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

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Good morning, let's eat!

Badt, Karin Luisa

What's for breakfast in Switzerland?Where did the word breakfast originate?Discover the answers to these questions and many more about morning foods. In some countries, breakfast is the biggest meal of the day, and in others it is very small.

Tags

beverage, british, canadian, chinese, customs, day, differences, dutch, egyptian, exercise, food, french, history, indian, irish, israelian, italian, japanese, morning, multicultural, norwegian, nutrition, russian, swiss, traditions, vietnamese

Ten little rabbits

Grossman, Virginia

Rabbits are shown in Native American tradition. Count to ten as the rabbits perform various rhyming activities. Includes a glossary on Native American customs.

Tags

animals, counting, customs, multicultural, native american, numbers, rabbit, rhyme, traditions

Moonstick: The seasons of the sioux

Bunting, Eve

A young Sioux is taught the way of life by his father. The young boy is too young to do many things, but one day he will be able to do what he is taught. When the seasons change, he makes another notch in his moonstick.

Tags

author's note, change, family, growing up, learning, moon, multicultural, native american, parents, poetry, rhyme, seasons, self esteem, spring, summer, traditions, verbal communication, winter

The other side

Woodson, Jacqueline

A fence not only divides two properties -- it segregates two families because of their different cultures. Initial fears from the parents cause them to set rules that will forbid the friendship of their young daughters. Little did they know that their daughters would break the barrier as they climbed the fence together to see the world as it should be, not as it is.

Aunt elaine does the dance from spain

Komaiko, Leah

Katy's family is of Yiddish decent, born in Mexico. However; Katy's Aunt Elaine enjoys spanich dancing and speaking spanish phrases. Katy attends one of Aunt Elaine's dance shows and realizes why her aunt grealty enjoys spanish dancing.

Tags

appreciation, counting, dancing, exercise, family, language, multicultural, numbers, parents, rhyme, self esteem, sharing, spanish, traditions, uniqueness, verbal communication

Chanukah in chelm

Adler, David A.

Mendal, the caretaker of the Chelm synagogue must find a table to set the menorah on. He searches the synagogue and cannot find one. Rabbi Nachman sends him to a carpenter to get one. Preparation for Hanukkah in this town of Chelm is remarkably eventful and fun.

Tags

author's note, beliefs, church, critical thinking, customs, dancing, exercise, folktale, food, hanukkah, holidays, humor, Jewish, multicultural, nutrition, prayer, preparation, religion, traditions, verbal communication, winter

A thanksgiving wish

Rosen, Michael

A family overcomes the loss of their grandmother and run into obstacles when cooking Thanksgiving dinner. All their Thanksgiving wishes come true with a kind, helping hand from their new neighbors.

Tags

cooking, critical thinking, death, family, food, grandparents, holidays, Jewish, loss, multicultural, neighbors, nutrition, rain, recipe, television, thanksgiving, traditions, weather, wish

Lucy's christmas

Hall, Donald

Lucy is a very creative girl who begins making Christmas presents for her family in August. She thinks of new things to make throughout the year and helps her younger sister too. Her family gets a new stove and celebrates a traditional Christmas.

Tags

christmas, creativity, family, friendship, holidays, parents, preparation, presents, sharing, siblings, traditions

A christmas story

Wildsmith, Brian

The traditional Christmas story is told through the eyes of a young girl and her donkey. They try to find Mary and Joseph and follow their trip to Bethlehelm.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, christmas, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, donkey, history, holidays, lost, spiritual, storytelling, traditions, travel

The little fir tree

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.

Tags

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

Annushka's voyage

Tarbescu, Edith

When Tanya and Annushka's mother dies, their father has no choice but to leave Russia for the streets paved with gold. Several years later, the girls' father sends two tickets for their own voyage to America. Before the girls leave, their grandmother gives them each a Sabbath candlestick which will light their way to the New World. Tanya and Annushka's voyage is filled with many sick and sleepless nights. The girls unite with their father by raising their candlesticks.

