Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Ruby's wish | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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?

Keywords: 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 | by 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!

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

Millicent and the wind | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

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

Tree of hope | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

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

If I could/ Si yo pudiera | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

Keywords: acceptance, affection, animals, appearance, attention, cat, communication, companion, conflict resolution, disappointment, friendship, homeless, hope, hunger, kindness, mistake, nonverbal communication, opposites, persistence, sadness, selfishness, snow, sounds, stars, understanding, uniqueness, wish

My first Chinese New Year | by 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's Eve feast for the good health and finally the New Year's parade with lion dancers, drummers, and the dragon! Then, they wish each other Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Keywords: 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

Fish eyes: A book you can count on | by Ehlert, Lois

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

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

The not-so-wicked stepmother | by 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.

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

Billy and the big new school | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

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

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