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

Tags: culture

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An American story

Alexander, Kwame

An African American story is an American story of slavery, brutal conditions, struggle, and oppression. Remember the American story of hard work, pride, and strength in the fight for liberty as Black people stand up and speak out while "holding history in one hand and clenching hope in the other".

Tags

african american, body parts, bravery, culture, fairness, feelings, fight, food, future, history, hope, justice, leadership, literacy, multicultural, oppression, pride, reading, sadness, storytelling, war

Let's dance

Ancona, George

Children from all backgrounds move and dance to different rhythms of their culture. Dances range from tap to folk dances and from Native American dance to Tibetan dance. There are many forms, types, and styles of dance a person can do to express their emotions. There are different dances for men, women, animals, and puppets too!

Tags

acrobat, afghani, african american, american, appalachian, body parts, celebration, child care, chinese, clothing, congo, creativity, culture, dancing, england, feelings, greek, india, indian, instruments, jumping, korean, mexican, moving, multicultural, native american, nature, puppets, relationship, rhythm, sadness, scottish, singing, spain, storytelling, turkish, yak

Kofi and his magic

Angelou, Maya

A young Ashanti boy describes some of the wonders of his life in and around the West African village of Bonwire.

Tags

africa, beach, bodies of water, celebration, colors, culture, customs, dancing, differences, dreams, imagination, instruments, language, magic, multicultural, music, ocean, pattern, photograph, travel

Cocoa ice

Appelbaum, Diana

A young girl from Maine and a young girl from Santa Domingo learn about each other's home through Jacob the Sailor. The girl from Santa Domingo describes how to make chocolate, and the girl from Maine tells about making ice.

Tags

accomplishment, activities, adventures, american, animals, anticipation, author's note, beverage, boat, bodies of water, careers, climbing, clothing, cold, comparisons, culture, curiosity, differences, environment, food, horse, ice, multicultural, plants, snow, water, weather

Hosni the dreamer: An arabian tale

Ben-Ezer, Ehud

Hosni is a shepherd who spends his days telling stories to his sheep and his nights dreaming about the city. When he finally has the opportunity to travel to the city, his life changes. He hears some special words of wisdom from a wise old man.

Tags

adventures, animals, arab, bodies of water, camel, change, critical thinking, culture, death, decision making, desert, dreams, excitement, fear, feelings, folktale, food, love, marriage, money, mountains, multicultural, night, nutrition, peer resistance, rain, river, sadness, sheep, storytelling, travel, verbal communication, weather

When Catherine the Great and I were eight!

Best, Cari

Sara, her mother, and Russian grandmother Catherine the Great, pile into Mr. Minsky's car along with a few of their other neighbors. They make their way to the beach to escape the heat of the hot summer day. Although they find it takes longer than planned to reach the beach, everyone has fun along the way.

Fruits: A caribbean counting poem

Bloom, Valerie

Counting fruit can be fun, especially if you get to eat it when you're done! From half a pawpaw to ten bananas, these two sisters count it all. They forget one thing though -- eating too much can make you sick!

Tags

caribbean, counting, culture, family, five senses, food, fruit, language, nutrition, overeating, parents, poetry, sharing, siblings, smell, taste, verbal communication

Arrowville

Boedoe, Geefwee

In the town of Arrowville disagreement and frenzy is a way of life, but a young girl named Barb wants to agree and get along. She gets in trouble for this and runs away. At the same time the Targets make a wrong turn and end up in Arrowville. The Arrows think they are invaders. It is Barb who helps the Arrows and Targets come together and understand each other.

Tags

acceptance, beliefs, change, conflict resolution, culture, decision making, differences, diversity, feelings, friendship, goal setting, individuality, misunderstanding, peer resistance, perspective, poetry, prejudice, rhythm, uniqueness

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

Buffalo

Brodsky, Beverly

The buffalo was very important for the survival of Native Americans. Learn about the history and importance of the buffalo. Excerpts from Native American songs and many original paintings add an artistic dimension.

So far from the sea

Bunting, Eve

Laura and her family are moving, so they are coming to visit the Manzanar War Relocation Center one last time. Years ago, this center was used to house anyone living in the United States that were of Japanese descent. These people were forced to leave their homes and come to the center because Japan bombed the United States. The center is bare now except for all of the memories and the cemetary, including her grandfather's grave.

