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

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Ruth and the green book

Ramsey, Calvin Alexander

Ruth and her parents drive from Chicago to Alabama to visit her grandma. Along the way, they saw signs that said "White Only" where they couldn't eat in the restaurants or use the bathroom inside. Ruth's mother had food packed for the trip, and they sang songs along the way to stay happy. They also visited a friend, Eddy, in Tennessee where Eddy and Ruth's daddy played music together. When the family drove into Georgia, a man explained "The Negro Motorist Green Book" which would list places in different states that would welcome black people who were traveling. Ruth and her family learns how to use the Green Book to find places to sleep, eat, shop, and get a haircut on their travels because Jim Crow laws were unfair and discriminatory against black people. When a 'tourist home' welcomes them for free, Ruth learns that it is important to help each other and treat others like a big family. After this lesson, she gives her Brown Bear to a little boy who was traveling away from home with his mother for the very first time. Ruth said that she no longer needed Brown Bear because she was too old now, then she told his mother about buying a Green Book for her travels.

Tags

african american, anger, author's note, books, car, conversation, discrimination, family, fear, feelings, food, friendship, grandparents, happiness, instruments, law, learning, literacy, map, multicultural, music, oppression, parents, reading, signs, singing, storytelling, toy, transportation, travel

Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a deaf girl, changed percussion

Stocker, Shannon

Evelyn Glennie grew up in Scotland where her Dad played the accordion and her Mom played the organ. Evelyn played the piano and clarinet until she began to lose her hearing. But that did not stop her love of music. In secondary school, Evelyn played percussion instruments. Through the genius of Mr. Forbes, her music teacher, he had Glennie take out her hearing aids and make sounds that vibrated and resonated through her whole body. In fact, her whole body responded like one large hearing organ. She went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music and received the prestigious Queen's Commendation for both music and academics. Later, tthe Queen of England knighted her and the world listened as she toured to perform in forty countries and win two Grammy Awards.

Tags

body parts, five senses, hearing, instruments, learning, music, onomatopoeia, performance, rhythm, royalty, sounds, uniqueness

One little bag: An amazing journey

Cole, Henry

Beginning as a tree in the forest, a paper bag is made and given to a little boy as he shops in the market. Over time, the boy reuses this bag, meets his wife, and has a baby. One day, the baby's grandfather passes away, and instead of carrying the bag around, they plant a tree in it to honor the family member they lost.

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art, bedtime, car, children, emotions, forest, grandparents, instruments, library, love, music, photograph, plants, reading, recycling, symbols, transportation, tree, truck, wedding, woods

Crown: An ode to the fresh cut

Barnes, Derrick

A boy goes to the barbershop to get a haircut. As he sits there, he notices everyone around him, gaining confidence with each unique style. Once his haircut is complete, the boy feels ready to accomplish anything with a newfound conviction and trust in himself.

Tags

african american, author's note, body parts, careers, confidence, friendship, instruments, multicultural, music, perspective, pride, self confidence

My parents won't stop talking

Hunsinger, Emma & Walden, Tillie

Waiting is hard, and every kid knows it's not fun. Molly wants to go the park but her parents have started talking with the neighbors for a very long time.

Tags

alphabet, body parts, chipmunk, community, conversation, counting, dancing, dentist, family, food, grandparents, imagination, instruments, music, neighbors, onomatopoeia, parents, patience, sequence, siblings, travel

I am every good thing

Barnes, Derrick

Illustrations and easy-to-read text pay homage to the strength, character, and worth of a child.

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activities, african american, baseball, basketball, body parts, companion, creativity, diving, family, honesty, identity, instruments, leadership, love, manners, multicultural, play, respect, rhythm, siblings, skateboarding, snow, swimming, technology

Quinnie blue

Johnson, Dinah

Hattie wonders about the activities of her grandmother Quinnie Blue when she was little. Trips to Carolina, singing, eating, reciting poems, and braiding hair with her family come to mind.

