Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

The old woman who lived in a vinegar bottle | by MacDonald, Margaret Read

An old woman complains about living in a vinegar bottle. A fairy friend helps her to grant her wish. But the little old lady is still unhappy and wants more wishes granted by her fairy friend.

Keywords: apathy, assertiveness, author's note, bedtime, british, change, decision making, dreams, fairy, fantasy, feelings, folktale, manners, multicultural, selfishness, sleep, trust, verbal communication

The girl who wore too much: A folktale from Thailand | by MacDonald, Margaret Read

This folktale from Thailand follows Aree as she prepares to go to a dance. Shes believes that by wearing all of her pretty dresses and fine jewelry, she will look her best. She realizes that too many clothes can be hot and cumbersome and does not make it to the dance with her friends. After missing the dance, she gives many of her nice things away and decides that it is better to wear one simple dress than to try too hard to look special with all her pretty dresses and fine jewelry.

Keywords: author's note, celebration, clothing, colors, family, feelings, folktale, friendship, language, multicultural, temperature, thai

Why the chameleon had two toes | by Mashiri, Pascal

An older woman, named Gogo Senne, tells interesting stories to the children of a small, quiet South African village. She weaves the mythical take of how the chameleon got his two toes and red eyes. Read about the value of strong friendships, the importance of trust, communication and respecting each other.

Keywords: african, chameleon, communication, companion, conflict resolution, feelings, folktale, food, friendship, loneliness, peer resistance, refusal skills, respect, trust, truth

The golden rain | by Mashiri, Pascal

A young child learns from his mother's stories about decision making and choices. He comes to understand that choices make some people happy and leave some disapointed. The child also realizes that help is sometimes needed for the decision making, but ultimately it is up to the individual.

Hosni the dreamer: An arabian tale | by 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.

Keywords: 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

The children of LIR | by MacGill-Callahan, Sheila

When King Lir's evil new wife becomes jealous of his children and turns them into swans, the two sets of twins must make new friends and problem solve to go back to their beloved father.

Keywords: animals, birds, celebration, dancing, direction, evil, family, folktale, friendship, happiness, ireland, light, magic, mountains, problem solving, royalty, siblings, song, swan, whale

In the time of the drums | by Siegelson, Kim L.

Mentu and Twi tell the story of an African family newly arrived in the Americas. Twi never gives up on returning to her native Africa. Twi tells stories of cooking, planting, music and dancing from her native land.

Keywords: african, african american, bodies of water, community, creek, culture, escape, farm, feelings, five senses, folktale, freedom, generations, grandparents, history, home, instruments, island, language, magic, music, mythical, relationship, repetition, rhythm, sadness, secrets, ship, slavery, song, sounds, storytelling, transportation

The man who called the crocodiles | by Mashiri, Pascal

Gyiii-eee! This is the sound that calls a crocodile. In this land, the wealthy king takes Lulaba as his new wife. She eventually has Gobango as her only son. She tells Gobango of stories about her father calling crocodiles. Eventually Gobango has to flee from his mom or the dead kingﾒs enemies will kill him. He flees to meet Lulabaﾒs father, his grandfather. He goes on a fishing trip and meets one of the fishermanﾒs beautiful daughters, Nanjobe. Gobango asks her father if he can marry her. He says no because he isnﾒt rich enough to take care of his daughter. Therefore, he…

Keywords: adventures, africa, anger, assertiveness, crocodile, decision making, family, feelings, fish, fishing, folktale, glossary, grandparents, happiness, health, love, multicultural, refusal skills, reptiles, royalty, sadness, siblings, storytelling, stress management, uganda, verbal communication

Mzimba and the crowned cranes | by Mashiri, Pascal

Keywords: africa, animals, birds, crane, elephant, folktale, glossary, kenyan, magic, multicultural, storytelling, vulture

Sun mother wakes the world: An Australian creation story | by Wolkstein, Diane

The indigenous people of Australia believe their ancestors created the world through the sun shining on all living things to wake them up, bringing them to life. Sun Mother then creates the Morning Sun and the Moon to watch over ther children living on Earth in this spiritual, emotional, and multicultural story of creation.