Tags

animals, author's note, birds, bodies of water, colors, cow, death, doctor, dolls, excitement, family, feelings, grandparents, happiness, horse, illness, immigrants, island, Jewish, letters, loneliness, loss, lost, multicultural, nonverbal communication, ocean, pigeon, prayer, russian, ship, smell, stress management, traditions, train, travel, verbal communication, writing

The summer my father was ten

Brisson, Pat

A father and his daughter plant a garden every year, and every year she hears the story of how the ritual started. When her father was ten, he and some friends destroyed a neighbor's garden. In the father's guilt, he makes amends with the neighbor and gains a friend.

Tags

aging, baseball, behavior, community, conflict resolution, decision making, feelings, flowers, food, forgiveness, friendship, garden, growing up, italian, mischief, multicultural, neighbors, nutrition, opera, sadness, sharing, sports, storytelling, summer, tobacco, traditions

What's in aunt mary's room

Howard, Elizabeth Fitzgerald

Susan and Sarah love to play what's in Aunt Mary's room? All great Aunt Flossie will say is: It's full of things to save, things to keep. One day the girls get to find out what's in Aunt Mary's room, and they get to learn about their ancestors in the process.

Tags

african american, books, death, family, games, imagination, multicultural, spiritual, surprises, traditions

My uncle nikos

Delton, Julie

Helena and her uncle have a very special relationship. Journey with Helena to her uncle's house up in the mountains of Greece.

Tags

conflict resolution, friendship, garden, mountains, relationship, seasons, self esteem, summer, traditions, travel, verbal communication

Don't eat too much turkey

Cohen, Barbara

It is almost Thanksgiving. The first grade builds a class turkey together, then takes turns pretending to be the turkey. Preparations are also made for the children's turkey dinner at home.

Tags

celebration, family, food, holidays, home, nutrition, preparation, pretend, school, thanksgiving, traditions

Passover

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.

Tags

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

Grandma's latkes

Drucker, Malka

Molly tries to beat her grandmother at grating potatoes, but her grandma is too fast. As Molly and her grandmother make latkes for Hanukkah, her grandmother tells a story about why they celebrate Hanukkah.

Tags

celebration, family, food, grandparents, hanukkah, holidays, Jewish, multicultural, nutrition, preparation, recipe, storytelling, traditions

Kite flier

Haseley, Dennis

A young man leaves home, marries, and begins to fly kites. He teaches his son the joy of kite flying, and with each changing event in their lives, a new kite is launched. When the son wants to travel, too, they make a very symbolic kite for both of them.

Tags

conflict resolution, critical thinking, death, feelings, freedom, happiness, kite, loneliness, loss, nonverbal communication, play, sadness, stress management, traditions, travel, weather, wind

Make a wish, molly

Cohen, Barbara

A young Russian Jewish girl has difficulties assimilating with the American culture. Making friends is difficult for Molly when other children cannot understand her background. A special birthday celebration finally brings the girls together.

Tags

birthday, change, conflict resolution, feelings, holidays, Jewish, multicultural, peer resistance, self esteem, stereotypes, traditions

Our house on the hill

Dupasquier, Philippe

Every month of the year, this family has seasonal traditions that they do together.

Tags

family, seasons, traditions

Easter surprise

Stock, Catherine

On Easter vacation, a family drives to their cabin for a week. They color Easter eggs, go on an Easter egg hunt, and find their Easter baskets.

Tags

easter, family, food, holidays, nutrition, parents, seasons, siblings, spring, traditions, travel

A hanukkah treasury

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!

Tags

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

Cornrows

Yarbrough, Camille

The traditions and history of African American family life are shared throughout history.

Tags

african american, critical thinking, customs, family, farm, hard work, history, multicultural, parents, self esteem, siblings, traditions

Beni's family treasury: Stories for the jewish holidays

Zalben, Breskin Jane

Beni is so excited because he's finally old enough to really understand his Jewish heritage and the traditions of his faith. In his quest for understanding, he encounters a number of situations, from learning the beauty of togetherness after reconciling with his feuding cousin, Max, to recreating the Pukim in a play with his friends and cousins. Through all of this, Beni truly begins to see the magical feeling of togetherness and heritage that his religion encompasses.

The quilt story

Johnston, Tony

A quilt is passed from one generation to the rest. It holds many of the same meanings for each generation.

