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

Tags: african

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Hans and Peter

Petrides, Heidrun

A teacher brings an African priest into her classroom to talk about the discovery of America.

Tags

african, careers, critical thinking, discovery, history, learning, multicultural, school

Helene-Angel is the only person in her class to have to wait for her brother, Mauricio to walk her home. On their walk home, a group of boys decide to pick on her. Her brother is out-numbered so the boys paint her white. She is devastated and refuses to leave her room. Find out how her grandma helps her overcome her fears.

Tags

acceptance, african, aggression, american, apathy, appreciation, awareness, behavior, beliefs, bravery, challenges, chaos, family, feelings, frustration, mischief, multicultural, persistence, racism, resentment, stereotypes, support, uniqueness

You can't take a balloon into the metropolitan museum

Weitzman, Jacqueline

A little girl spends a day with her grandma at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. When the little girl decides to bring along her bright yellow balloon, a security guard sees her and quickly tells her that she can't bring it in. He assures her he will watch over it as she views the exhibits, but the task ends up being more work than he ever imagined. (A Wordless Book).

Tags

adventures, african, animals, art, balloon, beauty, birds, boat, chaos, clowns, collection, culture, disappearance, dog, egyptian, escape, exercise, frustration, grandparents, history, humor, instruments, multicultural, museum, music, observation, park, performance, pigeon, relief, skating, transportation, travel, wedding, zoo

Molly bannaky

McGill, Alice

After spilling a bucket of milk and being brought before the court, Molly Walsh is sent from England to America as an indentured servant. After seven long years she gains her freedom, a farm of her own, and an African slave who becomes her husband.

Tags

african, animals, author's note, boat, books, compromise, cow, crime, critical thinking, determination, family, farm, freedom, friendship, hard work, history, marriage, multicultural, ox, plants, reading, royalty, self esteem, settlers, slavery, tobacco, travel, verbal communication

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

The cloud eater

Reeves, Katherine

Henry and his dog, Laura, live and travel with the circus. When a problem occurs with their newest member, a giraffe, Henry has to do some critical thinking to solve the problem. Henry becomes friends with the cloud eater in the process.

The day Gogo went to vote

Sisulu, Elinor Batezat

Thembi's grandmother is very old and almost never leaves the house. When she learns that black people in South Africa can vote for the first time in the next election, Gogo decides that she will go out and vote too!

Tags

african, assertiveness, car, conflict resolution, decision making, family, feelings, goal setting, grandparents, happiness, holidays, multicultural, parents, transportation, verbal communication

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

Otto in Africa

du Bois, William Pene

Otto is a huge dog. His master takes him to Africa because he is too large for their town. They travel to Africa and help to win a war. Otto receives a medal for saving the town.

Tags

african, animals, community, conflict resolution, dog, helping, loyalty, multicultural, pets, travel, verbal communication, war

A is for Africa

Owoo, Ifr

The country of Africa is explored from A to Z. Africa has a rich culture, many customs, and hardworking people that have lasted throughout history.

Tags

african, alphabet, assertiveness, customs, equality, food, freedom, multicultural, nutrition

When Africa was home

Williams, Karen Lynn

A home is a place of security and happiness. Peter finds Africa to be more of a home than America. In Africa, Peter is treated with respect, politeness, and care. After learning more about the world, Peter gets to go home again.

Faraway drums

Kroll, Virginia

Jamila has the important responsibility of watching her little sister when their mom goes to work. While trying to ignore unfamiliar creepy sounds, Jamila comforts her sister and herself by recalling their grandmother's stories about their native homeland, Africa.

Armien's fishing trip

Stock, Catherine

A boy struggles to find his own place among the hard working people of Kalk Bay in Southern Africa.

Tags

african, assertiveness, bodies of water, careers, decision making, hard work, multicultural, ocean, peer resistance

Treed by a pride of irate lions

Zimelman, Nathan

An animal likes his Mother but not his Father -- so off he goes to Africa where he hopes to find some loving animals. In the end, the Dad returns home, telling his family that no animal will ever be like him. Dad is happy that his family still loves him.

