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Action! How movies began

McCarthy, Meghan

Movies are an important part of our society today, but they have not always been what we see in theaters. From the Kinetoscope to black and white film, and from soundless productions to special effects, the movie industry has evolved over time to make what we see and enjoy today!

Tags

african american, author's note, careers, colors, emotions, five senses, generations, history, inventions, movies, multicultural, nonfiction, photograph, photography, sequence, shadows, sounds, technology, time, vision

The story of paper

Compenstine, Ying Chang

Paper is invented by three boys who had the need to write something down. The boys use bugs to make symbols in the dirt. Combining different home techniques such as making rice cakes and scrapping clothes, paper was invented. The three boys are successful and praised.

Tags

ant, author's note, body parts, chinese, counting, fable, fabric, fruit, game, grasshopper, insects, inventions, language, math, multicultural, numbers, recipe, siblings, symbols, teaching, toys, trees, village, water, work, worm, writing

The greatest potatoes

Stowell, Penelope

Cornelius Vanderbilt sets out on a mission to find the best potato dish ever. He travels around and finds none that are good enough. Vanderbilt goes to Cary Moon's Restaurant, where George Crum is the head chef. Crum makes many dishes that Vanderbilt does not like. Crum decides to make the potatoes so crispy and salty, so he will not like them. Vanderbilt loves them and that is how the potato chip is invented.

Ugh

Yorkins, Arthur

Many, many years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, there was a boy named Ugh who was looked down on and treated like a slave by his siblings. Ugh tells them he will be famous one day. After seeing a wheel, he invents the bicycle, and because of this becomes the boy king.

Tags

anger, assertiveness, bicycle, cave, change, chores, confidence, critical thinking, differences, dinosaur, family, feelings, happiness, inventions, jealousy, moon, sadness, self esteem, siblings, verbal communication, whale

Amelia to zora

Chin-Lee, Cynthia

Explore in an alphabet formula, biographies that examine different successes and triumphs of famous women in history from Amelia Earhart to Zora Neale.

We

Schertle, Alice

Describes the emergence of humankind out of Africa, charting the course of human development from seven million years ago to today, highlighting the development of diversity among peoples and our ability to invent and discover.

Tags

africa, art, astronomy, baseball, boat, bodies of water, buildings, construction, desert, discovery, exploration, forest, history, home, inventions, machines, moon, mountains, music, nonverbal communication, poetry, prayer, religion, rhythm, river, sea, sports, sun, technology, transportation, travel, verbal communication, war

The best beekeeper of lalibela: A tale from africa

Kessler, Cristina

In the Ethiopian mountain village of Lalibela, famous for its churches and honey, a young girl determines to find a way to be a beekeeper despite being told that is somethign only men can do.

Tags

africa, animals, bee, business, careers, critical thinking, determination, discrimination, dreams, family, feelings, forest, insects, inventions, language, market, mountains, multicultural, sadness, siblings, tree, village, work

Wee and the wright brothers

Gaffney, Timothy

An educational story told from Wee the mouse's point of view, of how the Wright brothers succeeded in flight. Wee, an ambitious mouse, tells the story in a humorous yet detailed way of the historical Wright brothers and their flying machine.

Hot air

Priceman, Marjorie

On September 19, 1783, the first flight of a hot air balloon was recorded. People gathered in Versailles to watch the first passengers: a duck, a sheep and a rooster take off. The balloon almost crashes into a steeple; duck fills the basket with water; and a bird pops a hole in the balloon before they land in the woods.

Tags

animals, balloon, birds, chicken, crowd, duck, france, history, inventions, multicultural, nonverbal communication, perspective, sheep, storytelling, transportation

The rabbi and the twenty-nine witches

Hirsh, Marilyn

Once a month, when the moon is full, twenty-nine of the meanest, scariest, ugliest, wickedest witches that ever lived came out of the cave to terrify the villagers...until one day the wise rabbi invents a plan to rid his village of those wicked witches forever. The rabbi's clever plan works with hilarious results!

Tags

animals, cat, cave, community, dancing, evil, fear, inventions, Jewish, magic, moon, numbers, problem solving, rain, religion, village, vulture, witches

Garibaldi's biscuits

Steadman, Ralph

In nineteenth-century Italy, the wife of General Garibaldi bakes biscuits, as a peace offering for a defeated French army.

Tags

art, author's note, balloon, beverage, clothing, cooking, family, farm, food, history, inventions, italy, peace, ship, transportation, war

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

Weslandia

Fleischman, Paul

Wesley never really fits in at school. Even his parents think he is odd. One summer though, he creates his own civilization. Everyone develops a new respect for Wesley by the time he returns to school in the fall.

Tags

bully, clothing, creativity, culture, differences, exploration, flowers, food, friendship, games, garden, inventions, language, learning, nutrition, peer resistance, plants, problem solving, school, seasons, self esteem, shelter, sleep, sports, summer, time, work

Nova's ark

Kirk, David

A young robot turns a field trip to space into a quest for his father when his stolen ship crashes. He makes new friends and finds his father as well as an alternative source of energy.

