Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

The desert mermaid (La sirena del desierta) | by Blanco, Alberto

The last of the desert mermaids is found living in an oasis in the Sonara desert. An Indian and his horse take her on a journey to find the roots of her ancestors. Here she finds the gift of song and can finally join the thousands of mermaids riding the waves.

Keywords: adventures, desert, goal setting, hispanic, history, mermaids, multicultural, music, rhythm, song

The little fir tree | by Brown, Margaret Wise

A fir tree is cut down to be used as a Christmas tree for a boy with a handicap. After the holidays, the tree is replanted in the forest. Every year, the boy's father digs up the tree to be decorated. One year, the boy goes to the forest by himself to decorate a tree.

Keywords: change, christmas, conflict resolution, disability, family, forest, growing up, handicap, holidays, illness, nature, parents, plants, song, traditions, verbal communication

A long long song | by Delessert, Etienne

Acrobats and musicians appear out of nowhere and perform on the front steps of a town hall. The show takes place in a small New England village. Those who see them perform never forget who they are.

Keywords: autumn, community, gymnastics, music, performance, seasons, snow, song, sports, spring, summer, weather, winter

Born in the gravy | by Cazet, Denys

Margouita starts her first day of kindergarten. She tells papa all about her big day over an ice cream cone. She has one question that papa knows just how to answer.

Keywords: food, friendship, mexican, nutrition, racism, responsibilities, school, self esteem, song, stress management, verbal communication

Zelda and ivy and the boy next door | by Kvasnosky, Laura McGee

A new boy named Eugene has moved in next door to Zelda and Ivy. the three quickly become friends. A romance blooms, they play imaginary games, and go camping. Like all friends, they don't always get along, but they work out their differences.

Keywords: animals, assertiveness, bully, business, camping, careers, cleanliness, collection, conflict resolution, family, feelings, fox, friendship, helping, imagination, love, money, neighbors, pirates, playing, pretend, sharing, siblings, sleep, song, stars, verbal communication, wish

Bread is for eating | by Gershator, David//Gershator, Phillis

When a little boy leaves bread on his plate, his mother reminds him how important bread is and the hard work that goes into making it. Through a song, children learn why they should not waste food, and how to be thankful for grain and bread.

Keywords: appreciation, awareness, careers, critical thinking, culture, decision making, farm, farmer, food, health, hispanic, hunger, language, machines, money, multicultural, music, nature, nonverbal communication, nutrition, parents, plants, poverty, rain, rainbow, snow, song, spanish, storytelling, sun, teaching, verbal communication, weather, winter

Today is monday | by Carle, Eric

Today is Monday and it is string bean day. Tuesday is spaghetti day and Wednesday is ZOOOOP. Thursday is roast beef and Friday is fresh fish. It is time for all the hungry children to eat up!

Keywords: food, music, nutrition, sequence, song, time

The vegetable show | by Brown, Laurie Krasny

Different vegetables put on a vaudeville show for a group of children to enhance their popularity. For example, Bud the Spud does some magic tricks where he becomes a bowl of mashed potatoes, french fries, and potato pancakes. Other vegetable performers include B.A. Dilly (pickle), Miss Lotta Root (carrot), and Super Chile (pepper). By the time the show is over, the children like their vegetables.

Keywords: dancing, exercise, food, magic, nutrition, performance, song

Passover | by Nerlove, Miriam

It is time for Passover and a father tells his son the tradition of Passover. He explains the different types of food that are eaten and the hunt that occurs after dinner. They then sing songs together.

Keywords: author's note, family, food, holidays, Jewish, multicultural, music, nutrition, parents, passover, siblings, song, traditions

This old man: A musical counting book | by Ross, Tony

Amusing pop-up illustrations correspond to the rhyming song This Old Man.

Keywords: counting, five senses, music, numbers, rhyme, sequence, song

This old man: Counting song | by Kantz, Robin M.

The counting song This Old Man is fun to learn. Let's learn how to count, sing music, and act out different parts of the song.

Keywords: counting, critical thinking, five senses, music, self esteem, sequence, song

The first song ever sung | by Melmed, Laura Krauss

A boy asks different people and thinks about the first song ever sung. He gets many different answers. They are all okay with him and make him happy.