Tags

african, animals, assertiveness, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, goal setting, love, peer resistance, refusal skills, self esteem, stress management, travel, verbal communication

Gifts

Bogart, Jo Ellen

Whenever Grandma goes on a trip, she brings back a present. Sometimes it's something tangible and other times it's just a memory. No matter what Grandma brings, it's always special and can be shared.

Tags

african, australian, british, chinese, family, giving, grandparents, hawaiian, indian, memories, mexican, multicultural, presents, travel, verbal communication

Africa calling

Adlerman, Dan

A young girl dreams of all the animals in Africa. The animals seem to capture her attention through their actions. The animals frolick in the dusk of beautiful Africa.

Tags

african, animals, dreams, elephant, hippopotamus, imagination, lion, monkey, multicultural, nature, night, rhinoceros, rhyme, sleep, snake, survival, zebra

We hide, you seek

Aruego, Jose//Dewey, Ariane

Take an active part in playing hide-and-seek with the pictures in this book! (A Wordless Book)

Tags

african, animals, chameleon, desert, geography, giraffe, leopard, multicultural, rhinoceros, swamp

Panther's dream: A story of the African rainforest

Weir, Bob//Weir, Wendy

Lokuli lives in the rainforest. His village will soon starve if they do not find meat. Even though the rainforest is supposedly full of evil spirits, Lokuli is brave enough to go inside. Amidst the splendor of the jungle animals, he meets a panther who teaches him an important lesson.

Tags

african, animals, bravery, environment, food, hunger, jungle, multicultural, panther, teaching

One child, one seed: A south african counting book

Cave, Kathryn

Play a simple counting game. Watch a pumpkin grow. Follow young Nothando and discover the rhythms of her daily life in her South African village.

Tags

africa, african, cattle, chicken, cleanliness, cooking, counting, cow, dog, family, farm, friendship, games, garden, hard work, home, language, numbers, parents, photograph, plants, play, preparation, siblings, summer, walking

For you are a Kenyan child

Cunnane, Kelly

Follow a little Kenyan boy through his village on a typical but eventful day in Kenya. He learns an important lesson about listening to his elders as he visits with the neighbors in his village.

Tags

africa, african, animals, beetle, butterfly, chicken, cow, dog, dove, family, forgetful, forgiveness, friendship, games, goat, grandparents, hunting, insects, kenyan, lion, lizard, monkey, moth, multicultural, parents, pride, respect, siblings, sleep, traditions, tree, village

Jamela's dress

Daly, Niki

Jamela's mama has just bought some beautiful fabric for a new dress. While she's watching it dry outside in the South African air, Jamela wraps it around herself and starts parading down the street. Everyone is watching her, she is so proud. When she gets home, Jamela finds her mama very upset because her fabric is ruined. With the help of a friend, Jamela buys her mama more fabric. At this South African wedding, both Jamela and her mama are beautiful in their new dresses.

Tags

african, animals, birds, celebration, chicken, clothing, conflict resolution, critical thinking, dog, forgiveness, friendship, games, helping, language, love, market, money, multicultural, parents, photograph, pretend, sewing, shopping, verbal communication, wedding

Lazy lion

Hadithi, Mwenye & Kennaway, Adrienne

Lazy lion orders everyone to build him a house, but he is not satisfied with it. When a big rain comes, all the other animals go into the house that was built for the lion to keep dry. This is why lions must roam the earth.

Tags

aardvark, african, animals, ant, assertiveness, badger, bee, birds, conflict resolution, critical thinking, crocodile, decision making, folktale, geography, goal setting, insects, laziness, lion, rain, refusal skills, reptiles, shelter, teamwork, weather

Grandpa, is everything black bad?

Holman, Sandy Lynne

Montsho struggles with the dark color of his skin. Everything around him that is black is considered bad. Thankfully, Muntsho's grandfather teaches him to appreciate his black skin by telling him stories about his African heritage.

