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

Tags: instruments

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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.

Tags

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

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

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

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.

Tags

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

I am every good thing

Barnes, Derrick

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

Tags

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

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

The music in derrick's heart

Battle-Lavert, Gwoddolyn

Derrick, a young African American boy, learns to make music on the harmonica. Uncle Booker T., a talented musician, spends each day, one hot summer, teaching Derrick the art of playing the harmonica. Finally, after much practice and determination, Derrick discovers the secret of Uncle Booker T.'s music: it comes from the heart.

Tags

african american, arthritis, band, dancing, determination, diseases, exercise, five senses, generations, instruments, learning, multicultural, music, patience, play, playing, practice, seasons, sleep, sounds, summer

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 steel pan of Harlem

Bootman, Colin

The city of Harlem has rats everywhere in houses, subways, restaurants, stores and business, and the citizens are fed up! One day, a steel pan man comes to the subway station and when he plays his music everyone is entranced, even the rats. He tells the mayor that he will fix the rat problem if the mayor pays him a million dollars. The mayor reluctantly agrees and the man keeps his promise. However, the mayor, does not keep his end of the bargain, so he is given what he deserves!

Tags

african american, anger, animals, body parts, cat, citizen, conflict resolution, dancing, exercise, feelings, frustration, instruments, magic, money, multicultural, music, neighbors, politics, rat, subway, transportation, trust

The little brass band

Brown, Margaret Wise

A band gathers on a trail, then go into a town to play for people. When they are finished, they slowly go their separate ways.

Tags

community, instruments, money, music, sounds, verbal communication

The collector of moments

Buchholz, Quint

A violin player becomes quick friends with an artist, Max, who moves into the apartment above her family's. She is curious about the secrets that were held in his imaginative paintings. When Max does share his paintings with her, she is amazed at what she sees.

Tags

anticipation, appreciation, art, beach, bodies of water, collection, companion, creativity, critical thinking, curiosity, ferry, friendship, imagination, instruments, music, nonverbal communication, ocean, sea, secrets, self esteem, sharing, snow

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

Lookin' for bird in the big city

Burleigh, Robert

Miles Davis loves music. Wherever he is, Miles can feel music. Miles dreams of playing his trumpet with the great saxophonist, Charlie Bird Parker, so he travels to New York City to find him. After many hours of searching, Miles finds Bird and the two play beautiful music together.

Tags

african american, assertiveness, birds, confidence, dreams, feelings, ferry, five senses, goal setting, imagination, instruments, listening, multicultural, music, performance, rhythm, sounds, subway, transportation

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

africa, african, clothing, community, dedication, fable, family, five senses, harmony, instruments, language, marriage, mountains, multicultural, music, peace, rhythm, storytelling, traditions, village

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!

Tags

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

Heaven's all star jazz band

Carter, Don

A young boy's grandpa dies and he goes to heaven. In heaven, his Grandpa Jack is in a jazz band with all the great musicians.

Tags

african american, angel, band, dancing, death, diversity, emotions, family, feelings, grandparents, happiness, instruments, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, vocabulary

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

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

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.

Tags

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

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.

Tags

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

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

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.

Tags

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

The boy who wouldn't go to bed

Cooper, Helen

Not wanting to go to sleep, a little boy rides away in his car to find someone to stay up and play with him all night. As the determined little boy drives off, he encounters exciting things such as a lion and a parade of soldiers. After searching for someone to play with him, the little boy finds someone who is still awake.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, bedtime, car, conflict resolution, disobedience, family, imagination, instruments, moon, music, night, parade, play, shadows, sizes, sleep, train, transportation

My friend the piano

Cowen, Catherine

Even though this little girl thinks she is a wonderful piano player, mother insists on lessons. But the piano is friends with the young girl and wants her to continue playing her own music. To avoid being sold, they take off on an exciting adventure.

Tags

adventures, conflict resolution, creativity, differences, feelings, friendship, instruments, music, practice, relationship, sounds

Bartleby Speaks!