Tags

african american, author's note, body parts, celebration, church, easter, family, food, games, generations, grandparents, identity, instruments, multicultural, music, nutrition, picnic, song, traditions, trees

Farmhouse

Blackall, Sophie

A farmhouse where twelve children grow up holds evidence of their stories long after they are gone.

Tags

animals, art, author's note, bedtime, books, chores, conflict, correspondence, cow, family, farm, food, home, instruments, music, photography, plants, playing, seasons, siblings, sleep, tree

The key from Spain: Flory Jagoda and her music

Levy, Debbie

Just as her ancestors were forced to leave Spain during the Inquisition, Flory flees Europe for a new life in the United States, bringing with her a precious harmonica and a passion for Ladino music.

Tags

american, Bosnian, christians, Croatian, dancing, generations, gymnastics, history, instruments, Jewish, ladino, language, multicultural, music, muslim, neighbors, numbers, prayers, pretend, refugee, sewing, ship, singing, song, spain, storytelling, time, train, transportation, war

Going down home with daddy

Lyons, Kelly Starling

Alan looks forward to the annual family reunion at the farm where Daddy grew up, but everyone is suppose to share something special and Alan worries about arriving with empty hands.

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car, celebration, family, feelings, geography, instruments, music, performance, reading, reunion, sharing, sleep, storytelling, tractor, travel, worry

Harmonica

Johnston, Tony

A young boy and his parents fill their home singing with the gramophone using music as a language of family love. When the Nazis invade Poland, the family is separated by adults and children into two concentration camps. The boy plays a harmonica his father gave him to bring back memories of this parents dancing to music by the composer Schubert. A commandant orders the boy to play his harmonica which he does, but not for the commandant. He tries to play loudly to comfort the starving people in the concentration camp.

Tags

conflict resolution, dancing, history, hunger, instruments, language, love, memories, music, nonverbal communication, parents, Poland, separation, singing, war

The runaway wok

Compestine, Ying Chang

Ming lives in a poor family. He goes to the market to trade and receive food so he and his neighbors can share a Chinese new year feast. Instead of buying food, Ming chooses a magical wok. The wok rounds up the food and prized possessions of the rich to bring food to Ming's family and poor neighbors. Ming celebrates a wonderful new year, and he sells more woks to help other poor families.

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author's note, birds, celebration, chinese, community, conflict resolution, dragon, folktale, food, giving, helping, instruments, kite, magic, market, money, multicultural, neighbors, new year, poverty, problem solving, recipe, rhyme, seagull, song, stress management, trading, village

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.

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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

The alphabet room

Pinto, Sara

Look at this illustrated sequence of hidden doors. As you look behind each door, different pictures accumulate from A to Z. You'll find 26 surprises in the alphabet room (A Board Book).

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alphabet, animals, art, clothing, colors, fish, instruments, kite, newspaper, owl, plants, quilt, sequence, snake, umbrella, zebra

And to think that we thought we'd never be friends

Hoberman, Mary Ann

Arguments erupt everywhere. For a brother and sister, conflicts end as quickly as they begin. When a fight almost starts with their neighbors next door, music erupts until the whole town marches into the ocean. Even the whales join in the rhythmic fun!

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anger, animals, argument, beverage, bodies of water, conflict, conflict resolution, dancing, exercise, family, feelings, five senses, friendship, instruments, music, neighbors, nonverbal communication, ocean, parade, parents, relationship, rhyme, siblings, walking, whale

Ella's big chance: A jazz-age Cinderella

Hughes, Shirley

This version of the Cinderella story takes place in a dressmakers shop. Mr. Cinders and his daughter Ella run the shop. Ellaﾒs father remarries a wicked woman, and she and her daughters take over the household. A ball is announced and Ella desperately wants to go. Her fairy godmother sends her in a beautiful gown and the duke falls in love with her. Ella, however, denies the Duke and admits her love for Buttons, who has helped her and her father in the shop.

