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

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What will you be, Sara Mee?

Avraham, Kate Aver

Cho, a young boy, wonders what his little sister Sara Mee will be? They celebrate Sara Mee's first birthday with a feast and music from Korea. Cho continues to try to figure out what his sister will be when she grows up.

Tags

america, author's note, bath, birthday, body parts, celebration, cleanliness, clothing, correspondence, customs, drawing, family, feelings, food, game, gender, generations, grandparents, growing up, imagination, Korea, korean, language, love, money, music, neighbors, new baby, nutrition, onomatopoeia, parents, party, prediction, sadness, siblings, toys, verbal communication, writing

Halmoni and the picnic

Choi, Sook Nyul

Yunmi wants her grandmother, Halmoni to feel at home in New York City. However, Halmoni is having trouble adjusting to the American customs that differ so much from the customs of her native Korea. Yunmi's friends suggest that Halmoni chaperone the annual class picnic to Central Park. It may be an opportunity to open-up and feel comfortable in her new home.

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

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

Aunt Claire's yellow beehive hair

Blumenthal, Deborah

Annie, Grandma Marilyn, and Great Aunt Ruth search through family memorabilia as they put together an album to show to their family. While scrapbooking the many memories, Grandma Marilyn and Great Aunt Ruth share stories about makeup, clothing, jewelery, hairdos, and food. Annie learns all about the relatives she never met.

Rachel, a Hutterite girl

Maendel, Rachel

A young Hutterite girl named Rachel explores her farm home. On her journey, she learns facts about the natural world as well as the social traditions and cultural customs of her Hutterite family and community.

Tags

animals, bull, chicken, cow, customs, dutch, family, farm, friendship, german, goose, grandparents, language, multicultural, neighbors, parents, pets, quakers, religion, responsibilities, siblings, unselfish

Look what i see! Where can i be? Visiting China

Michels, Dia L.

A baby takes a trip to China with her family and learns and sees many things related to the Chinese culture. The baby visits a market, the opera, the countryside and the famous Great Wall.

Tags

adventures, author's note, bicycle, chinese, culture, customs, Days of The Week, exploration, family, food, geography, history, market, sight, sleep, traditions, travel

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

Napi

Ramirez, Antonio

Napi and her Mazateca Indian family live in a village on the bank of a river. As Napi relaxes in the garden and listens to her grandfatherʼs stories, she notices the vibrant colors in the trees, village, river, and animals around her. Napi dreams of being a heron, flying softly above her world.

Tags

animals, birds, bodies of water, colors, culture, customs, day, dreams, family, grandparents, heron, language, mexican, multicultural, native american, river, storytelling

The heart of the lion

Watson, Pete

An American boy comes to understand and admire the rich culture and traditions of West Africa.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, baboon, butterfly, chicken, cooking, courage, culture, customs, dog, elephant, family, food, friendship, hunting, lion, magic, multicultural, parade, parents, scorpion, sharing, teasing, traditions, tree, uniqueness, verbal communication, village

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

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

Ogbo: Sharing life in an african village

Onyefulu, Ifeoma

Ogbo are a special part of village life in Nigeria, uniting children of the same age in a lifelong fellowship - a group with whom they celebrate festivals, share day-to-day chores, and face the challenges of growing up. A young girl named Obioma helps us understand what belonging to an ogbo means. Growing, working, and relaxing together, the ogbo weave the fabric of village life.

Tags

africa, african, celebration, chores, cleanliness, community, customs, death, family, friendship, grandparents, instruments, language, multicultural, music, nigerian, parents, photograph, respect, responsibilities, singing, song, storytelling, traditions, village, work

Vacation in the village: A story from west africa

Njeng, Pierre Yves

A boy discovers and takes pride in the customs of his people when he visits his family's village in West Africa.

Tags

affection, africa, books, boredom, buildings, construction, customs, discovery, dreams, family, fear, feelings, fish, fishing, forest, friendship, games, grandparents, happiness, history, hunting, multicultural, parents, reptiles, school, siblings, storytelling, traditions, train, transportation, travel, turtle, vacation, village, work, worry

The talking cloth

Mitchell, Rhonda

Aunt Phoebe has a collection of many wonderful things, each having an interesting story. The little girl's favorite thing is an adinkra cloth from Ghana. It has many colors and symbols to represent feelings, faith, power, and love.

Painted dreams

Williams, Karen Lynn

Ti Marie loves to paint, but her family is too poor to afford paint so she uses bricks, stones and charcoal. One day, as she is walking to the river, she sees Msie Antoine painting a snake and admires his art supplies. Later on in the night she decides to look through his trash to see if he has any left over supplies. She uses them to paint on the wall behind her family's place at the Haitian market. Find out how the people at the market react.

Tags

art, careers, culture, customs, food, haitian, investigation, jungle, language, market, multicultural, nutrition, parents, responsibilities, river, self esteem, siblings, spiritual, success

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

Eating

Swain, Gwenyth

Food is eaten in different ways around the world and is prepared by different families. Real life photos glimpse into multiple eating customs and habits around the globe.

Tags

antarctica, canadian, cooking, customs, food, garden, indian, korean, mexican, moldavian, moroccan, multicultural, nutrition, prayer, preparation, scottish, thai, vietnamese

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

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.

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

Together in pinecone patch

Yezerski, Thomas

Keara and Stefan are from Ireland and Poland, respectively, and each tell the stories of their families. They meet in the United States in Pinecone Patch, PA. They overcome deep stereotypes and prejudices to be married and bring two families together.