Cruise, Robin

Bartleby is a very quiet baby. He learns to crawl, walk and explore, but he still doesn't talk. His family and even the dog try to get him to talk by singing, dancing, playing instruments, but Bartleby still won't speak. On his birthday he speaks his first word: listen, and for the first time his family stops and listens.

Tags

animals, balloon, bicycle, birthday, books, careers, celebration, dancing, dog, flowers, german, grandparents, growing up, instruments, italian, language, music, nonverbal communication, parents, toys, verbal communication

Can you hear the sea?

Cumberbatch, Judy

Sarah's grandpa gives her a special shell and says if she listens carefully she can hear the sea, but all she hears are every day village noises.

Tags

africa, african, animals, beliefs, bodies of water, cooking, family, food, fruit, grandparents, instruments, listening, monkey, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, persistence, river, sea, shells, sounds, trust, village

Boom bah!

Cummings, Phil

A mouse starts a musical trend by tapping a cup. Other animals join in and the music soon turns into a band. The band meets other animals with louder music and they join together to make a large orchestra of musical animals.

Tags

animals, band, body parts, cat, communication, counting, cow, direction, dog, five senses, horse, instruments, mouse, numbers, pig, rhythm, rooster, sheep, sounds

Bat boy and his violin

Curtis, Gavin

Reginald loves playing the violin. His father only has time to worry about the Duke's losing streak. Reginald passionately plays the violin to improve the baseball team's losing streak. Find out what else Reginald's love for the violin improves.

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 cello of mr. o

Cutler, Jane

Join Mr. O and the rest of his worn-torn city as he plays music to improve the city's spirits. Just when things were bad enough, a rocket destroys the truck that helps to save the town. See what the community does to keep healthy during this crisis time of war.

Tags

anger, car, conflict resolution, courage, Days of The Week, family, fear, feelings, fight, fish, flowers, food, friendship, grandparents, happiness, instruments, laziness, mountains, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, parents, running, sadness, seasons, self esteem, siblings, stress management, time, transportation, truck, walking, war, water, winter, wood

Cold feet

DeFelice, Cynthia

Playing the bagpipes is Willie McPhee's favorite form of entertainment, but because his audience is unable to pay for his entertainment, Willie is forced to leave. On his journey to find money, he becomes tired and his clothes wear out. Across the forest he sees a dead man and since his shoes are torn, he takes the dead man's boots. As he approaches a house to find hospitality, see how the dead man comes back to haunt him.

Tags

animals, author's note, behavior, body parts, caring, clothing, cold, compromise, consequences, cow, critical thinking, death, decision making, exercise, folktale, giving, instruments, snow, sounds, storytelling, survival, travel, walking, weather, winter

Bird

Elliot, Zetta

Mehkai struggles with the challenges of life: death of his grandfather and his older brother's drug addition. He soon learns how to cope and manage his stress through drawing. In fact, drawing is an outlet for Bird's emotions and imagination. Mehkai learns the benefits of perseverance, hard work, and family.

Tags

african american, aggression, airplane, art, birds, buildings, crime, day, death, decision making, drawing, dreams, drugs, emotions, family, feelings, grandparents, hard work, imagination, instruments, loss, museum, music, park, problem solving, relationship, robbery, school, siblings, storytelling, stress management, technology

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

Yesterday I had the blues

Frame, Jean Ashford

A family explores the various emotions they face each day. Through the use of colors, the main character realizes that even with all the ups and downs of emotions, one color really matters- LOVE of family.

Tags

african american, anger, animals, basketball, bicycle, buildings, bus, car, colors, confidence, cooking, dancing, Days of The Week, depression, dog, drawing, emotions, exercise, family, feelings, games, grandparents, instruments, jumping, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, rhythm, school, sports, stress management, subway, technology, transportation

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

When uncle took the fiddle

Gray, Libba Moore

Stretching and yawning with slumberous faces a family seems so sleepy and sluggish... until Uncle puts the rappa-tap-tap back in their step with the cheerful music he plays on his fiddle. Soon every generation of the family is singing, dancing, and frolicking around the house.