Mr. George Baker

Hest, Amy

Mr. George Baker is a 100 year old musician who lives next door to Harry, a young schoolboy. They wait for the school bus together each morning to take them to school. They are both learning to read, and helping each other along the way.

Tags

african american, aging, autumn, bus, dancing, exercise, food, friendship, happiness, instruments, multicultural, music, neighbors, rhythm, school, seasons, transportation

Rip Squeak and his friends

Yost-Filgate, Susan

When the family living in the cottage pack up their bags one morning and leave, the excitement begins. Rip Squeak and his sister, Jesse, make two unlikely new friends and discover a whole world that's been right under their noses!

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acting, adventures, animals, cat, feelings, frog, imagination, instruments, loneliness, mouse, puppets, toys, umbrella

Pecorino's first concert

Madison, Alan

Pecorino Sasquatch is a very silly boy who likes to do things backward. His mom decides to take him to a concert by the famous Vittorio Pimplelini. He travels by bus to the concert hall where he learns about musical instruments while being mischievous.

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bus, concert, curiosity, entertainment, excitement, family, feelings, instruments, learning, music, parents, stress management, transportation, verbal communication

When I heard the learn'd astronomer

Whitman, Walt

A boy is overwhelmed by all the charts and figures about space, but he gets tired of listening to the lectures. He goes outside to look up at the night sky. He is able to make the connection between what he heard and what he sees.

Mr. COOL

Wilson, Jacqueline

Mr. Cool gives a fresh perspective on friendship and accepting people for who they are. There is a focus on emotional and social health which is brought to light in a positive manner. Kids will gain a better view of acceptance of their peers and helping with self esteem. Mr. Cool's band develops health skills, friendship, and confidence as they perform.

Hiawatha passing

Hagen, Jeff

A young boy awakens on a cold winter night to the sound of a passenger train roaring past his grandparent's farm. What do you know about the train Hiawatha?

Tags

anticipation, bedtime, cold, colors, environment, excitement, family, five senses, grandparents, hearing, instruments, listening, nature, night, noise, nonverbal communication, observation, sight, sky, sleep, snow, sounds, stars, train, transportation, travel, verbal communication, weather, wind, winter

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

In the time of the drums

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.

Tags

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

A joyful day!

Stanbridge, Bobette

Cheerful bird has many nature-filled adventures with her tree friends and rock friends. Also meet Miss Annie Elephant who changes colors with her mood, and Selina Butterfly who changes patterns.

Tags

adventures, animals, bear, birds, butterfly, change, circus, colors, dreams, elephant, feelings, flowers, friendship, images, insects, instruments, moods, mouse, music, nature, pattern, performance, plants, rules, travel, tree, turtle

The bat boy and his violin

Curtis, Gavin

Reginald loves playing the violin. Every free moment Reginald practices his violin, but his dad wants him to play baseball instead. Reginald does not give up. Soon his dad realizes the value and talent that Reginald has for the violin.

Tags

acceptance, african american, ambition, baseball, bus, camping, car, celebration, crowd, dedication, discrimination, embarrassment, encouragement, family, feelings, games, happiness, hard work, helping, history, instruments, love, mistake, multicultural, music, performance, practice, relationship, running, sports, transportation

The piano man

Chocolate, Debbie

A young girl listens to her grandfather share his deep love for music and the piano. Grandfather shares the history of silent movies, Vaudeville, Ragtime, and Broadway. He never lets his passion for music end and continues to share it with his grandaughter.

Tags

african american, aging, author's note, body parts, careers, celebration, clothing, dancing, emotions, entertainment, exercise, family, feelings, film, grandparents, history, humor, instruments, marriage, medicine, memories, multicultural, music, new baby, opera, performance, presents, relationship, rhythm, sounds, technology, theatre, travel

Up home

Grant, Shauntay

A young woman of African decent recalls her childhood in her native homeland of Preston, Canada. She remembers long hot days of summer playing with cousins, singing on Sunday mornings, climbing trees and picking blueberries. Gatherings with her family are special celebrations.

