Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Heavy is a hippopotamus | by Schlein, Miriam

Try to figure out which objects are heavy or light. What may be light for you, may be heavy for someone else. Let's weigh the objects to find out for sure.

Keywords: animals, ant, bear, car, elephant, hippopotamus, insects, transportation

Mac & marie & the train toss surprise | by 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!

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

Junk pile! | by Borton, Lady

When Jamie Kay helps her dad in their magical junk yard, Robert Haines and other kids make fun of her. Jamie Kay has to find a way to show the kids that her junkyard is magical. But most of all, Jamie has to find a way to make a friend.

Keywords: acceptance, assertiveness, bus, careers, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, disability, dog, family, forgiveness, friendship, imagination, magic, song, teasing, transportation, work

A smooth move | by Rabe, Berniece

Gus and his family move from Portland to Washington D.C. when his dad starts a new job. He keeps a journal to help the move go smoothly. While he misses his friends, Gus knows he will like his new home.

Keywords: airplane, anticipation, careers, change, coping, correspondence, family, friendship, loss, moving, parents, school, stress management, transportation, travel, verbal communication

The lady with the ship on her head | by Lattimore, Deborah Nourse

When Madame Pompenstane leans over at the beach to gather shells, she does not notice that a tiny ship sails onto her head. Later at the Fancy Dress Ball, she is pleased to win the prize for the Best Headdress.

Keywords: beach, beauty, boat, clothing, competition, fantasy, party, transportation

The slightly irregular fire engine | by Barthelme, D.

Mathilda had hoped to see a bright shiny fire engine in her backyard when she woke up. Instead there was an odd looking Chinese house into which she went to meet her guide. After her trip, the guide promised her a gift the next day. She woke up and say a bright shiny green fire engine.

Keywords: chinese, fantasy, imagination, multicultural, transportation

The little fireman | by Brown, Margaret Wise

A small fireman and a large fireman attempt to fight fires of comparable dimensions to their size.

Keywords: animals, careers, community, decision making, differences, dog, fire, fire engine, five senses, health, helping, noise, safety, sizes, sleep, transportation

My car | by Barton, Byron

Sam describes his car, its parts, and how he cares for it. He also discusses where he goes in his car and his job working as a bus driver.

Keywords: bus, car, careers, caring, cleanliness, colors, day, night, rain, rules, safety, transportation, weather, work

The seals on the bus | by Hort, Lenny

A group of people get onto a bus that takes them around to different places in town. At each stop a different type of animal gets on. Each animal has a distinctive sound that goes with the rhyme. Finally the people flee off the bus from the animals.

Keywords: animals, birds, bus, conflict resolution, decision making, escape, excitement, feelings, fish, goose, monkey, noise, nonverbal communication, rabbit, repetition, seal, sheep, skunk, snake, song, sounds, tiger, transportation

The wreck of the zephyr | by Van Allsburg, Chris

A young boy's dream of being the greatest sailor brings him to ruin when he misuses his ability to sail his boat above land.

Keywords: assertiveness, boat, bodies of water, careers, determination, magic, mischief, peer resistance, sea, storm, transportation, verbal communication, weather

The hallelujah flight | by Bildner, Phil

James Banning fixes up an old plane to fly across the country from California to New York. James' courage, and perseverance allows him to overcome many challenges during his 1932 trek across the United States (e.g., California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York).

Keywords: accomplishment, adventures, african american, airplane, anger, bias, biography, bodies of water, celebration, challenges, community, courage, crowd, day, determination, direction, discrimination, dreams, feelings, food, geography, hard work, helping, heroism, kindness, machines, maps, monument, mountains, multicultural, night, numbers, performance, prejudice, relationship, sky, storm, transportation, tree

Allie's basketball dream | by Barber, Barbara

Allie loves basketball, but she is often the only girl on the court. Buddy and other boys tease Allie about playing basketball. Allie believes in her ability and keeps practicing so that one day she can be better at basketball than the boys!

Racing against the odds: The story of Wendell Scott, stock car racing's African-American champion | by Weatherford, Carole Boston

Wendell O. Scott made history as the only black driver to win a race in a NASCAR Grand National division. Using secondhand Fords that he fixed up in his garage, he competed in five hundred races in NASCAR'S top division. This is the story of a man who worked full time while racing on the side. A man who didn't just dust the competition, he blazed the trail.

Keywords: accidents, alcohol, body parts, car, careers, competition, food, games, history, language, mischief, school, segregation, skating, transportation, war

In the time of the drums | by Siegelson, Kim L.

Mentu and Twi tell the story of an African family newly arrived in the Americas. Twi never gives up on returning to her native Africa. Twi tells stories of cooking, planting, music and dancing from her native land.

Keywords: african, african american, bodies of water, community, creek, culture, escape, farm, feelings, five senses, folktale, freedom, generations, grandparents, history, home, instruments, island, language, magic, music, mythical, relationship, repetition, rhythm, sadness, secrets, ship, slavery, song, sounds, storytelling, transportation

Trains! Steaming! Pulling! Huffing! | by Hubbell, Patricia

Keywords: rhyme, rhythm, sounds, train, transportation

Kevin and his dad | by Smalls, Irene

Kevin loves spending time with his dad. Kevin learns that after he works hard, he can play hard with is dad. Kevin and his dad spend the day cleaning the house, then they play sports and go to the movies. Oh what fun!

Keywords: activities, african american, baseball, beverage, bicycle, body parts, buildings, chores, cleanliness, clothing, dancing, dog, food, friendship, fun, hard work, helping, humor, moving, newspaper, parents, park, restaurant, rhythm, soccer, sports, subway, theatre, transportation, working mother

My half day | by Fisher, Doris; Sneed, Dani

The wacky fun continues as a young boy awakens to find he's missing a half-head of hair. After chugging down his glass of milk that's two-thirds gooey paste, he and his friend are off to camp for a day of fraction fun and an out-of-this world soccer game.

Keywords: animals, body parts, cactus, camping, dog, exercise, flowers, food, friendship, math, nutrition, parents, plants, time, transportation

The bat boy and his violin | by Curtis, Gavin

Reginald loves playing the violin. Every free moment Reginald practices his violin, but his dad wants him to play baseball instead. Reginald does not give up. Soon his dad realizes the value and talent that Reginald has for the violin.

Keywords: acceptance, african american, ambition, baseball, bus, camping, car, celebration, crowd, dedication, discrimination, embarrassment, encouragement, family, feelings, games, happiness, hard work, helping, history, instruments, love, mistake, multicultural, music, performance, practice, relationship, running, sports, transportation

Mr. George Baker | by Hest, Amy

Harry enjoys spending time with his older next door neighbor, Mr. Baker. Harry likes to wait for the bus with Mr. George Baker. Harry learns about Mr. Baker's life as a musician and learns that a person is never too old to learn to read.

Keywords: african american, aging, autumn, body parts, books, bus, clothing, dancing, education, embarrassment, friendship, fun, generations, happiness, hard work, instruments, learning, love, marriage, multicultural, music, school, seasons, shoes, tobacco, transportation, walking

Mystery bottle | by Balouch, Kristen

A little boy receives a package in the mail. In the package he finds a great bottle that , when opened, blows out a great wind that casts him all the way to Iran and into his Baba Bozorg's arms where he learns a great lesson about love and family.

Keywords: adventures, airplane, animals, bicycle, birds, boat, bodies of water, body parts, bus, car, communication, emotions, family, fish, grandparents, instruments, iranian, love, maps, mountains, mystery, transportation, travel, weather, whale, wind

Browse Abstracts (545 total)