Tags

conflict resolution, family, feelings, generations, growing up, happiness, memories, nonverbal communication, quilt, traditions

Manners can be fun

Leaf, Munro

Stick figures are used to demonstrate good manners and how to act properly for play, home, and visits.

Tags

assertiveness, decision making, family, happiness, manners, nonverbal communication, peer resistance, responsibilities, self esteem, traditions, verbal communication

Basket

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.

Tags

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

The stars in my geddoh's sky

Matze, Claire Sidhom

Alex enjoys a brief but special visit of his grandfather to the United States from the Middle East. They spend a lot of time together as Alex learns of his grandfather's homeland, customs, religion, and language.

Tags

arab, baseball, companion, correspondence, excitement, family, feelings, grandparents, islam, language, market, nonverbal communication, prayer, presents, religion, reunion, sadness, stars, surprises, symbols, teaching, traditions, verbal communication

Waiting for the evening star

Wells, Rosemary

As Berty grows up, life on the farm is full of simplicity, hardwork, and tradition. Berty's older brother, Luke, has aspirations of traveling to see the world. This makes life a little more complicated for Berty so he wishes upon an evening star.

Tags

animals, birds, conflict resolution, cow, decision making, dreams, duck, family, farm, goal setting, grandparents, growing up, horse, nature, neighbors, parents, responsibilities, sheep, siblings, stars, teamwork, traditions, verbal communication, war, wish

Dragon kite of the autumn moon

Reddix, Valerie

Every year, Tad-Tin and his grandfather make a special kite to fly on Kite's Day. This year Grandfather is sick, so it is up to Tin to sacrifice his special Dragon kite in order to carry all their misfortune away.

The matzah that papa brought home

Manushkin, Fran

A little girl and her family celebrate the Passover Seder in repeating rhyme form. The family feasts on matzah, bitter herbs, green vegetables, and haroset.

Tags

author's note, celebration, family, food, holidays, Jewish, multicultural, nutrition, parents, passover, prayer, rhyme, song, traditions, vegetables

Sitti's secrets

Nye, Naomi Shihab

Mona's grandmother Sitti lives on the other side of the world. Even though they don't speak the same language, they find a way to communicate and become very good friends.

Tags

critical thinking, differences, english, family, friendship, grandparents, language, multicultural, nonverbal communication, traditions, verbal communication

A gift for abuelita: Celebrating the day of the dead

Luenn, Nancy

Rosita and her grandmother are very close. Rosita's grandmother teaches Rosita how to braid, garden, and make tortillas. When Rosita's grandmother dies, Rosita feels a great loss without her around and misses her terribly. Her family tells Rosita that she can make a gift to give to her grandmother on the Day of the Dead. Rosita braids a cord that is filled with love and memories for her grandmother.

Tags

author's note, change, culture, death, family, food, garden, grandparents, language, loss, love, mexican american, multicultural, nutrition, parents, presents, reunion, siblings, spanish, stress management, traditions, verbal communication

Fox song

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.

Tags

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

Jam day

Joosse, Barbara M.

An annual family reunion involving berry picking and jam making, reminds Ben that he is part of a big family, even though his immediate family is small. It is also a noisy family of grandparents, cousins, uncles, and aunts.

Tags

cooperation, critical thinking, family, food, grandparents, memories, noise, nutrition, party, self esteem, sounds, traditions

In the rain with baby duck

Hest, Amy

In order to get to Grandpa's house for the traditional pancake breakfast, Baby duck has to walk in the rain. Baby duck doesn't like the rain but his grandpa shows him a way to enjoy it.

Tags

compromise, conflict resolution, duck, exercise, family, food, generations, grandparents, jumping, learning, nutrition, parents, play, problem solving, rain, song, traditions, umbrella, verbal communication, walking, water, weather

One hundred is a family

Ryan, Pam Munoz

Families can be made up of one to one hundred people joined by heritage, community, friendship, and love, all working together for a better life.

Tags

community, counting, exercise, family, farm, food, generations, neighbors, numbers, nutrition, recreation, traditions

It takes a village

Cowen-Fletcher, Jane

Young Yemi's responsibility is to look after her brother, Kokou, while at the market with her mother. Yemi quickly loses sight of her brother, but Kokou is safe with the neighbors in the community. Yemi learns that It takes a village to raise a family.