Keywords: aborigine, amphibians, animals, australian, beetle, birds, caterpillar, cave, celebration, cricket, direction, earth, emotions, emu, fear, folktale, frog, grub, happiness, insects, kangaroo, life, love, moon, multicultural, nonverbal communication, owl, plants, platypus, reptiles, self esteem, sky, sleep, snake, stars, sun, tree, understanding, verbal communication, walkabout, wind, wombat

How the moon regained her shape | by Heller, Janet Ruth

Influenced by Native American folktales, this fascinating story deals with bullying, self-confidence, and understanding the phases of the moon. After the sun insults and bullies her, the moon gets very upset and disappears - much to the chagrin of rabbits who miss their moonlight romps. With the help of her friends, the moon gains more self-confidence each day until she is back to her full size.

Keywords: animals, beauty, dancing, depression, feelings, folktale, forest, friendship, happiness, moon, multicultural, native american, night, rabbit, self esteem, song, sun

The wisdom bird: A tale of Solomon and Sheba | by Oberman, Sheldon

Queen of Sheba, the wisest woman in the world, travels to Jerusalem after hearing about King Solomon, the wisest man in the world. She hopes to learn something new, but after asking for a palace made out of bird beaks, they both learn something important. This folktale is derived from Jewish, African and Biblical tales.

Keywords: africa, african, birds, critical thinking, culture, folktale, israelian, Jewish, leadership, multicultural, religion, riddle, royalty, self esteem, ship, storytelling, teaching, transportation, travel, wisdom

Arijole | by Mashiri, Pascal

Arijole's stepsisters are envious of her beauty. They do not want Arijole to be chosen as a wife in a nearby village, so the stepsisters turn her into a dog. When only Arijole (the dog) is left, a mother takes her home for her son to hunt. Soon they realize that Arijole is not a dog but a beautiful woman. She and Obondo are then married.

Keywords: africa, beauty, conflict resolution, culture, envy, family, folktale, jealousy, love, marriage, multicultural, nonverbal communication, obedience, parents, respect, self esteem, siblings, stepmother, storytelling

The village of round and square houses | by 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.

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

Amy unbounded: Belondweg blossoming | by Hartman, Rachel

Through comic book style illustrations, Amy of Eddybrook Lodge encounters many exciting adventures with her best friend. During the summer between her ninth and tenth birthday, Amy and her friend learn many lessons about life. The most important ones are that love does not solve everything and even heroines sometimes need help.

How sitali learned a lesson | by 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.

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

Mother goose | by Moses, Will

As assortment of Mother Goose rhymes and riddles. Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep, Humpty Dumpty has a great fall, and find all your favorite rhymes, one and all.

Keywords: editor's note, folktale, poetry, rhyme, riddle, traditions

Big bad wolf | by Marurel, Claire

Things aren't always what they seem. The villagers keep talking about a big, bad wolf and describe him. Their details are accurate, but skewed a little. The wolf has a family just like them and kisses his children good night after a run in the forest.

Keywords: animals, bedtime, day, discovery, fable, family, folktale, forest, night, nonverbal communication, parents, siblings, tree, verbal communication, wolf

The legend of mulan: A herione of anvient china | by Jiang, Wei and Jiang, Cheng An

War breaks out in China and the men are summoned from each family to come fight. A young girl secretly disguises herself as a boy and fights in her brother's place. She has colorful adventures.

Keywords: animals, assertiveness, china, chinese, conflict resolution, courage, critical thinking, decision making, equality, folktale, goat, heroism, judo, karate, language, multicultural, problem solving, self esteem, war

Goldilocks and the three bears | by Aylesworth, Jim

A curious little girl sometimes forgets what her mother tells her. Sometimes this gets her into trouble. One such time found her deep into the woods at a cottage belonging to three bears. You probably know the rest of the story.

Keywords: animals, baby, bear, curiosity, disobedience, fable, family, folktale, food, forest, forgetful, parents, sizes, sleep

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