Tags

african american, body parts, canada, celebration, church, climbing, clothing, cooking, family, flowers, food, friendship, fun, garden, glasses, grandparents, history, instruments, love, memory, multicultural, music, nutrition, park, quilt, seasons, song, spiritual, storytelling, woods

Mr. George Baker

Hest, Amy

Harry enjoys spending time with his older next door neighbor, Mr. Baker. Harry likes to wait for the bus with Mr. George Baker. Harry learns about Mr. Baker's life as a musician and learns that a person is never too old to learn to read.

Tags

african american, aging, autumn, body parts, books, bus, clothing, dancing, education, embarrassment, friendship, fun, generations, happiness, hard work, instruments, learning, love, marriage, multicultural, music, school, seasons, shoes, tobacco, transportation, walking

Mystery bottle

Balouch, Kristen

A little boy receives a package in the mail. In the package he finds a great bottle that, when opened, blows out a great wind that casts him all the way to Iran and into his Baba Bozorg's arms where he learns a great lesson about love and family.

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adventures, airplane, animals, bicycle, birds, boat, bodies of water, body parts, bus, car, communication, emotions, family, fish, grandparents, instruments, iranian, love, maps, mountains, mystery, transportation, travel, weather, whale, wind

Wash day

Cole, Barbara H.

Every wash day, Granpa plays his trumpet, keeping the children entertained while Miss. Ett does the wash. This music tradition stays strong until grandpa becomes ill and a tragedy occurs, causing grandpa to pass on his beloved trumpet to begin a new tradition.

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clothing, family, feelings, fire, friendship, grandparents, happiness, helping, illness, instruments, loss, memories, multicultural, music, neighbors, parents, president, pretend, respect, sadness, traditions, train, work

Ella sets the stage

Amico, Carmela

Ella wants so badly to be in the school talent show, but she has no talent. She decides instead to join the talent show committee and helps make the show the best it can be. During the show, something unexpected happens and Ella comes to the rescue, finding her true talent: helping others.

Tags

animals, arabian, art, cooking, dancing, discovery, elephant, exercise, feelings, happiness, helping, heroism, identity, instruments, juggling, jumping, magic, music, performance, poetry, practice, puppets, sadness, school, shyness, song, sounds, support, writing

The best mariachi in the world/ El mejor mariachi del mundo

Smith, J.D

Gustavo wants to be in the family mariachi band, but he cannot play the violines, trompetas, or guitarrones. He finds his place in the band with his singing talent.

Tags

animals, band, cactus, chicken, coyote, crowd, dancing, desert, dog, family, instruments, language, multicultural, night, owl, parents, siblings, singing, spanish, stars

Runaway radish/ El rabano que escapo

Levy, Janice

It s the Night of the Radishes and don Pedro wants to carve the best radish sculpture in town. But one radish will not cooperate. The Night of the Radishes is an annual festival held on the evening of December 23rd in Oaxaca, Mexico.

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animals, cactus, carving, celebration, competition, donkey, escape, food, instruments, language, market, Mexico, multicultural, restaurant, royalty, running away, sharing, spanish

Baxter Barret Brown's bass fiddle

McKenzie, Tim A

Baxter Barret Brown loves to play his bass fiddle. He decides to take it with him wherever he goes and turn it into whatever he needs. However, he soon learns that when he changes the fiddle he can't play the music he loves and must change it back if he wants what really makes him happy.

Tags

airplane, alliteration, bicycle, boat, critical thinking, feelings, happiness, imagination, instruments, music, nonverbal communication, sadness, shelter, sounds, tools, transportation

Dancing in the wings

Allen, Debbie

Sassy uses her unique characteristics and height to become a great ballet dancer. Sassy does not allow bullying from the other students to prevent her from trying out for a summer dance festival. Sassy learns the benefits of perseverence and self-esteem.