Tags

acceptance, airplane, american, anger, anticipation, assertiveness, author's note, awareness, bias, bravery, change, citizen, cold, community, conflict, confusion, critical thinking, crow, culture, death, differences, discrimination, diversity, family, fear, feelings, flowers, forgiveness, generations, ghosts, grandparents, growing up, history, illness, japanese, loss, memories, monuments, mountains, moving, prison, sea, sky, snow, survival, verbal communication, war

I have an olive tree

Bunting, Eve

On Sophia's seventh birthday, her grandfather gave her an olive tree. Sophia is a little disappointed by the gift and doesn't understand why her grandfather would give her an olive tree that she can't even see. After all, it is Greece and she lives in California! It isn't until her grandfather passes away that Sophia truly understands the importance and meaning of the gift when she and her mother visit the olive tree in Greece.

Tags

appreciation, birthday, communication, community, culture, customs, dedication, disappointment, emotions, exploration, family, feelings, generations, geology, giving, grandparents, greece, greek, grief, immigrants, instruments, language, learning, loss, love, memories, memory, misunderstanding, music, parents, plants, presents, resentment, sadness, traditions, travel, tree, understanding, verbal communication

Mama & papa have a store

Carling, Amelia Lau

Mama and Papa have a store. Day to day the routine is similar. The same people come in to buy the same things. This little girl likes these routines and she shares them with us. From what Mama is cooking to Papa counting on the abacus we spend the whole day with one little girl.

Tags

author's note, business, chinese, colors, cooking, counting, culture, customs, family, fish, food, guatemalan, indian, language, market, money, multicultural, nutrition, parents, photograph, play, rain, rainbow, shopping, siblings, sounds, spanish, traditions, verbal communication, weather

Minnie and moo go to paris

Cazet, Denys

Minnie and Moo go to see Africa, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and a monsoon in China all in time to be milked in America by five. Moo's delighted to see new places and new faces during her journey.

Tags

adventures, africa, america, animals, bus, china, companion, confusion, cow, culture, curiosity, determination, farm, food, france, friendship, glasses, multicultural, reading, recognition, transportation, travel, verbal communication

Bonaparte

Chall, Marsha Wilson

Jean Claude is going to boarding school, but no dogs are allowed at La School d'Excellence. Poor Bonaparte must find a way to be with Jean Claude!

Tags

animals, architecture, assertiveness, bedtime, careers, caring, compromise, critical thinking, culture, determination, disappointment, dog, family, feelings, food, french, friendship, frustration, happiness, health, instruments, loneliness, love, monuments, multicultural, music, nutrition, parents, pets, problem solving, rules, sadness, school

We are here

Charles, Tami

In a journey of progress, love and, possibilities, this prose shows the music, art, speakers, and food that have celebrated African Americans and their impact in society. With the big hands and small hands that built the Black legacy, there are countless steps of heroes who have made a contribution to the world.

Tags

african american, art, author's note, body parts, careers, clothing, culture, history, illustrator's note, instrument, music, pride, rhythm, space

Big dreams, small fish

Cohen, Paula

In this New York neighborhood, a store sells gefilte fish but no one wants to buy it. Shirley's family thinks she is too young to help market the gefilte fish. In a timely moment, Shirley gives a surprise to each customer who buys something from the store. The customers come back eager for gefilte fish - much to her parents' surprise.

Tags

animals, author's note, cat, cleanliness, culture, family, fish, food, glossary, Jewish, language, leadership, market, money, neighbors, numbers, photograph, problem solving, recipe, Yiddish

Namaste!

Cohn, Diana

Nima Sherpa lives next to Mount Everest, and her father guides people to the top of the mountains once a year. Before he leaves, he tells Nima that he will have a story for her when he returns and asks Nima if she will have a story for him. As Nima walks around the village thinking of what her story could be, she greets everyone with Namaste, just as her mom taught her. She struggles with her story until she realizes that she spreads sweetness everytime she says Namaste.

Tags

animals, author's note, cooking, critical thinking, culture, family, flag, flood, food, glossary, goddess, helping, indian, language, light, monk, mountains, multicultural, nepali, nonverbal communication, parents, prayer, school, storytelling, tiger, trading, travel, verbal communication, walking, yak

To be a drum

Coleman, Evelyn

Daddy Wes whispers to his two young children about the history of Africans forced into slavery and how the pulse of the drum has moved through them over time. Daddy Wes promises his children that as long as they can hear the heartbeat of the earth, they will be free.