Tags

animals, baby, cat, dancing, dog, entertainment, exercise, family, fun, generations, grandparents, instruments, music, neighbors, parents, rhyme, siblings, sleep, sounds

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

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!

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

Meet the marching smithereens

Hayes, Ann

Join the parade as the drum major leads the rest of the marching smithereens down the street towards the cheering crowd. Each animal plays a different instrument to make a sound the crowd loves.

Tags

alligator, animals, band, bear, beaver, crocodile, elephant, exercise, fun, giraffe, hippopotamus, instruments, kangaroo, lion, mice, monkey, moose, mouse, music, nonverbal communication, parade, rabbit, raccoon, rhinoceros, rhythm, skating, sounds, tiger, turtle, verbal communication, walking, zebra

Seven brave women

Hearne, Betsy

A young girl tells the story of her family's history. She explains how each of her female ancestors played a very important role in the shaping of this family's history.

Tags

aging, airplane, anger, animals, art, author's note, basketball, boat, careers, coping, farm, feelings, flowers, german, god, grandparents, history, horse, hospital, instruments, loneliness, loss, medicine, multicultural, music, native american, parents, school, science, sports, storytelling, transportation, war

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

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

Look look look

Hoban, Tana

Animals, flowers, food, and instruments have different textures. A small part of each object is seen first then the whole picture comes into view when you turn the page. (A Wordless Book)

Tags

animals, art, cat, critical thinking, dog, elephant, five senses, flowers, food, instruments, reptiles, sheep, smell, touch, turtle

Let's count

Hoban, Tana

Tana Hoban introduces the numbers one to one hundred. Each page shows the number, its correct spelling, dots, and a photograph.

Tags

animals, balloon, colors, counting, dog, food, glasses, instruments, numbers, photograph, plants

The eensy-weensy spider

Hoberman, Mary Ann

Travel beyond the waterspout -- out into the garden, pond, brook, shoe store, and even the park with this determined spring-loving spider. Sing the all-time classic tune or just read with rhythm!This book will catch you in its colorful web and keep you on your toes as you advance beyond the traditional limits.

Tags

acceptance, accidents, accomplishment, activities, adventures, affection, amphibians, anticipation, baby, bath, bedtime, beetle, birds, bodies of water, body parts, brook, bully, butterfly, caring, caterpillar, change, climbing, clothing, colors, community, companion, compromise, confidence, conflict resolution, cooperation, counting, courage, curiosity, cycle, dancing, decision making, determination, direction, discovery, dragonfly, duck, environment, exercise, family, fish, flowers, frog, fun, garden, grasshopper, injury, insects, instruments, language, morning, moving, music, nature, numbers, parade, parents, park, plants, pond, practice, rain, rhyme, routine, seasons, sharing, shopping, skipping, sleep, song, spider, spring, success, sun, swimming, travel, verbal communication, walking, weather, worm

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!

Tags

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

Grandpa, is everything black bad?

Holman, Sandy Lynne

Montsho struggles with the dark color of his skin. Everything around him that is black is considered bad. Thankfully, Muntsho's grandfather teaches him to appreciate his black skin by telling him stories about his African heritage.

Tags

activities, africa, african, african american, animals, bedtime, colors, confusion, death, discrimination, egypt, emotions, friendship, glasses, grandparents, greek, history, identity, instruments, inventions, language, playing, pride, relationship, rhythm, royalty, self esteem, sounds, storytelling, television, traditions, understanding, witches

A band of angels: A story inspired by the jubilee singers

Hopkinson, Deborah

A young girl listens to a story told by her aunt. Her story is about the young girl's great great grandmother and how she used her voice and dedication to fight for her education after the slaves were freed. The story was also tells how a group of singers toured and sang slave songs. They were trying to save their school, but ended up creating a university.

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