Tags

africa, african, animals, community, conflict resolution, family, feelings, food, friendship, lost, multicultural, neighbors, nutrition, parents, shopping, siblings, traditions, verbal communication

The sky was blue

Zolotow, C.

As a little girl looks through old pictures in a photo album, her mom explains to her that the sky will always be blue, the grass will always be green, and everything will be just the same when she grows up.

Tags

change, clothing, colors, dolls, family, feelings, growing up, happiness, history, memories, nature, nonverbal communication, parents, sky, traditions, verbal communication

Polar express

Van Allsburg, Chris

On Christmas Eve, one little boy who had not lost the meaning of Christmas went on a train to the North Pole to visit Santa Claus's workshop and his reindeer. The boy was given a bell from Santa's sleigh, but the only ones who could hear it ring were those who still believe in Santa. On the way home he loses it, but when he wakes up the next morning, it is under his pillow.

Tags

beliefs, christmas, decision making, holidays, individuality, lost, nonverbal communication, peer resistance, santa, self esteem, sleep, traditions

Danny and the kings

Cooper, Susan

Danny realizes the giving, magical nature of Christmas. Danny's family is poor and cannot afford a Christmas tree this year. Danny's only wish is for a tree. With help from a friendly stranger and a school play, Danny gets his wish.

Tags

christmas, fantasy, goal setting, happiness, holidays, neighbors, nonverbal communication, self esteem, siblings, traditions

Chita's christmas tree

Howard, Elizabeth Fitzgerald

Chita is excited about Christmas. She picks out a tree for the family. Together they decorate the tree the night before Christmas. They all wake up together on Christmas morning to find presents under the tree.

Tags

christmas, family, holidays, presents, traditions

Christmas tree memories

Aliki.

One Christmas eve, a family gathers in front of their Christmas tree. Each ornament brings back a memory. The family shares rememberences of friends, places, events and their own family through the stories of each decoration.

Tags

christmas, family, friendship, holidays, memories, self esteem, traditions, verbal communication

Uncle vova's tree

Polacco, Patricia

A Russian family gathers together to celebrate Christmas in the Russian tradition.

Tags

christmas, critical thinking, decision making, family, feelings, happiness, holidays, multicultural, russian, self esteem, traditions, verbal communication

Christmas in noisy village

Lindgren, Astrid//Wickland, Ilon

Noisy Village is rich with traditions for children. Noisy Village is a fun, happy, and busy place during Christmas.

Tags

christmas, community, critical thinking, decision making, family, feelings, five senses, happiness, holidays, noise, sounds, traditions

The always prayer shawl

Oberman, Sheldon

A person's life is followed from birth to almost death. Jewish traditions, culture, and families are highlighted.

Tags

change, clothing, dedication, family, generations, grandparents, growing up, identification, immigrants, Jewish, multicultural, religion, spiritual, traditions

Fish fry

Saunders, Susan

Edith wakes up and rushes out of bed. She is excited because today is the fish fry. The whole town gathers down by the river to fish and have a picnic.

Tags

celebration, community, family, fishing, food, nutrition, picnic, recreation, traditions

Merry christmas, strega nona

dePaola, Tomie

Strega Nona has a huge Christmas feast to prepare. How will she finish with untrustworthy Big Anthony as her only helper?Big Anthony will suprise us in the end!

Tags

assertiveness, celebration, christmas, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, goal setting, holidays, italian, multicultural, surprises, traditions, verbal communication

Only at the children's table

Baron-Hall, Daria

Relatives visit for Christmas Eve dinner. With a house full of children and adults, there are two separate tables. One little girl does not want to sit at the children's table because she thinks she's too grown up. In the end, she sits with the kids and discovers the true magic of Christmas.

Tags

celebration, christmas, family, food, grandparents, holidays, nutrition, parents, party, siblings, traditions

The carp in the bathtub

Cohen, Barbara

Leah and Henry want to save the carp that their mom will want to cook for dinner. They try to hide the carp in the tub and also in a bucket. Their dad explains that fish are for eating so he gives them a cat as a pet.

Tags

animals, cat, community, fish, food, holidays, Jewish, multicultural, nutrition, passover, pets, shelter, traditions

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Browse Items (129 items total)