Tags

africa, african, art, bodies of water, careers, colors, community, culture, dance, five senses, freedom, hearing, history, instruments, language, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, ocean, playing, pride, rhythm, sea, ship, slavery, sounds, spiritual, storytelling, symbols, time, verbal communication, war

Three names of me

Cummings, Mary

Ada is a Chinese American girl. Ada shares her experiences of being adopted and moving to a new country. She collects new names that melt into one compelling identity for her.

Tags

acceptance, adoption, airplane, american, author's note, body parts, chinese american, culture, differences, family, feelings, food, grandparents, happiness, identity, language, love, multicultural, orphan, parents, poverty, sleep, stars, transportation, travel, writing

Harlem at four

Datcher, Michael

Tags

african american, author's note, body parts, buildings, camera, culture, equality, history, instrument, justice, love, migration, music, neighbors, parents, pride, social justice, subway, train, transportation

The paper dragon

Davol, Margueritte W.

Sui-Jen, the dragon, is awakened and begins to destroy everything. Mi Fei is the only person brave and wise enough to put the dragon back to sleep. Mi Fei needs courage, heroism, and wisdom to save his village from the dragon.

Tags

art, assertiveness, bravery, challenges, chinese, community, conflict resolution, courage, critical thinking, culture, dragons, heroism, love, loyalty, multicultural, neighbors, verbal communication

The yellow balloon

Dematons, Charlotte

A balloon travels through the air and around the world. While sailing through the air, the balloon fly's over many different people and places (a wordless book).

Tags

art, balloon, bodies of water, buildings, culture, desert, discovery, farm, geography, lake, mountains, nonverbal communication, ocean, river, sea, ship, skiing, sky, travel, village, witches

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 sleeping lady

Dixon, Ann

Nekatla and Susitha are a young couple preparing to wed. THe wedding is put on hold when war breaks out, and Nekatla must travel to another village to try to restore peace. Susitha waits on a grassy hill for Nekatla to return, and she falls asleep. Nekatla is killed in war, and Susitha never awakens and is now known as the sleeping lady.

Tags

adventures, anger, author's note, bravery, celebration, communication, conflict resolution, culture, death, decision making, dreams, fable, feelings, happiness, history, hope, loss, love, nonverbal communication, relationship, sleep, snow, teamwork, verbal communication, violence, war, weather, wedding, worry

Isla

Dorros, Arthur

Rosalba and her grandmother go for an adventure. They fly from New York to la Isla. They fly over la Isla stopping to visit all of grandmother's favorite spots from her childhood. Some things have changed but not everything has.

Tags

aging, airplane, change, critical thinking, culture, family, grandparents, imagination, island, multicultural, sharing, spanish, transportation, travel

A family like yours

Dotlich, Rebecca K.

There are so many families who do different things. Different families eat different foods, enjoy different activities, speak different languages, and live in different dwellings. There is always a family that is just right for you.

Papa's latkes

Edwards, Michelle

A Jewish family deals with the recent death of their mother and wife, while trying to keep their Chanukan traditions alive. Each family member deals with their emotions. They work as a single parent family to move on, while embracing their traditions of the past.

Metropolitan cow

Egan, Tim

Bennett Gibbons, the only calf in his neighborhood, often feels very bored and alone. When the Andersons, a family of pigs, move in next-door, Bennett instantly becomes friends with Webster, the youngest Anderson. Come join Bennett and Webster in the joy and pains of friendship.

Tags

acceptance, adventures, anger, animals, apology, beliefs, boredom, caring, courage, cow, culture, equality, family, feelings, forgiveness, friendship, fun, happiness, loneliness, neighbors, nonverbal communication, parents, pig, play, sadness, self esteem, stereotypes, verbal communication

Afro-bets: First book about africa

Ellis, Veronica

Mr. Amegashie explores the cultural diversity, rich history, and the beautiful and exciting land of Africa.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, bodies of water, business, camel, celebration, ceremony, culture, customs, dancing, desert, discrimination, diversity, egypt, family, forest, geography, ghana, history, horse, hyena, independence, instruments, islam, learning, leopard, library, maps, mountains, multicultural, music, muslim, nigerian, nonfiction, nonverbal communication, photograph, religion, river, school, ship, slavery, storytelling, traditions, transportation, verbal communication, village, water, zimbabwe

Hush harbor: Praying in secret

Evans, Freddi Williams

Simmy is both excited and nervous for his job as Scout during the community meeting. Simmy is excited because this means the elders trust him, but he is nervous because slaves are not supposed to gather and sing together. Simmy must be very careful and listen for the master during the meeting.