Tags

activities, africa, african, african american, animals, bedtime, colors, confusion, death, discrimination, egypt, emotions, friendship, glasses, grandparents, greek, history, identity, instruments, inventions, language, playing, pride, relationship, rhythm, royalty, self esteem, sounds, storytelling, television, traditions, understanding, witches

A child's day in a Ghanaian city

Provencal, Francis & McNamara, Catherine

Nii Kwei gets up with the sun, and at half past five, he's already hard at work chasing the chickens and sweeping the compound clean with his straw broom. As the city begins to wake up, he washes, changes into his school uniform, and sits down to chocolate milk and sandwiches for breakfast. Photographs capture the lively rhythms of West African daily life, and this delightful dawn-to-dusk journal will encourage young readers, wherever they live, to compare and contrast Nii Kwei's day with their own.

Tags

africa, african, author's note, band, bath, bodies of water, chores, cooking, family, ghana, hygiene, language, math, multicultural, music, parents, play, school, sea, siblings, soccer, sports

My rows and piles of coins

Mollel, Tololwa M.

What would you buy if your mother gave you some money? Saruni wants a bicycle- a bicycle of his very own! Saruni saves his coins and works hard to help his mother. Unfortunately, Saruni is disappointed because he does not have enough to buy his very own bicycle. Where there is a will, there is a way, so Saruni finally gets a bicycle to help his mother to the Tanzanian market.

Welcome dede!: An African naming ceremony

Onyefulu, Ifeoma

Amarlai has a new baby cousin and he can't wait for her to be given a name. A tradtional African name will tell people where she comes from and which child she is in the family.

Tags

africa, african, baby, birth, celebration, ceremony, clothing, community, cooking, family, feelings, food, geography, giving, grandparents, happiness, hard work, language, maps, market, multicultural, parents, photograph, prayer, presents, traditions, village

In the time of the drums

Siegelson, K.

Raised by his grandmother Twi, a young boy named Mentu learns of the toils and tragedies of slavery and how one day he too will have to be strong in the cotton fields. As Mentu grows, Twi shares her talks of living in Africa through the use of drums. When Twi's spirit calls her home to Africa, Mentu's day to be strong arrives.

Tags

africa, african, aging, author's note, beliefs, boat, bodies of water, customs, escape, family, fear, garden, grandparents, hard work, history, island, language, memories, mischief, music, running away, ship, slavery, spanish, storytelling, transportation, travel, verbal communication, water

Meet Kofi, Maria and Sunita: Family life in Ghana, Peru and India

Simmons, Lesley Anne

Kofi, Maria, and Sunita come from Ghana, Peru, and India. They tell about traditions of their country, their school, and their family.

Tags

africa, african, birthday, books, careers, Days of The Week, food, garden, ghana, grandparents, hygiene, illness, india, language, maps, multicultural, parents, poverty, south american, traditions, verbal communication

Gorilla doctors: Saving endangered great apes

Turner, Pamela

African mountain gorillas are fascinating creatures that have been studied for many years. African gorillas are presently endangered due to disease and human interaction. Join the journey as scientists race against time to save these gentle giants.

Count on your fingers African style

Zaslavsky, Claudia

This beautifully illustrated four color picture book takes children through the markets, showing traditional finger counting of various African people - the Maasai, the Kamba, and the Taita in Kenya, the Zulu of South Africa, and the Mende of Sierra Leone. This book examines the role that numbers play in creating a common language across cultural boundaries.

Tags

africa, african, author's note, body parts, cattle, chicken, counting, cow, food, fruit, games, language, learning, market, multicultural, nonverbal communication, numbers, parents, play, school, siblings, verbal communication

Doctor De Soto goes to Africa

Steig, William

Dr. and Mrs. De Soto travel all the way to Africa to fix an elephant's tooth. When the elephant's enemy kidnaps Dr. De Soto, the elephant worries that Dr. De Soto will never get away.