Good morning, let's eat!

Badt, Karin Luisa

What's for breakfast in Switzerland?Where did the word breakfast originate?Discover the answers to these questions and many more about morning foods. In some countries, breakfast is the biggest meal of the day, and in others it is very small.

Tags

beverage, british, canadian, chinese, customs, day, differences, dutch, egyptian, exercise, food, french, history, indian, irish, israelian, italian, japanese, morning, multicultural, norwegian, nutrition, russian, swiss, traditions, vietnamese

Ten little rabbits

Grossman, Virginia

Rabbits are shown in Native American tradition. Count to ten as the rabbits perform various rhyming activities. Includes a glossary on Native American customs.

Tags

animals, counting, customs, multicultural, native american, numbers, rabbit, rhyme, traditions

A sky full of dragons

Wright, Mildred Whatley

Lee Chow's grandfather shows him the wonderful items in the magic Chest of Dragons. What Lee Chow really wants is marbles and the Chest of Dragons cannot provide them. Fortunately, the Spring Festival creates good times, friends, and the beautiful marbles Lee Chow desires.

Tags

appreciation, art, celebration, chinese american, colors, conflict resolution, customs, dragons, family, friendship, games, giving, grandparents, happiness, kite, magic, manners, multicultural, park, playing, respect, verbal communication

Chanukah in chelm

Adler, David A.

Mendal, the caretaker of the Chelm synagogue must find a table to set the menorah on. He searches the synagogue and cannot find one. Rabbi Nachman sends him to a carpenter to get one. Preparation for Hanukkah in this town of Chelm is remarkably eventful and fun.

Tags

author's note, beliefs, church, critical thinking, customs, dancing, exercise, folktale, food, hanukkah, holidays, humor, Jewish, multicultural, nutrition, prayer, preparation, religion, traditions, verbal communication, winter

Tortillas

Gonzalez-Jensen, Margarita

As a family prepares their tortillas, they describe the different ways to cook and eat tortillas.

Tags

cooking, customs, family, food, nutrition

How my parents learned to eat

Friedman, Ina R.

An American sailor meets a Japanese school girl. Neither of them know how to eat in the same manner as the other.

Tags

american, conflict resolution, customs, decision making, family, food, goal setting, japanese, learning, marriage, multicultural, nonverbal communication, nutrition, parents, relationship

A hanukkah treasury

Kimmel, Eric

Hanukkah is to me the time for lighting the menorah, spinning the dreidel, and remembering heros from the past. Poetry, music, and recipes help keep the Hanukkah tradition alive!

Tags

acceptance, accomplishment, adventures, ambition, american, animals, anticipation, appreciation, assertiveness, beliefs, bias, bravery, celebration, ceremony, challenges, change, charity, closeness, communication, conflict, conflict resolution, cooking, courage, critical thinking, culture, customs, decision making, destruction, determination, discrimination, elephant, family, feelings, folktale, food, freedom, games, goal setting, god, grandparents, grief, hanukkah, happiness, hebrew, heroism, history, holidays, hope, immigrants, independence, individuality, israelian, Jewish, kindness, language, love, loyalty, memories, miracle, moose, moving, multicultural, music, parents, peace, pilgrims, poetry, polish, politics, poverty, prayer, prejudice, presents, racism, religion, russian, sadness, secrets, siblings, snow, song, spiritual, storytelling, toys, traditions, war, weather

Cornrows

Yarbrough, Camille

The traditions and history of African American family life are shared throughout history.

Tags

african american, critical thinking, customs, family, farm, hard work, history, multicultural, parents, self esteem, siblings, traditions

Spork

Maclear, Kyo

Spork feels left out. He has a spoon and a fork for parents, which makes him unique compared to the other cutlery. He is never chosen in the kitchen, until something comes along that neither forks nor spoons can handle. His uniqueness comes in handy!

Tags

acceptance, baby, comparisons, conflict, conflict resolution, confusion, customs, differences, embarrassment, family, feelings, food, manners, multicultural, numbers, peer resistance, rules, sadness, self esteem, similarities, tools, uniqueness

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

Tea with milk

Say, Allen

Masoko's life changes dramatically when her parents move from California back to their native country, Japan. Masako feels like she will never belong in this new country where her life is so completely different.

Tags

change, clothing, culture, customs, differences, family, food, homesickness, independence, japanese, language, loss, love, market, marriage, multicultural, nutrition, parents, relationship, travel

Heart of a tiger

Arnold, Marsha D.

One week before Naming Day, the character does on a search for Bengal. The parrots and monkeys were not kind to him in the forest and even teased him. Even in the face of danger and violence, this character shows how to have the heart of a tiger.

The bird who was an elephant

Kamal, Aleph

A little bird flies around India, depicting the various customs. When the bird sees a palmist, he finds out he used to be an elephant years ago.

Tags

animals, birds, customs, elephant, indian, multicultural, verbal communication

I love you like crazy cakes

Lewis, Rose

A woman writes a letter to officials in China to ask for the adoption of a baby girl. The new mother cries and the little girl does too when they are united. This begins a love story between a mother and her baby in a new country before they travel to another new country for the baby.

Tags

adoption, affection, baby, china, chinese, correspondence, country, customs, differences, diversity, family, feelings, friendship, love, multicultural, sleep, travel

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

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.

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