Tags

african american, anger, anticipation, author's note, bravery, cabin, closeness, communication, cooking, creativity, creek, critical thinking, culture, dancing, death, faith, family, folktale, forest, friendship, hard work, hearing, hope, horse, listening, missing, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, prayer, relief, religion, rhythm, river, running away, safety, secrets, slavery, song, spiritual, storytelling, woods, worry

Weslandia

Fleischman, Paul

Wesley never really fits in at school. Even his parents think he is odd. One summer though, he creates his own civilization. Everyone develops a new respect for Wesley by the time he returns to school in the fall.

Tags

bully, clothing, creativity, culture, differences, exploration, flowers, food, friendship, games, garden, inventions, language, learning, nutrition, peer resistance, plants, problem solving, school, seasons, self esteem, shelter, sleep, sports, summer, time, work

Gabriella's song

Fleming, Candace

When Gabriella begins to hum a tune, the inhabitants of Venice begin to hum along too. The tune makes some happy, others sad, and some even swoon. The power of music is clearly portrayed in this story.

Tags

culture, feelings, happiness, italian, love, moods, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, sadness, song

Making magic windows

Garza, Carmen Lomas

Papel picado, the art of cut paper, is shown. Learn how to hold the tissue paper and scissors. A few papel picado projects are explained including how to make papel picado with a craft knife.

Tags

art, communication, creativity, culture, drawing, flowers, images, mexican american, multicultural, pattern, repetition, safety, shapes, stars

Bread is for eating

Gershator, David//Gershator, Phillis

When a little boy leaves bread on his plate, his mother reminds him how important bread is and the hard work that goes into making it. Through a song, children learn why they should not waste food, and how to be thankful for grain and bread.

Tags

appreciation, awareness, careers, critical thinking, culture, decision making, farm, farmer, food, health, hispanic, hunger, language, machines, money, multicultural, music, nature, nonverbal communication, nutrition, parents, plants, poverty, rain, rainbow, snow, song, spanish, storytelling, sun, teaching, verbal communication, weather, winter

Lights for Gita

Gilmore, Rachna

Today is a new day. What a glow! Gita is excited about Divali. The festival of lights and time to celebrate with family. There are things to prepare for the fathering of friends. And time passes just like day and night. Gita wonders no more with laughter.

Tags

acceptance, activities, anticipation, attention, bedtime, beliefs, celebration, change, closeness, comparisons, confidence, courage, culture

A boy named giotto

Guarnieri, Paolo

Dreams really do come true for Giotto, a young shepard boy, who is mindless of his chores and duties because of his strong passion and talent for painting. Although he loses a sheep, Giotto's curiosity and persistence lead him to find someone who can unlock the door to his artistic future.

Imagine a house

Gustafson, Angela

Take a walk through 15 countries around the world and learn about different types of dwellings. A brief geographical tour is taken when you traverse the pages of real-life photographs and maps.

This land is your land

Guthrie, Woody

The traditional lyrics of the popular song, This Land Is Your Land, are combined with painted illustrations that represent the words and meaning of the song. America and her countryside are portrayed in a positive light through the text and illustrations.

Tags

american, author's note, beach, bodies of water, culture, desert, folktale, forest, habitat, history, lyrics, maps, music, ocean, patriotism, poetry, rhyme, song

African beginnings

Haskins, James//Benson, Kathleen

Come explore and celebrate the powerful impact people of African descent have made on world history and on the American experience.

Tags

africa, african, animals, architecture, art, bodies of water, business, clothing, culture, dancing, death, desert, discrimination, donkey, egypt, europe, flood, food, geography, ghana, hard work, history, instruments, islam, leadership, lizard, maps, multicultural, music, muslim, nigerian, nonfiction, nonverbal communication, ocean, religion, river, ship, slavery, time, traditions, transportation, verbal communication, village, work, zimbabwe

The house of wisdom

Heide, Florence Parry//Gilliland, Judith Heide

The House of Wisdom, an ancient library in Baghdad, is the center for new ideas and a quest for knowledge from all parts of the world. As scholars study and translate the ancient manuscripts, one boy, Ishaq, learns the wisdom on Aristotle through his expedition and a special book.

