Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Silent movie | by Avi,

This black and white picture book vividly portrays a historical time when immigrants set sail for America. They hope for better lives and dream of prosperity. This journey comes from the immigrant's perspective, in the form of a movie, where language is a not a barrier.

Keywords: america, author's note, family, feelings, film, history, hope, illustrator's note, immigrants, language, money, multicultural, nonverbal communication, parents, poverty, sadness, shelter, siblings, sizes, stress management, sweden, symbols, theatre

Halmoni and the picnic | by 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 | by 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.

Keywords: 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

When Catherine the Great and I were eight! | by 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.

Keywords: anticipation, beach, bodies of water, car, closeness, community, companion, conflict, conflict resolution, culture, dancing, exercise, family, food, friendship, games, grandparents, immigrants, language, neighbors, newspaper, ocean, patience, picnic, problem solving, recreation, relationship, russian, summer, swimming, travel, verbal communication

Ste-e-e-e-eamboat a-comin'! | by Esbaum, Jill

A steamboat that travels along the Mississippi River comes to a small quiet town. The passengers have goods to sell and places to travel. This beautiful boat helps people to accomplish their tasks.

Keywords: boat, bodies of water, careers, decision making, diversity, immigrants, nonverbal communication, rhyme, stress management, travel

Hannah is my name | by Yang, Belle

Hannah and her family come to America from Taiwan to gain freedom. For them to become Americans and have their freedom, they must obtain their greencards. Hannah and her family's journey of over 2 years, encompasses many trials. Hannah and her family feel relief, excitement and prode as they finally receive their greencards and are now able to call American their home.

Iron horses | by Kay, Verla

Building a railroad takes a lot of work. Many people must be involved from the planners and politicians in the capital, to the Irishmen and Chinese men building the track out west. When it is finally finished, the track is a wonderful form of transportation.

Keywords: author's note, celebration, ceremony, chinese, competition, construction, cooperation, fun, geography, hard work, history, immigrants, irish, mountains, multicultural, rain, rocks, snow, storm, tools, train, transportation, travel, weather

Silver threads | by Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk

Ivan and Anna flee from Ukraine and sail to Canada where they are promised land for farming. They begin a new life, but Canada soon joins World War I. Ivan tries to fight for Canada in the war, but they take him as a prisoner instead. Years pass and Anna waits alone until Ivan finally returns to the farm from an internment camp

Keywords: assertiveness, canada, christmas, conflict resolution, cooperation, escape, farm, food, history, holidays, hope, immigrants, love, loyalty, multicultural, patience, prayer, spider, stress management, ukrainian, war

Miss Bridie chose a shovel | by Conner, Leslie

In 1856, Miss Bridie traveled to America with only her family shovel. She finds many uses for her shovel and it proves to be the right choice. She carves her path through life with a simple everyday shovel.

Keywords: aging, baby, critical thinking, death, drought, exercise, family, farm, feelings, flood, flowers, garden, happiness, history, ice, immigrants, loss, marriage, parents, plants, sadness, seasons, ship, siblings, skating, tools, transportation, travel

Grandpa's gamble | by Michelson, Richard

A brother and sister are tired of always having to be quiet so as not to interrupt Grandpa Sam while he is praying. The children think they have a very boring grandfather. Grandpa Sam overhears the children and tells them the story of his life. He was born a Jew in Poland and to escape persecution he came to the United States. He learns to gamble to make a living but when his daughter becomes very ill he decides to lead an honest, humble life and pray every morning and night. The children are now amazed by their Grandpa Sam's story and respect his prayer time.

Keywords: author's note, boredom, culture, faith, family, forgiveness, grandparents, holidays, immigrants, Jewish, multicultural, parents, passover, photograph, prayer, religion, siblings, storytelling, stress management

Creativity | by Steptoe, John

Charles speaks English and Hector speaks Spanish. They learn that even though they speak different languages, they both come from African ancestors. Charles helps Hector adjust to life in the U.S. through fun activities.

Keywords: africa, african american, basketball, clothing, cooking, creativity, culture, curiosity, english, family, fishing, friendship, helping, home, identity, immigrants, language, learning, moving, multicultural, parents, puerto rican, relationship, school, slavery, spanish, sports

Together in pinecone patch | by 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.

A very important day | by Herold, Maggie Rugg

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

Keywords: american, anticipation, author's note, baby, celebration, change, citizen, cold, community, culture, diversity, excitement, family, feelings, friendship, giving, grandparents, happiness, immigrants, language, loyalty, memories, morning, multicultural, nonverbal communication, nutrition, parents, siblings, snow, verbal communication, weather, winter

Grandmother and the runaway shadow | by Rosenberg, Liz

A young girl escapes alone to America and finds companionship in a runaway shadow. They experience their new world together.

Keywords: american, author's note, boat, careers, clothing, dancing, differences, exercise, family, feelings, friendship, grandparents, imagination, immigrants, loneliness, running away, shadows, transportation, travel

Annushka's voyage | by Tarbescu, Edith

When Tanya and Annushka's mother dies, their father has no choice but to leave Russia for the streets paved with gold. Several years later, the girls' father sends two tickets for their own voyage to America. Before the girls leave, their grandmother gives them each a Sabbath candlestick which will light their way to the New World. Tanya and Annushka's voyage is filled with many sick and sleepless nights. The girls unite with their father by raising their candlesticks.

Keywords: animals, author's note, birds, bodies of water, colors, cow, death, doctor, dolls, excitement, family, feelings, grandparents, happiness, horse, illness, immigrants, island, Jewish, letters, loneliness, loss, lost, multicultural, nonverbal communication, ocean, pigeon, prayer, russian, ship, smell, stress management, traditions, train, travel, verbal communication, writing

When jessie came across the sea | by Hest, Amy

Jessie and her Grandmother are very close family to each other because there are no other relatives. Grandmother teachers Jessie to sew and Jessie teaches Grandmother to read. One day, Jessie is requested to travel to America by the rabbi. Her journey by ship is hard, but she meets a young man, Low, who she finds again in America and marries. Grandmother travels to America on the money that Jessie earned sewing lace for three years.

Keywords: american, challenges, communication, correspondence, decision making, english, family, friendship, illness, immigrants, Jewish, language, marriage, money, monuments, multicultural, religion, school, sewing, ship, spiritual, stress management, transportation, travel, work

A hanukkah treasury | by 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!

Keywords: 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

What zeesie saw on delancey street | by Rael, Wlsa Okon

On her 7th birthday, Zeesie goes with Mama and Papa to her first party where suprise packages are auctioned off to raise money. While there she explores a secret money room, and learns a lesson about money, generosity, and the importance of community.

Keywords: birthday, celebration, community, critical thinking, family, feelings, food, happiness, holidays, immigrants, Jewish, money, nonverbal communication, parents, party, sharing, stress management, verbal communication

Molly's pilgrim | by Cohen, Barbara

Molly brings a pilgrim doll that's a replica of her mother when she left Russia to school. Only with this doll do the other students learn the true meaning of a pilgrim.

Keywords: critical thinking, dolls, holidays, immigrants, learning, multicultural, russian, school, self esteem, thanksgiving, verbal communication

The always prayer shaw | by Oberman, Sheldon

A person's life is followed from birth to almost death. Jewish traditions, culture, and families are highlighted.

Keywords: change, clothing, dedication, family, generations, grandparents, growing up, identification, immigrants, Jewish, multicultural, religion, spiritual, traditions

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