, Sheila

When the evil new wife of King Lir 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.

Tags

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

A seed was planted/ Sembre una semilla

Palazeti, Toulla

A wonderful cycle of giving begins when a single seed is planted and sprouts are passed along from one person to the next. An entire community is touched.

Tags

adaptation, animals, birthday, diary, dog, english, family, giving, holidays, idiom, illness, language, multicultural, neighbors, pattern, pets, picnic, plants, presents, reading, school, seed, siblings, spanish, tree, water, woods

I will never not ever eat a tomato

Child, Lauren

Lola's brother goes to very creative lengths to encourage Lola to eat a variety of vegetables. When Lola refuses to eat peas, Charlie calls peas "green drops from Greenland". She then nibbles one or two and says quite tasty!

Tags

creativity, family, food, fruit, habit, humor, nutrition, parents, photograph, siblings, vegetables, vocabulary

Oh, brother!

Grimes, Nikki

Xavier feels sad, angry, and jealous towards his new step brother, Chris. Xavier soon realizes that Chris is coping with loneliness and resentment too. The pain over losing a parent to divorce forms a special band between Xavier and Chris so they promise each other, that no one will ever leave. Through short vignettes, the story ends with Our family is a song we sing, and we can add new notes anytime we like.

Tags

african american, aggression, anger, apology, baby, baseball, bedtime, behavior, books, celebration, change, chores, climbing, comparisons, conflict, conflict resolution, divorce, emotions, family, fear, feelings, friendship, fun, games, hispanic, jealousy, mountains, multicultural, parents, photograph, playing, pregnancy, relationship, rhythm, school, self esteem, siblings, sports, stepfather, stepmother, sympathy, technology, telephone, verbal communication, wedding

The secret Olivia told me

Joy, N.

Olivia develops interpersonal skills by realizing how her words affect her friends. Olivia and her best friend realize the importance of honesty and trust in their friendship.

Tags

african american, balloon, basketball, body parts, books, buildings, colors, excitement, feelings, friendship, italian, jumping, multicultural, playing, relationship, secrets, siblings, soccer, sports, telephone, truth, worry

Where am I sleeping tonight?

Ekster, Carol Gordon

Mark and Evan have a hard time keeping up with all the changes in their lives. Their parents are divorced and it's not easy remembering all the things they need to do. Mark's teacher, Mrs. Demott helps Mark, Evan and their parents get organized and also teaches them how to cope with divorce.

Tags

acceptance, bedtime, behavior, closeness, communication, comparisons, confusion, coping, disappointment, divorce, family, forgetful, frustration, goal setting, parents, responsibilities, siblings, stepfather

The buffalo storm

Applegate, Katherine

Hallie and her parents are leaving their home in Nebraska and setting out in a wagon for Oregon. Hallie is sad to leave her home and her grandmother, but she isn't afraid. She is'nt afraid of anything, except for storms. When hallie experiences her greatest storm she's ever seen during her journey, she isn't afraid, though, thanks to her grandmother's beloved quilt and kind words.

Tags

animals, autumn, baby, barn, bodies of water, buffalo, chicken, clouds, coyote, creek, family, fear, forest, grandparents, horse, lizard, ox, parents, pig, pioneers, prairie dog, quilt, rain, reading, rocks, seasons, siblings, sky, storm, summer, transportation, travel, wagon, weather, winter, writing

The best mariachi in the world/ El mejor mariachi del mundo

Smith, J.D

Gustavo wants to be in the family mariachi band, but he cannot play the violines, trompetas, or guitarrones. He finds his place in the band with his singing talent.

Tags

animals, band, cactus, chicken, coyote, crowd, dancing, desert, dog, family, instruments, language, multicultural, night, owl, parents, siblings, singing, spanish, stars

I wanna iguana

Orloff, Karen Kaufman

A little boy wants an iguana, but first he has to convince his mother that he is responsible enough to have it. Through a series of letters written between the boy and his mother, they both provide reasons to support whether or not he should get the iguana. They decide that the boy may have the iguana on a trial basis to prove he will take care of it.

The man who called the crocodiles

Mashiri, Pascal

Gyiii-eee! This is the sound that calls a crocodile. In this land, the wealthy king takes Lulaba as his new wife. She eventually has Gobango as her only son. She tells Gobango of stories about her father calling crocodiles. Eventually Gobango has to flee from his mom or the dead kingﾒs enemies will kill him. He flees to meet Lulabaﾒs father, his grandfather. He goes on a fishing trip and meets one of the fishermanﾒs beautiful daughters, Nanjobe. Gobango asks her father if he can marry her. He says no because he isnﾒt rich enough to take care of his daughter. Therefore, he works to raise money for her. Six months later, Nanjobe is to marry an old man. Gobango and Nanjobe both hate this idea and flee to Gobangoﾒs boat. Nanjobeﾒs father sends people after the two, so Gobango calls the crocodiles, Gyiii-eee. Crocodiles surround their boat. The rest of the people search for the lovers and assuming they are dead, take their boats back to the village.

Waiting for Sipho

Herbert, Barbara

Two young brothers can hardly wait for the return of their beloved older brother, Sipho, from university. Everything seems in place until the goat to be prepared for dinner escapes! The boys find themselves on quite an adventure as they await Siphoﾒs return.

Tags

adventures, africa, animals, anticipation, careers, conflict resolution, cooking, escape, excitement, goat, helping, love, maps, multicultural, relationship, school, siblings

This is the matzah

Levine, Abby

A Jewish family shops, cooks, and prepares for Passover. The traditions and the meanings behind them are explained in a rhyme.