Tags

africa, animals, arab, author's note, books, camel, critical thinking, culture, greek, history, language, library, market, multicultural, reading, russian, ship, time, transportation, travel, wealth

Beyond turkey

Herman, Debbie // Koffsky, Ann D.

Almost 400 years ago, pilgrims traveled to North America. They met and befriended the Indians of the area. The different cultures came together to prepare a harvest and a celebration. This celebration became known as Thanksgiving.

A very important day

Herold, Maggie Rugg

A snowstorm adds to the wonder and excitement of this very important day during which 219 people become U.S. citizens.

Mei-mei loves the morning

Holloway, Tsubakiyama Margaret

Join in the adventure as Mei-mei and her grandfather enjoy the morning in a big city in China. Along the busy streets, they ride on a bicycle through the round moon gate to the park to meet friends. While at the park, they hang their songbird's cage, practice tai-chi, and drink tea before they peddle home.

Tags

activities, animals, asian, beverage, bicycle, biking, birds, china, chinese, contentment, culture, customs, exercise, family, food, generations, grandparents, happiness, morning, multicultural, nonverbal communication, nutrition, park, pig, transportation

Happy to be nappy

Hooks, Bell

A whimsical rhythm of sweet jive jumps from watercolored illustrations on different pages to portray portraits of little girls who celebrate their African American culture. Hooray for the frizzy, fuzzy, nappy, twisty hair!Hooray for the sizzling semblance and fantastic flare that shines in every hair on every head. Beauty lies everywhere.

Tags

african american, appearance, appreciation, awareness, beauty, body parts, caring, celebration, child care, cleanliness, closeness, colors, comparisons, confidence, creativity, culture, day, differences, family, feelings, fun, happiness, health, hope, images, individuality, multicultural, parents, play, pride, rhythm, self confidence, self esteem, shapes

The drums of Noto Hanto

James, J. Alison

This true story tells the tale of a Japanese village defeating their enemy samurai. The villagers use their minds instead of weapons to scare the samurai. Wearing wild masks, setting fires on the beach, and playing the drums of Noto Hanto, kept the village safe.

Lift every voice and sing

Johnsson, James Weldan

Lift every voice puts pictures to the African American National Anthem. The lyrics tell the story of Black people's past struggles and the hope that Blacks will continue to have towards their future.

Tags

africa, african american, bodies of water, body parts, courage, culture, day, diversity, family, fear, freedom, god, history, hope, illustrator's note, lyrics, moon, multicultural, music, night, poetry, pride, relationship, rhythm, running, sea, ship, singing, sky, song, tree, violence, water

Mr. Chu

Keating, Norma

Through Mr. Chu, the reader learns about Chinese food, music, traditions, and celebrations including the Chinese New Year.

Tags

celebration, chinese, culture, food, holidays, multicultural, music, new year, nutrition, traditions

Big red lollipop

Khan, Rukhsana

Rubina is excited to get her first invite to a birthday party! However when she asks Ami whether she can go, Ami tells her she has to take her younger sister, Sana. After Sana ruins the party, Rubina has to learn how to overcome her anger and forgive her little sister.

Yoshi's feast

Kijikawa, Kimiko

Yoshi is a fan maker in the city of Yedo. His favorite food in the whole world is broiled eels. Every night, his neighbor Sabu goes off to catch eels, broils them on his hibachi, and waits for customers, but they never come. Yoshi thinks that Sabu should share the leftover eels with him, but he is too greedy to give Sabu any of his money. Yoshi continues to sit day after day smelling Sabu's eels, but never buying any of them. Finally, Sabu presents Yoshi with a bill for smelling his eels. Yoshi dances around the town shaking his money box and tells Sabu that he will charge his for listening to his money. After all this nonsense, the tow finally agree to share what both of them have and sit down for a friendly meal of broiled eels.

Tags

asian, assertiveness, clothing, conflict resolution, cooking, culture, dancing, decision making, exercise, fish, fishing, food, friendship, goal setting, greed, hunger, japanese, kindness, money, multicultural, nutrition, selfishness, sharing, smell, sounds, verbal communication

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