Tags

african, animals, careers, dentist, determination, elephant, escape, jungle, missing, monkey, mouse, multicultural, stress management, teeth, travel, worry

Mufaro's beautiful daughters: An African tale

Steptoe, John

The king of Zimbabwe is choosing a new wife. Mufaro sends his two beautiful daughters to be considered. The main difference between the daughters is that one has a kind temperment and the other has a bad temper.

Tags

african, differences, family, feelings, folktale, jealousy, marriage, nonverbal communication, parents, plants, royalty, self esteem, siblings, verbal communication, zimbabwe

Mama Elizabeti

Strure-Bodeen, Stephanie

Elizabeti has been taking care of her rock doll, Eva, and is not worried when it comes time for her to take care of Obedi, her younger brother. Throughout the day, Elizabeti quickly finds out Obedi is a handful compared to her rock doll Eva, but is rewarded with Obedi's love at the end of a difficult day.

Tags

african, baby, change, child care, critical thinking, culture, dolls, family, helping, love, multicultural, parents, siblings, stress management, toys

Babu's song

Stuve-Bodeen, Stephanie

Bernardi lives with his grandfather, Babu, who is mute and makes toys. Because they do not make much money, Bernardi can not afford to go to school in his native Tanzanian town. Bernardi wants to go to school and play soccer with the other children. Through the unconditional love of Babu, Bernardi learns that sacrifice leads to achieving the impossible dream.

Tags

african, bicycle, family, grandparents, handicap, illness, love, market, money, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, poverty, school, soccer, sports, tanzanian

Safari journal

Talbot, Hudson

Carey is a young boy who goes on vacation to Kenya with his aunt. While there he learns about the culture and all of the animals.

Tags

african, airplane, animals, birds, buffalo, car, cattle, critical thinking, crocodile, culture, decision making, desert, egret, elephant, giraffe, goat, habitat, hunting, hyena, kenyan, leopard, lion, multicultural, observation, rhinoceros, safari, stress management, transportation, vacation, verbal communication, village, wilderness, wildlife

Meet the gizmos

Tocco, John V.

Pong, a young Chinese Gizmo, journeys to the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time. She is welcomed by Gizmos from other parts of the world, such as Russia, Africa and America. The other Pong is given a tour of the station while sharing the creative and imaginary world of the other Gizmos. The Gizmos do a fabulous job in working as a team to welcome Pong into her new space.

Why the bush fowl calls at sunrise

Tredgold, Margaret

In this folktale from Zimbabwe, a repeated sequence of inadvertent events between people, animals, and objects lead to the bush fowlﾒs eggs being crushed. The bush fowl is too sad to call the sun in the morning so the Great Spirit intervenes. As each participant is questioned by the Great Spirit, the sequence is repeated and deconstructed. Finally, the buzzing fly is restricted to saying only ﾓBUZZﾔ and the bush fowl promises to always call the sun in the morning.

Tags

african, animals, birds, elephant, fly, folktale, insects, multicultural, rat, sequence, snake, sounds, zimbabwe

I am eyes-nimacho

Ward, Leila

A young girl from Kenya wakes up one morning by saying Nimacho, which means I am awake or I am eyes in Swahilian. Her eyes lead her to observe brilliant things that appear in the African environment and landscape.

Tags

african, animals, crab, crustaceans, elephant, environment, giraffe, multicultural, nature, observation, pelican, sight, vision

Beautiful blackbird

Bryan, Ashley

Colorful birds in the forest want to be like the blackbird. The blackbird teaches the other birds that each one is beautiful in its own unique way and that beauty does not come from a color.

Tags

african, assertiveness, beauty, birds, colors, comparisons, dancing, differences, envy, exercise, feelings, multicultural, poetry, rainbow, rhyme, rhythm, self esteem

Welcoming babies

Knight, Margy Burns

People celebrate the gift of a new baby in different ways around the world. Babies are welcomed into their families using different customs like singing, kissing, touching, blessing, naming, and other special actions.

