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

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The phone booth in Mr. Hirota's garden

Smith, Heather

Makio and his neighbor, Mr. Hirota, loved looking out at the ocean every morning while watching Makio’s father and Mr. Hirota’s daughter working. One day, a tsunami came and killed their family members, prompting Mr. Hirota to build a telephone booth as a way to cope with his grief. Soon after, Makio and Mr. Hirota began speaking into a disconnected telephone while communicating with the loved ones they lost.

Tags

bodies of water, community, companion, construction, death, earthquake, feelings, games, grief, loss, ocean, onomatopoeia, respect, sadness, sea, storytelling, technology, telephone, wish

Ruby's wish

Bridges, Shirin Yim

Ruby is known for wearing red and being an exceptionally bright student. Even during a time in China when ...most girls were never taught to read and write. However, Ruby's grandfather hires a teacher to come to the house, making it possible for any grandchild living in the house to learn. This initiates a desire in Ruby to attend university, a place that women in China were not encouraged to go.\r\n*Based on a true story of the author's grandmother.

Tags

acceptance, accomplishment, ambition, appreciation, art, asian, assertiveness, beliefs, change, china, chinese, conflict, conflict resolution, courage, culture, customs, decision making, dedication, depression, determination, disappointment, emotions, encouragement, equality, excitement, family, frustration, generations, giving, goal setting, grandparents, happiness, independence, individuality, intelligence, kindness, language, learning, listening, new year, nonverbal communication, obedience, parade, patience, persistence, poetry, prevention, progress, reading, recognition, refusal skills, relationship, relief, resentment, resolution, role model, school, self confidence, self esteem, skills, stress management, support, symbols, sympathy, teaching, traditions, understanding, verbal communication, wealth, wish, writing

How Willy got his wheels

Mohler, Diana & Turner, Deborah

As a homeless and handicapped dog, Willy never finds true happiness until he is rescued from the animal hospital and given a home and family. However, Willy lacks the ability to walk on his own and his owner Deborah tries several attempts to help Willy. Finally, Willy is given a wheel chair which enables him to finally be free and live his life to its fullest.

Tags

animals, balloon, caring, cat, climbing, cold, disability, doctor, dog, dreams, excitement, family, fly, friendship, handicap, helping, homeless, hospital, imagination, independence, loneliness, memory, pets, presents, problem solving, protection, relief, rescue, running, running away, sadness, safety, siblings, sleep, smell, toys, wish

Danny and the dinosaur

Hoff, Syd

Danny visits a museum one day and comes across a dinosaur who begins to speak with Danny. The two spend the day together playing and having fun. By the end of the day it is time for the dinosaur to go back and Danny, although sad, admits he had a wonderful day.

Tags

animals, baseball, bear, boat, bus, car, climbing, communication, dinosaur, dog, elephant, friendship, fun, giraffe, helping, hippopotamus, imagination, indian, lion, monkey, museum, neighbors, noise, play, pretend, rocks, running, sadness, seal, sports, swimming, teaching, teeth, trick, walking, water, wish, zoo

Sky boys: How they built the empire state building

Hopkinson, Deborah

A boy watches in amazement as the Empire State Building is built. When the building is completed he goes to the top with his father to see all of the New York City.

Tags

accomplishment, ambition, architecture, beliefs, buildings, careers, ceremony, construction, day, determination, excitement, family, feelings, goal setting, hope, money, night, parents, sequence, sky, tools, transportation, truck, verbal communication, wish

Moon over the mountain/ Luna sobre la montana

Polette, Keith

A retelling of a traditional Asian tale in which a discontented stone-cutter is never satisfied with each wish that is granted him. Set in the desert Southwest.

Tags

cactus, carving, coyote, desert, envy, fruit, hard work, jealousy, language, market, money, moon, mountains, multicultural, rocks, spanish, sun, tools, tornado, wind, wish

If you find a rock

Christian, Peggy

Real life photos capture children doing activities with rocks of different shapes, colors, and sizes. Can you remember the feel of a special rock in your hand?