Tags

alcohol, beverage, celebration, ceremony, cooking, drugs, family, food, grandparents, hebrew, Jewish, multicultural, nonverbal communication, nutrition, parents, party, religion, responsibilities, reunion, shopping, siblings, verbal communication

Desser the best ever cat

Smith, Margaret

A little girl learns all about the hardships of losing a pet. However, her love for Desser is not lost in his death. Instead, she chooses to keep her memories of Desser alive. Even after Ginger, the new kitten, joins the family the little girl still chooses to remember Desser as the best ever cat

Tags

aging, animals, cat, companion, death, decision making, family, feelings, growing up, happiness, loss, memories, parents, pets, sadness, siblings, stress management

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

A slimy story

Knudsen, Michelle

Dan runs into a problem when he has no money and no time to buy his mom a birthday present. He canﾒt think of anything and feels hopeless. One day, a bully puts a slimy, gross worm in Danﾒs pocket on the walk to school. His teacher, Mrs. Stewart, places the worm in a jar, and all the children become interested. Dan even starts to like the worm and decides to give it to his mom to help her garden. She thinks the worm is a great gift.

Tags

birthday, books, bully, celebration, challenges, conflict resolution, confusion, critical thinking, excitement, family, feelings, friendship, insects, library, parents, presents, resolution, school, science, siblings, teaching, worm, worry

The barking mouse

Sacre, Antonio

A Spanish speaking mouse family goes on a picnic. The parents spend the day showing each other affection while the brother and sister go play. While they are playing, the come across a cat. The cat scared everyone, except the mother mouse who saves them by speaking another language.

Tags

affection, animals, cat, conflict resolution, critical thinking, family, fear, feelings, food, hispanic, language, mouse, multicultural, parents, peer resistance, picnic, playing, self esteem, siblings, sounds, spanish, verbal communication

Going north

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.

Tags

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 first Chinese New Year

Katz, Karen

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy New Year! A Chinese child is getting ready for the Chinese New Year by decorating the walls with red, making an alter to honor ancestors, getting a new dress to wear, and getting a haircut to start the new year off fresh and new. They eat a New Year Eve feast for good health and enjoy the New Year parade with lion dancers, drummers, and the dragon! Then, they wish each other Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Tags

animals, beauty, china, chinese, clothing, dancing, dragons, family, feelings, food, grandparents, happiness, health, holidays, language, lion, money, multicultural, new year, nutrition, parade, parents, party, plants, self esteem, siblings, verbal communication, wish

The best beekeeper of lalibela: A tale from africa

Kessler, Cristina

In the Ethiopian mountain village of Lalibela, famous for its churches and honey, a young girl determines to find a way to be a beekeeper despite being told that is somethign only men can do.

Tags

africa, animals, bee, business, careers, critical thinking, determination, discrimination, dreams, family, feelings, forest, insects, inventions, language, market, mountains, multicultural, sadness, siblings, tree, village, work

Supersister

Cadena, Beth

Supersister is always thinking of ways she can help her pregnant mother. In the morning on the way to school, she forgets two things: to tie her mother's shoes and to give her mother a kiss. Throughout the day, she does all her chores and thinks of new ways to help her mother. At the end of the day she forgets the same two things, but when she remembers her mother says, Like I always say, you're going to be a super sister.

Tags

assertiveness, baby, bedtime, books, critical thinking, exercise, family, five senses, goal setting, helping, nonverbal communication, numbers, pets, playground, pregnancy, reading, school, self esteem, siblings, sounds, teacher

Bintou's braids

Diouf, Sylviane

When Bintou, a little girl living in West Africa, finally gets her wish for braids, she discovers that what she dreamed for has been hers all along.

Tags

africa, african, america, animals, beach, birds, bodies of water, celebration, chicken, clothing, critical thinking, dreams, envy, family, feelings, fish, food, fruit, grandparents, moon, multicultural, parents, prayer, pride, sadness, sea, selfishness, siblings, sleep, sounds, stars, storytelling, stress management, sun, traditions, tree, village

A triangle for Adaora: An African book of shapes

Onyefulu, Ifeoma

When Adaora's cousin promises to find a triangle for her, he does'nt realize just how difficult the task might be. As they search through their village, the cousins encounter a variety of other shapes - heart-shaped leaves, circular elephant drums, crescent-shaped plantains - everything but the shape they seek. Just when the children are too tired to look anymore, they find a perfect triangle...and a great surprise to go along with it!

Tags

africa, african, community, family, food, fruit, jewelry, multicultural, music, plants, problem solving, shapes, siblings, traditions, verbal communication, village

Vacation in the village: A story from west africa

Njeng, Pierre Yves

A boy discovers and takes pride in the customs of his people when he visits his family's village in West Africa.

Tags

affection, africa, books, boredom, buildings, construction, customs, discovery, dreams, family, fear, feelings, fish, fishing, forest, friendship, games, grandparents, happiness, history, hunting, multicultural, parents, reptiles, school, siblings, storytelling, traditions, train, transportation, travel, turtle, vacation, village, work, worry

Africa brothers and sisters

Kroll, Virginia

At lunchtime Daddy and Jesse play their favorite game: a question and answer game about people who live in Africa and the ways in which they are connected to Jesse.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, clothing, community, critical thinking, dancing, family, farm, fishing, games, geography, giraffe, jewelry, maps, multicultural, parents, recreation, siblings, storytelling, traditions, verbal communication, village

Boundless grace

Hoffman, Mary

According to the stories Grace read, her family is not normal. Grace's father lives in Africa while she and her mother live in America. Grace visits her father to learn about his new family and the African culture in Gambia. Grace's visit to Africa helps her to understand that her family is normal.

Tags

african, african american, change, comparisons, crocodile, divorce, family, grandparents, letters, love, multicultural, parents, reptiles, shopping, siblings, storytelling, travel, vacation, verbal communication

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