Tags

adoption, afghani, african, cambodian, correspondence, customs, family, food, glossary, grandparents, indian, iranian, Jewish, korean, language, multicultural, muslim, native american, pakistani, parents, puerto rican, quakers, siblings, spanish, spiritual, traditions, vietnamese

Myrtle

Pearson, Tracey Campbell

Myrtle the mouse has a very happy life until Frances the bully moves in next door. The bully won't leave her and her brother alone, so myrtle refuses to play outside anymore. Myrtle's aunt from Africa convinces her to come back outside and arms her with a plan to stop the bully.

Tags

african, animals, assertiveness, bully, conflict resolution, family, fear, feelings, goal setting, happiness, mouse, multicultural, parents, problem solving, sadness, self confidence, shyness, siblings, stress management

How sitali learned a lesson

Mashiri, Pascal

As the oldest in his family Sitali is supposed to hunt and provide for his younger sisters. He learns a lesson about self-control and hard work after being made chief and then losing it all.

Tags

african, african american, apathy, conflict resolution, critical thinking, family, folktale, laziness, multicultural, obedience, parents, peer resistance, refusal skills, responsibilities, river, siblings, storytelling, village

Dancing feet

Agell, Charlotte

Diversity in the world is shown through rhythmical lyrics and warm pictures. Diversity also includes the names of major body parts and functions.

Tags

acceptance, african, asian, body image, body parts, community, dancing, diversity, equality, exercise, family, food, friendship, lyrics, multicultural, poetry, rhyme, walking

My painted house, my friendly chicken, and me

Angelou, Maya

Thandi, an eight-year-old Ndebele girl who lives in a village in South Africa with her mother, aunts, sisters, and mischievous younger brother, shares her secrets with her best friend, a chicken.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, bicycle, chicken, colors, customs, dragonfly, family, friendship, jewelry, language, mischief, multicultural, nonverbal communication, parents, pattern, photograph, play, siblings, storytelling, village

The most important gift of all

Conway, David

Ama wants to honor her newborn baby brother with a special gift, as is the custom of the people in her village. When Grandma Sisi suggests the gift of love Ama sets off in search of this important present, but how will she know when she has found it? This story celebrates a young girl's discovery of the most important gift of all.

Tags

africa, african, animals, baby, birds, birth, celebration, clouds, community, critical thinking, discovery, dreams, family, giraffe, grandparents, lion, love, multicultural, parents, rain, siblings, stars, tree, village

Where's Jamela?

Daly, Niki

A young girl named Jamela is upset when hearing the news from her mother that they will be moving to a new house. When itﾒs time to leave, everyone wonders where Jamela is and begin to search for her everywhere. Suddenly, she jumps out of a box from the back of the truck and agrees to go with her mother. On reaching her new house, she starts to like it and settles down in her room.

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

The village of round and square houses

Grifalconi, Ann

In a village in West Africa, women live in round houses and men live in square houses. After supper, grandmother tells a story about the origin of these houses aand how it is related to the rupturing of volcanic mountain, Naka.

Tags

african, celebration, coping, family, folktale, generations, grandparents, mountains, multicultural, nature, parents, respect, shapes, siblings, storytelling, traditions

African dancing

Thomas, Mark

Children explore African dance with music and movement.

Tags

african, dancing, exercise, feelings, fun, happiness, instruments, learning, music, nonverbal communication, performance, photograph, sadness, storytelling

Somebody has done it, why can't you?

Annoh, G. Kwesi

Two sisters in Ghana pursue their dreams of becomming career women. They receive help from their parents and teachers, and work hard to study math and science. Abena becomes a mathematician and Akousa becomes a medical officer in public health.

Tags

african, careers, courage, determination, education, equality, family, fear, feelings, gender, ghana, health, math, multicultural, pregnancy, religion, school, science, stereotypes, teaching

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