Tags

activities, colors, critical thinking, exploration, feelings, fun, geology, goal setting, imagination, investigation, memory, nature, nonverbal communication, play, rocks, science, self esteem, shapes, sizes, stress management, water, wish

Wait and see

Munsch, Robert

It's Olivia's birthday and she has one wish. There's no better thing to wish for on a hot summer day than snow. Things get a little out of hand though, and Olivia has to keep wishing to undo her wishes. It proves to be a very exciting day for Olivia - especially when her family ends up with three new babies!

Tags

baby, birthday, celebration, critical thinking, family, money, parents, rain, seasons, snow, summer, sun, weather, wish

Millicent and the wind

Munsch, Robert

Millicent lives on a mountain top and has no friend except the wind. They play tag and talk to each other. One day she asks the wind to bring her a friend, and it did.

Tags

assertiveness, climbing, communication, exercise, family, friendship, games, loneliness, mountains, parents, self esteem, stress management, teasing, verbal communication, walking, weather, wind, wish, woods

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

Tree of hope

Littlesugar, Amy

Florrie is named after a famous African American actress of the 1920's. Florrie learns the importance of working hard. Having big dreams will help Florrie and her family achieve anything. They learn that the Tree of Hope reflects the glory days of Harlem's Lafayette Theatre- a time when a black man shines through the Great Depression.

Tags

actor, african american, art, body parts, buildings, caribbean, creativity, dancing, daydreaming, haitian, happiness, hunger, performance, play, relationship, rhythm, singing, song, theatre, tree, wish

I wish I had freckles like Abby/ Quisiera tener pecas como Abby

Heling, K. & Hembrook, D.

Rosa goes to elaborate and comical lengths to have freckles like Abby. She realizes she might have something that is just as desirable as the longed-for freckles. Rosa gains appreciation for her own uniqueness.

Tags

animals, appearance, appreciation, art, beauty, body image, body parts, chicken pox, cleanliness, comparisons, dog, envy, friendship, glasses, illness, language, spanish, telephone, uniqueness, vocabulary, wish

Beautiful moon/ Bella luna

Jeffers, Dawn

What if days went on forever and nighttime never came? Find out what a girl does to fill her days and fulfill her dreams.

Tags

birds, change, consequences, day, dreams, energy, flowers, language, moon, multicultural, night, owl, rabbit, sleep, spanish, sun, tree, wish

If I could/ Si yo pudiera

Sweetland, Nancy

A world full of beautiful, fanciful and comical possibilities where you explore what life would be like if you could be anything you wanted to be, if you only could.

Tags

animals, ant, birds, butterfly, eagle, elephant, fantasy, fish, frog, goose, identity, insects, language, lizard, moon, multicultural, reptiles, river, seal, snake, spanish, stars, toad, walrus, wind, wish

Elephant prince: The story of Ganesh

Novesky, Amy

In this mythical story, that takes place in India, a girl grows up listening to her motherﾒs and grandmotherﾒs stories. As a princess, she meets her love and is married. He promises her a baby and has one within a year. When gods gather around the babyﾒs head vanishes. Another god helps save the baby with the help of an elephant offering his life. The little boy was saved and became the elephant prince, listening to his motherﾒs stories everyday.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, baby, bodies of water, elephant, family, feelings, god, goddess, happiness, india, loneliness, love, marriage, multicultural, mythical, parents, presents, river, sadness, storytelling, stress management, verbal communication, wish

Wish come true cat

Scamell, Ragnhild

The unlikely answer to a wish is a scruffy old cat that has to win the heart of a little girl. It takes a cold snowy day to make his wish come true.

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

I lost my tooth in africa

Diakite, Penda

Amina and her parents take a trip to Mali to visit family. On the way, Amina realizes that her tooth is loose! While visiting her father's family, Amina loses the tooth and places it under a calabash tree. She receives a hen and a rooster from the African Tooth Fairy.