Tags

animals, bat, birds, cat, critical thinking, deer, dog, exploration, family, friendship, future, hedgehog, hummingbird, iguana, inventions, kangaroo, monkey, moose, mouse, parents, planet, robot, spider, stress management, technology, travel, turkey

The hokey-pokey man

Kroll, Steven

Ben and Sarah, two children in New York City in the early 20th century, are friends with Joe, the ice cream man. With the help of his cousin, Joe surprises the city with a new concept of ice cream cones. The children almost ruin his surprise.

Tags

careers, conflict resolution, decision making, discovery, food, friendship, inventions, nutrition, verbal communication

Rolling round

Myller, Rolf

The king had to deal with his horse getting sick, so he invents a wheel after many tries. Everyone is happy about this new excitement and means of escape.

Tags

animals, critical thinking, decision making, determination, goal setting, hard work, horse, illness, inventions, royalty

Bravo minski

Yorinks, A.

Minski was a great scientist whose best invention was his singing. Through this one invention, he becomes a great man.

Tags

careers, conflict resolution, critical thinking, goal setting, inventions, music, peer resistance, performance, self esteem, singing, verbal communication

Four-ring three

Bourne, Mariam Anne

A little girl wants to modernize her home by having a telephone. Her only problem is that she has to convince her father that it is not an invention that will soon be gone.

Tags

assertiveness, change, conflict resolution, creativity, critical thinking, decision making, family, inventions, nonverbal communication, parents, peer resistance, refusal skills, telephone, verbal communication

Herbert binns and the flying tricycle

Castle, C.//Weevers, P.

Herbert Binns is a mouse who is an incredible inventor and makes a flying tricycle. There are three animals who are jealous of him and try to sabotage his invention, but fail to do so.

Tags

animals, bicycle, careers, critical thinking, imagination, inventions, jealousy, mouse, peer resistance, refusal skills, self esteem, transportation, verbal communication

Basil brush and the windmills

Firmin, Peter

A fox and a mole decide they need to cut down on their electrical costs. So, they invent a windmill to supply energy for many different things. By charging people to come see their inventions, they make enough money to pay their bills.

Tags

animals, critical thinking, decision making, fox, goal setting, imagination, inventions, mole, poverty

Mrs. Armitage on wheels

Blake, Quentin

Mrs. Armitage starts out with just a bike, but ends up with a one-of-a-kind contraption! After a great deal of additions and improvements, Mrs. Armitage's bike can't take it any more. Mrs. Armitage is forced to junk the bike and start over with roller skates.

Tags

animals, bicycle, biking, creativity, critical thinking, decision making, dog, exercise, inventions, skating, travel

african american, animals, birds, boredom, cat, conflict resolution, critical thinking, dancing, decision making, exercise, family, feelings, forest, games, giants, imagination, inventions, island, jungle, library, lost, magic, maps, monsters, multicultural, mythical, park, penguin, photograph, playing, rain, siblings, sun, verbal communication, weather

B is for buckeye: An ohio alphabet

Schonberg, Marcia

From A to Z, various facts about Ohio are given. Each letter of the alphabet represents past and present symbols and accomplishments of the state of Ohio. Johnny Appleseed, eight presidents, Quaker Oats, and the Underground Railroad are all associated with Ohio.

Tags

airplane, alphabet, animals, astronaut, beach, bee, birds, bodies of water, butterfly, cardinal, cow, deer, exploration, farm, garden, history, insects, inventions, ladybug, lake, recreation, rocks, sequence, ship, space, squirrel, transportation, underground railroad, war, zoo

Albert's alphabet

Tryon, Leslie

A duck, Albert the school carpenter, is asked to build an alphabet for the schools walking path. Albert relies on all the supplies in his workshop to build the alphabet.

Tags

alphabet, animals, careers, creativity, critical thinking, decision making, duck, goal setting, inventions, nonverbal communication, school, self esteem, stress management

Argyle

Wallace, B. B.

This is a comical story about the invention of Argyle plaid.

Tags

clothing, humor, inventions

Radio rescue

Barasch, Lynne

In 1923, a young boy works hard to learn morse code in order to get his amateur radio operator license and his very own call letters. Everyday he excitedly puts on his headphones and warms up his station, talking to people all over the world. During a far away hurricane, he uses his radio to send out messages to rescue stranded people.

Tags

alphabet, communication, fire, flood, goal setting, history, hurricane, inventions, license, maps, photograph, radio, rescue, ship, storm, symbols, technology, telephone, transportation, weather

The airplane alphabet book

Pallotta, Jerry//Stillwell, Fred

Learn about the alphabet while gaining knowledge about different airplanes throughout history. Observe how airplanes have changed and progressed through time.

Tags

accomplishment, airplane, alphabet, classification, conflict resolution, critical thinking, differences, discovery, goal setting, history, inventions, machines, sequence, transportation

Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Browse Items (27 items total)

Action! How movies began

The story of paper

The greatest potatoes

Ugh

Amelia to zora

We

The best beekeeper of lalibela: A tale from africa

Wee and the wright brothers

Hot air

The rabbi and the twenty-nine witches

Garibaldi's biscuits

Grandpa, is everything black bad?

Weslandia

Nova's ark

The hokey-pokey man

Rolling round

Bravo minski

Four-ring three

Herbert binns and the flying tricycle

Basil brush and the windmills

Mrs. Armitage on wheels

You are here

B is for buckeye: An ohio alphabet

Albert's alphabet

Argyle

Radio rescue

The airplane alphabet book