Keywords: feelings, happiness, history, song

My mama sings | by Peterson, Jeanne Whitehouse

A mother sings songs to her little boy just like her mama used to sing to her. One day when the mother comes home from a bad day at work, the little boy makes up a song about his mother. This makes his mother very happy.

Keywords: african american, dedication, family, feelings, happiness, love, multicultural, seasons, song, spiritual, spring, summer, winter, working mother

The story of bentley beaver | by Sharmat, Marjorie Weinman

From being scared to go to school to being scared of dying, this book narrates Bentley Beaver's life. He grows up with his parents and then begins his own family. Bentley reflects on his life with a song.

Keywords: family, fear, feelings, grandparents, growing up, love, music, parents, school, siblings, song

Dealing with feelings: I'm scared | by Crary, Elizabeth

Tracy can not wait to meet her new neighbors. Her smile disappears when she sees that her new neighbors own her worst fear, a big dog!What will Tracy do?Is she going to watch from her window, sing a happy song, or ask someone to hold her hand when she meets her new neighbors?No matter what Tracy decides, she will soon overcome her fears by getting a puppy of her own!

Keywords: anger, animals, author's note, bee, bicycle, cooking, dog, family, fear, feelings, food, friendship, happiness, insects, neighbors, play, sadness, siblings, song

Carolina shout! | by Schroeder, Alan

Delia who lives in Charleston, South Carolina and hears music wherever she goes. But her sister, Bettina, cannot hear music. So Delia shows her that music is everywhere. You just have to listen, especially along the streets and harbor of this historical city.

Keywords: african american, author's note, boat, conflict resolution, exercise, family, food, games, history, multicultural, nonverbal communication, nutrition, rhyme, shopping, siblings, song, sounds, transportation, verbal communication, wagon

The hundred penny box | by Mathis, Sharon B.

Michael greatly admires his great-great Aunt Dew. He likes to sit with her while she sleeps or sings her long song. She dances with him and helps him count her hundred pennies in a special box. When Michael's mother attempts to take the special box and other belongings of Aunt Drew, Michael takes a stand and defends his aging Aunt.

A hanukkah treasury | by Kimmel, Eric

Hanukkah is to me the time for lighting the menorah, spinning the dreidel, and remembering heros from the past. Poetry, music, and recipes help keep the Hanukkah tradition alive!

Keywords: acceptance, accomplishment, adventures, ambition, american, animals, anticipation, appreciation, assertiveness, beliefs, bias, bravery, celebration, ceremony, challenges, change, charity, closeness, communication, conflict, conflict resolution, cooking, courage, critical thinking, culture, customs, decision making, destruction, determination, discrimination, elephant, family, feelings, folktale, food, freedom, games, goal setting, god, grandparents, grief, hanukkah, happiness, hebrew, heroism, history, holidays, hope, immigrants, independence, individuality, israelian, Jewish, kindness, language, love, loyalty, memories, miracle, moose, moving, multicultural, music, parents, peace, pilgrims, poetry, polish, politics, poverty, prayer, prejudice, presents, racism, religion, russian, sadness, secrets, siblings, snow, song, spiritual, storytelling, toys, traditions, war, weather

Louie's goose | by Ehrlich, H.M.

Louie's toy goose goes everywhere he goes. Sometimes the goose needs to be fixed. Louie's mom and dad, and even the sun, fixes the goose.

Keywords: accidents, accomplishment, affection, animals, assertiveness, beach, birds, boat, bodies of water, caring, clams, coping, crab, critical thinking, crustaceans, decision making, disappointment, dog, exercise, family, feelings, goose, happiness, helping, ocean, parents, play, sadness, sand, seagull, seasons, self confidence, self esteem, song, summer, swimming, toys, verbal communication

Basket | by Lyon, George Ella

Over the years, Grandma's basket becomes embedded in many family legends. The basket is passed through four generations. The spool of thread found inside the basket is symbolic of the generations threaded together by love.

Keywords: death, family, grandparents, history, loss, love, nonverbal communication, song, traditions, verbal communication

Browse Abstracts (174 total)