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challenges, competition, dancing, depression, determination, dreams, embarrassment, family, feelings, glasses, humor, imagination, individuality, instruments, jealousy, multicultural, performance, persistence, playing, self esteem, stars, theatre, travel

Louanne pig in the talent show

Carlson, Nancy

Louanne's school is putting on a talent show. There's only one problem though: Louanne doesn't have a talent. When an unexpected turn of events causes Louanne to step up to the plate, she discovers her hidden talent: saving the day!

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acrobat, acting, animals, bear, books, dancing, feelings, happiness, helping, instruments, performance, pig, practice, rabbit, reading, sadness, success, telephone

Apples to oregon

Hopkinson, Deborah

Loosely based on a true pioneer story, this tale describes the trip of apples across the country. When Papa decides to travel the Oregon Trail, he refuses to leave his beloved fruits, especially the apples. Building a wagon to carry his trees, the family forges rivers, endures hailstorms and droughts, and deals with nasty Jack Frost. Papa has the help of his children (and their clothing) to save his trees.

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animals, bodies of water, critical thinking, decision making, desert, exercise, family, feelings, food, frost, fruit, gold rush, happiness, history, instruments, maps, ox, parents, pioneers, plants, relief, river, sadness, siblings, stress management, swimming, transportation, travel, wagon, weather, wind

The heroic symphony

Harwell-Celenza, Anna

Ludwig Van Beethoven learns he is going deaf. He is an accomplished and promising young pianist and this devastates him. Beethoven realizes his condition is actually leading to his destiny not his downfall. In creating his symphony no. 3 he searches for a hero on which to base his musical inspiration. He eventually realizes it is about him!

Off to the sweet shores of Africa: And other talking drum rhymes

Unobagha, Uzo

African-inspired nursery rhymes.

Tags

africa, animals, beach, birds, bodies of water, camel, cattle, celebration, chicken, community, cooking, desert, dog, donkey, eagle, elephant, fable, fish, fruit, giraffe, goat, grasshopper, instruments, lion, mice, monkey, multicultural, music, ocean, parade, play, rainbow, rhyme, rhythm, river, sand, song, tree, village, zebra

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

Drumbeat in our feet

Keeler, Patricia//Leitao, Julio T.

Informative passages and lyrical verse explore the history and rhythmic qualities of traditional African dance as performed long ago and today.

Tags

africa, african, african american, america, animals, celebration, ceremony, colors, congo, dancing, elephant, ethnic, exercise, generations, geography, history, instruments, learning, maps, monkey, multicultural, music, nonfiction, nonverbal communication, performance, rhythm, storytelling, traditions, village

Ashanti to zulu: African traditions

Musgrove, Margaret

Explains some traditions and customs of twenty-six African tribes beginning with the letters from A to Z.

Tags

africa, african, alphabet, animals, boat, bodies of water, cattle, celebration, clothing, community, crocodile, dancing, family, farmer, fishing, geography, instruments, language, maps, multicultural, music, nonfiction, nonverbal communication, parrot, play, prayer, river, symbols, traditions, transportation

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

A child story in a south african city

Wulfsohn, Gisele

Presents a day in the life of a child living in Johannesburg, discussing the social life, customs, religion, history, and language of South Africa.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, bath, cooking, dancing, dog, exercise, family, food, friendship, games, history, instruments, language, learning, market, multicultural, music, photograph, play, rabbit, routine, school, soccer, sports, technology, work

Jamari's drum

Bynum, Eboni//Jackson, Roland

Jamari grows up drawn to the beating of the djembe, the keeper of the peace, the great drum of his Mali village. Jamari grows older and becomes the drummer of the djembe. He eventually gets caught up in other aspects of village life. When the village is once again threatened by the nearby angry mountain, Jamari returns to his post as drummer for village peace.

Tags