Tags

africa, african, airplane, animals, birds, body parts, cattle, change, chicken, community, cooking, cow, culture, differences, donkey, family, food, games, garden, goat, grandparents, language, loss, maps, morning, multicultural, music, night, parents, pattern, pheasant, play, prayer, recipe, singing, sleep, song, storytelling, teeth, traditions, travel, tree, vacation, village, wish

Fish eyes: A book you can count on

Ehlert, Lois

If you had one wish it might be a fish. You can count many types of fish from one to ten.

Tags

colors, counting, critical thinking, fish, nonverbal communication, sequence, verbal communication, wish

The not-so-wicked stepmother

Boyd, Lizi

Hessie is looking forward to her summer vacation with her father, except for one thing, her stepmother. She can only imagine how wicked and ugly her stepmother must be. After getting to know her, Hessie realizes her stepmother is not the witch she thought she would be.

Tags

family, nonverbal communication, parents, seasons, summer, vacation, wish

Billy and the big new school

Anholt, Laurence

Billy is very nervous about starting at his new school. He wants to stay home with his mother. Then he meets a small bird who is hurt and cannot fly. Billy takes care of it until it is ready to fly again. Find out how Billy gets himself ready to go to school and how he uses his bird story to make a friend.

Tags

animals, birds, blackbird, bravery, bully, change, clothing, conflict resolution, dreams, excitement, fear, feelings, food, friendship, loss, parents, pets, picnic, pigeon, preparation, school, self esteem, sparrow, starling, teaching, thrush, wish, worry

The magic moonberry jump ropes

Hru, Dakari

April and Erica love to Double Dutch, but they have no friends to Double Dutch with. When their Uncle Zambezi returns from a trip to Tanzania, he gives the girls a jump rope that will grant wishes because it is made from magic moonberries. The girls Double Dutch and wish for two new friends to arrive. Suddenly, a moving van pulls up, and a family with a boy and girl moves in across the street.

Tags

african american, author's note, bicycle, biking, colors, exercise, family, friendship, jump rope, jumping, karate, language, multicultural, neighbors, plants, play, rhyme, siblings, skating, wish

The wishing hat

Fuchshuber, Annegert

A person's main intention in life should not be for money. Magic makes it fun though.

Tags

assertiveness, clothing, magic, money, music, peer resistance, refusal skills, relaxation, unselfish, wish

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

Papa, please get the moon for me

Carle, Eric

Monica wants her father to get the moon so she can play with it. So her father finds the tallest items he can and climbs until he reaches the moon. He brings the moon back only to discover that it keeps changing sizes as it passes through the lunar cycle.

Tags

animals, cat, change, climbing, cooperation, curiosity, cycle, family, five senses, goal setting, love, moon, mountains, night, parents, sizes, sky, stars, touch, tree, verbal communication, wish

Zelda and ivy and the boy next door

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.

Tags

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

A lion in the night

Allen, Pamela

One night from the confines of her crib, a baby makes a wish and much to the king and queen's astonishment, the wish comes true in the middle of the night. A lion takes the baby on a wild chase in time for breakfast. And when the queen comes in, the Lion disappears.

Tags

adventures, animals, baby, conflict resolution, dreams, feelings, lion, loneliness, royalty, transportation, wish

Waffle

Raschka, Chris

Waffle is a worrier. He is fearful and doubts himself until he finds confidence within.

Tags

alliteration, colors, confidence, decision making, fear, feelings, self esteem, wish, worry

Minnie and moo go dancing

Cazet, Denys

As Minnie and Moo sit watching the stars, they wish they could dance. When their wish comes true, they dress up as the farmer's twin sisters, Opal and Ruby, and attend a party at the farmer's house. They have a wonderful time at the party, but the fun ends when they are offered hamburgers. Fearing for their lives, the cows return to the barn.

The moon lady

Tan, Amy

Grandma Nai-Nai tells her granddaughters the stories of when she was a seven year old girl in China. One story was about going to see the moon lady and being granted a wish.

