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

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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.

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

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

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

African dancing

Thomas, Mark

Children explore African dance with music and movement.

Tags

african, dancing, exercise, feelings, fun, happiness, instruments, learning, music, nonverbal communication, performance, photograph, sadness, storytelling

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

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

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.

Tags

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

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

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

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.

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

Before John was a jazz giant: A song of John Coltrane

Weatherford, Carole Boston

Before John became a jazz giant, he loved music, singing, instruments, and the radio. The bustling of the south and the foundation of his church and family allows John to listen and create his own music.

Tags

african american, body parts, church, cooking, dancing, five senses, history, instruments, multicultural, music, parade, poetry, radio, rhythm, spiritual, technology

Billy's beetle

Inkpen, Mike

A boy has lost his beetle. He asks many people and animals in his search for the beetle. The search continues until it is found.

Tags

animals, beetle, caterpillar, critical thinking, dog, elephant, five senses, food, goal setting, hedgehog, insects, instruments, loss, music, pig, polar bear, smell, spider, verbal communication, worm

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dance

Shumaker, Ward

Join pigs, cats, dogs, ducks, and many other animals as they dance the night away. The animals demonstrate many different dances from flopping and dropping to swirling and twirling to the music.

Tags

animals, bear, cat, dancing, dog, dragons, duck, elephant, exercise, fun, instruments, jumping, kangaroo, monkey, nonverbal communication, pig, play, poetry, rabbit, shapes, turtle, verbal communication

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

Do you want to play?A book about being friends

Kolar, Bob

Do you want to play?These two children have lots of ideas about what they can do. They can play together or alone or even in a big group. The park is fun, so is a board game, There are so many things to do with a friend, the possibilities are endless!

Tags

apology, body parts, conflict resolution, cooperation, fight, food, friendship, games, health, helping, instruments, listening, music, nutrition, park, play, playground, playing, reading, relationship, self esteem, sharing, storytelling, understanding, verbal communication

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

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

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.

Emeline at the circus

Priceman, Marjorie

Emeline's second grade class takes a field trip to the circus. After the teacher, Mrs. Splinter, gives the class instructions on the proper behavior, the circus begins. Mrs. Splinter tells the class important information about everything they see at the circus icluding the elephants, tigers, acrobats, and even the clowns. In the meantime, Emeline gets out of her seat to buy some peanuts and an elephant picks her up to become part of the circus.

Tags

accidents, animals, behavior, body parts, bravery, circus, clowns, elephant, fire, food, giraffe, hippopotamus, horse, instruments, language, learning, llama, monkey, nutrition, performance, rules, school, tiger

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

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.

Tags

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I want to be

Moss, Thylias

This young girl is asked, What do you want to be? She spends all day going around her town imagining all the things she wants to be. Finally, she figures it out. She wants to do everything.

Tags

community, critical thinking, dancing, discovery, dreams, exercise, five senses, games, goal setting, imagination, instruments, kite, language, music, park, plants, play, self confidence, self esteem, sight, touch, train, transportation, verbal communication

If you give a pig a pancake

Numeroff, Laura Jofee

What happens when you give a pig a pancake?She'll probably ask for some syrup to go with it. What will she want next?

Tags

animals, cleanliness, dancing, farm, friendship, homesickness, instruments, nonverbal communication, photograph, pig, play, tools, tree, wood

In my momma's kitchen

Nolen, Jerdine

A young girl's fondest memories happen in her momma's kitchen. Achievements, family, stories, cooking and love are all celebrated in the kitchen. Great-Aunt Caroline, corn-pudding time and nighttime serenades are a few of the special moments in this loving family.

Tags

accomplishment, african american, animals, bedtime, cat, celebration, cooking, dancing, easter, family, food, friendship, garden, grandparents, holidays, instruments, love, multicultural, music, parents, relationship, school, self esteem, sleep, song, walking, wedding

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

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

Joshua's masai mask

Hru, Dakari

When Joshua is pressured by his parents to play his African instrument in the school talent show, he is embarrassed because it is not as cool as the rap his friends will do. His uncle then gives him a magical mask which makes Joshua seem cool to other people. When he realizes he would rather make music with his Kalimmba, he is a hit at the talent show.

Tags

african american, competition, embarrassment, empathy, fable, family, instruments, magic, music, parents, performance, school

Khasa goes to the fiesta

Sotomayor, Antonio

Khasa goes to the Fiesta with his uncle. When the two are separated, Khasa goes through a great adventure getting back to his uncle.

Tags

adventures, assertiveness, carnival, crisis, family, feelings, instruments, lost, mexican, multicultural, music, party, sadness, separation, teeth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mama don't allow

Hurd, Thacher

Miles gets a saxophone for his birthday. He loves to practice the saxophone, but his family won't let him because of the awful sounds he makes. The only ones who appreciated his music are the alligators.

Tags

alligator, birthday, celebration, conflict resolution, family, instruments, music, noise, parents, presents, reptiles

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