Tags

animals, asian, assertiveness, boat, chinese, determination, family, grandparents, multicultural, self esteem, siblings, storytelling, tiger, verbal communication, wish

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

Zelda and ivy one christmas

Kvasnosky, Laura McGee

Two sisters, Zelda and Ivy, can't wait for Christmas morning. Zelda hopes to get a lovely velvet evening gown while Ivy wishes for a princess Mimi doll with all the ballet accessories. The two sisters make a beautiful bracelet for their lovely elderly neighbor. The neighbor receives her christmas wish, but will Zelda and Ivy get their Christmas wish too?

Tags

animals, christmas, clothing, elves, fox, holidays, hope, presents, santa, teamwork, wish

Pedro: The angel of olvera street

Politi, Leo

Pedro's favorite thing about Olvera Street is the celebration of Christmas. This year, Pedro directs the posada, and the angelic singer gets his wish -- a lovely music box.

Tags

assertiveness, christmas, critical thinking, decision making, feelings, holidays, mexican, multicultural, nonverbal communication, toys, verbal communication, wish

Herbert hated being small

Kuskin, Karla

Herbert hates being small, and Philomel hates being tall. They meet and see that they are the same height. They then understand that size is based on perspectives such as who you are standing next to.

Tags

body image, conflict resolution, critical thinking, frustration, insecurity, loneliness, perspective, running away, self esteem, sizes, teasing, verbal communication, wish

The dwarf giant

Lobel, Anita

A Japenese prince and princess come upon a dwarf who enchants the prince and makes him do foolish things. The prince finds a clever way of disenchanting the prince.

Tags

asian, boredom, critical thinking, decision making, dwarfs, evil, games, japanese, multicultural, mythical, peer resistance, refusal skills, royalty, verbal communication, wish

Jane, wishing

Tobias, Tobi

Jane wishes she could change her name, hair, eye color, the number of children in her family, and even who her best friend is. In the end, Jane realizes all her wishes will not come true, and she decides to be happy anyway.

Tags

acceptance, appearance, body image, family, grandparents, parents, self esteem, siblings, verbal communication, wish

Burnt toast on davenport street

Egan, Tim

Arthur Crandall is granted three wishes from a magic fly. Since Arthur does not really believe in the magic fly, his wishes are not very thoughtful. Two of his wishes come true but they are mixed up. The third wish has the potential to change life as the Crandall's know it.

Tags

animals, bully, conflict resolution, crocodile, dog, fly, insects, magic, reptiles, wish

Cowboy dreams

Khalsa, Dayal Kaur

A woman remembers her wish as a child to be a cowboy with a real horse. She recalls how she would pretend to be a cowboy and the cowboy songs she used to sing.

Tags

animals, cowboys, horse, imagination, memories, nonverbal communication, pretend, song, stress management, wish

Wisher

Daughtery, Charles M.

Wisher doesn't like being a cat. He always wishes he would be a fish. Wisher finally decides that being a cat is the best thing he could ever be.

Tags

animals, bodies of water, cat, dreams, family, feelings, fish, pond, sadness, siblings, wish

The wish-tree

Ciardi, John

A boy dreams on the eve of his sixth birthday about finding his wish tree. He must keep going up and up to higher levels until he discovers the message, You must take care of your wish. Then on his birthday, he gets the dog he'd been hoping for.

Tags

animals, birds, birthday, colors, critical thinking, crow, dog, feelings, happiness, holidays, nonverbal communication, wish

Barney bipples magic dandelions

Chapman, Carol

Barney Bipple is given a dandelion to make wishes with. But he makes his wishes too complicated. He must wish away the complicated wishes and wish only for simple things.

Tags

aging, animals, car, conflict resolution, decision making, feelings, growing up, plants, sadness, wish

Banana beer

Carrick, Carol

Charlie the orangutan loves spending time with his father. But unfortunately, his father is an alcoholic and is always yelling and stumbling around after drinking alot of banana beer. Charlie has a hard time dealing with it and wishes it would stop. See how Charlie deals with the problem.

Tags

alcoholism, anger, animals, beverage, conflict resolution, drugs, family, fear, feelings, fight, friendship, games, health, hunger, love, parents, sadness, school, self esteem, stress management, teaching, wish

The mixed-up chameleon

Carle, Eric

A little chameleon catches flies with his sticky tongue. One day the chameleon goes to the zoo and wishes he could be like all of the animals. His wish comes true. The chameleon sees a fly but he can not catch it because he is mixed up. He wishes he could be himself again.

Tags

amphibians, animals, appearance, bear, chameleon, change, colors, conflict resolution, decision making, deer, elephant, fly, fox, giraffe, insects, reptiles, seal, turtle, wish, zoo

Chidi only likes blue: An African book of colors

Onyefuln, Ifeoma

Nneka and Chidi, two children of a Nigerian village, play a game called Colors. Chidi only likes the color blue, so Nneka shows him all the other colors in the village. She shows Chidi how beautiful and colorful their African lifestyle is. The colors yellow, pink, red, gold are seen, but Chidi only likes blue best of all!

Tags

african, ceremony, colors, culture, family, flowers, food, games, grandparents, hygiene, nigerian, nonverbal communication, parents, photograph, plants, sand, self esteem, siblings, teeth, verbal communication, wish

See a white horse

Miles, Miska

Henry feels sad about the void left in his life after his dog, Old Tuck, passes away. When a stranger on a white horse with a brown dog comes into town, Henry wishes that he could have a new dog. The stranger allows Henry to have his brown dog, if he can find him, for the stranger has set the dog free. Henry searches desperately for the dog and finally finds it, naming it Young Tuck.

Tags

affection, animals, assertiveness, critical thinking, death, depression, dog, goal setting, horse, loss, peer resistance, pets, stress management, wish

The wishing chair

Dupre, Rick

Eldon grows up from his childhood into this teenage years. He realizes that his wishes could come true through his actions and what he does for others.

Tags

adventures, change, critical thinking, decision making, growing up, helping, learning, moving, responsibilities, self esteem, wish

The day they put a tax on rainbows

Valentine, Johnny

In a magical land far away, there is a girl who has a magic ring which leads her to discover an undersea kingdom. In this kingdom, a boy who likes to feed birds comes face-to-face with a dragon. A king decides to put a tax on rainbows because his throne is lumpy. Throughout each of these adventures, lessons are learned.

Tags

adventures, awareness, beliefs, bodies of water, bravery, challenges, community, discovery, dragons, fairy, fantasy, love, magic, mermaids, mythical, rain, rainbow, royalty, sea, weather, wedding, wish

The blue faience hippopotamus

Grant, Joan Marshall

A hippopotamus falls in love with an Egyptian princess. He finds a magician who turns him into a statue. The princess discovers the statue and there is a surprise ending.

Tags

acceptance, animals, assertiveness, baby, change, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, egyptian, fable, feelings, hippopotamus, love, magic, multicultural, stress management, surprises, verbal communication, wish

The cat barked?

Monks, Lydia

A cat thinks that it would be more fun to live a dog's life. She thinks it would be nice to go on walks in the park, bark, and guard the house from thieves. The cat's owner reminds her about seeing in the dark, climbing trees, and taking naps.

Tags

acceptance, animals, cat, comparisons, contentment, differences, dog, feelings, park, self esteem, wish

Moira's birthday

Munsch, Robert

Moira's birthday wish is to have a party with all of the kids in the school from kindergarten to sixth grade. She orders 200 pizzas and 200 birthday cakes. What will her parents do?

Tags

birthday, celebration, chaos, cleanliness, conflict, critical thinking, family, food, friendship, goal setting, nutrition, parents, peer resistance, presents, stress management, teamwork, verbal communication, wish

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