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

Tags: music

1
2
3
4
5
Next
Last

Sort by:

A star shines through

Desnitskaya, Anna

A young girl and her mother find change when they leave Russia for Israel. They leave a big city apartment during the war for a different apartment with a different language and different food. They make a cardboard star by cutting and gluing it so they can place the star in the window. When the girl returns from music lessons in the evening, she recognizes the star shining brightly.

Tags

art, author's note, change, city, community, differences, food, home, language, loss, music, night, perspective, stars, war

Child of the civil rights movement

Shelton, Paula Young

As a child of the civil rights movement, a little girl recounts the story of her parents growing up with Jim Crow laws which said that black people had to sit in the back of the bus, the last car of the train, and the balcony of the movie theatre. From New York to Georgia, the girl and her family moves back home to find that restaurants would not let them come in to eat. Families gather at friends houses to eat while organizing a peaceful protest to march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. The people start at Brown Chapel AME Church with thousands of others - which included Jewish rabbis, Catholic priests, and Baptist ministers. It took four days to march the fifty miles as people watched them on TV. On the sixth of August, President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into the history books. The children march on to other causes.

Tags

african american, analogy, anger, author's note, biography, car, church, civil rights, equality, family, famous, feelings, flag, freedom, grandparents, history, instruments, law, marching, multicultural, music, peace, protest, religion, restaurants, swimming, technology, television, transportation, travel, walking

No mirrors in my nana's house

By looking in her nana's eyes, this little girl sees beauty in ways that others may not see. When her grandmother reflects love back to the little girl, she discovers the beauty in herself and doesn't learn hate. The little girl finds beauty in everything.

Tags

african american, animals, beauty, body parts, book, buildings, cat, clothing, colors, community, flowers, jump rope, jumping, mirror, multicultural, multigenerational, music, neighbors, self esteem

Lin's uncommon life

Shackelford, Scott//Castle, Emily

Elinor Ostrom, also known as Lin, worked "little by little, bit by bit, family by family" in order that the world could become a better place. Lin wanted to study the way that people could share resources because she believed that "so much good can be done on so many levels". Lin was discouraged from going to graduate school but she did and studied hard until she earned her PhD degree in political science. She wanted to create a research center where people could work together and ask hard questions. With her husband, they established the Vincent and Elinor Ostrom Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis at the University of Indiana. With their groundbreaking research, Elinor taught people how to share common resources around the world. She also earned the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences - the first woman to do so.

Tags

argument, baking, behavior, books, careers, community, continent, curiosity, divorce, economics, education, family, garden, government, grandparents, hard work, investigation, music, nature, parents, perspective, research, respect, rules, school, stuttering, teamwork, timeline, travel, writing

We are here

Charles, Tami

In a journey of progress, love and, possibilities, this prose shows the music, art, speakers, and food that have celebrated African Americans and their impact in society. With the big hands and small hands that built the Black legacy, there are countless steps of heroes who have made a contribution to the world.

Tags

african american, art, author's note, body parts, careers, clothing, culture, history, illustrator's note, instrument, music, pride, rhythm, space

Before, now

Salmieri, Daniel

Tags

animals, balloon, beach, bicycles, birds, bodies of water, books, buildings, car, careers, change, concert, dog, five senses, food, life, lightning, microscope, music, opposites, park, picnic, planet, playing, sand, technology, train, transportation, tree, umbrella, weather

Head and shoulders

Borgert-Spaniol, Megan

Use the music and the song lyrics of this active song to touch your "head, shoulders, knees and toes" over and over again. Add your "eyes and ears and knees and toes" to the song and you have learned how your body parts work together to help you move and live as a human being.

Tags

beach, bicycle, bodies of water, body parts, clothing, colors, exercise, five senses, forest, glossary, lyrics, mountains, multicultural, music, pattern, play, playground, rhyme, rhythm, shoes, song, technology, vision, writing

The grand old duke of york

Ian, Nicholas

The music and song lyrics of this children's march is a nursery rhyme from England where the Grand Old Duke of York once sent his solders off to battle. Sing along as you learn how ten thousand men marched up to the top of the hill and marched down the hill again.

Tags

basketball, bus, comparisons, england, exercise, glossary, horse, marching, mountain, music, numbers, pattern, rhyme, rhythm, royalty, school, song, sport, transportation

A small miracle

Collington, Peter

This Christmas narrative is a moving visual narrative without words. A hungry, old woman leaves her home to find food in the snow but is sad to give up her treasured accordion for sale when no one gives her money for playing music in the village street. She experiences a theft in the streets and then observes vandalism in the church by a man on a motorcycle. The woman reassembles the nativity scene in the church for Christmas and later earns the mercy and support from the participants when she collapses in the snow. This story of Christmas has a surprise ending (A wordless book).

Tags

accordion, christmas, church, holidays, instrument, miracle, money, motorcycle, music, nativity, performance, poverty, robbery, seasons, shopping, sleep, snow, surprise, town, transportation, walking, winter

Happy feet: The savory ballroom lindy hoppers and me

Michelson, Richard

A father loves to dance. He also loves to retell the story about the opening of the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. He works hard and saves money so he can put up a shoe shine sign for his own business. When his son is born that day, the new club opens to a sharp-dressing, happy-dancing people from all backgrounds with black people and white people dancing together. The son is named Happy Feet, and he too dreams of dancing at the legendary ballroom someday.

Tags

african american, author's note, body parts, business, car, cleanliness, clothing, community, dance, dancing, feelings, friendship, happiness, hard work, history, language, multicultural, music, new baby, party, performance, shoes, signs

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

Harlem at four

Datcher, Michael

Tags

african american, author's note, body parts, buildings, camera, culture, equality, history, instrument, justice, love, migration, music, neighbors, parents, pride, social justice, subway, train, transportation

Magic: Once upon a faraway land

Ortega, Mirelle

Once upon a faraway land in Mexico, a young girl highlights her grandfather's pineapple farm, her mom's wool blanket weaving, and her dad's sketches for making stone buildings. She reflects on the way that magic can change things for better and for worse. She loves the beautiful music and sounds that are woven together for people to dance. She also admires her fingertips as an artist when blank pages become pictures to share with others.

Tags

author's note, body parts, careers, celebration, dancing, Day of the Dead, drawing, farm, food, fruit, games, holidays, magic, Mexico, music, party, sewing, storytelling, traditions, weather, weaving

Still dreaming = Seguimos sonando

Martinez, Claudia Guadalupe

Many workers from Mexico leave their homeland with their families to a land of opportunity where they dream to live a life without borders. A young boy and his parents drive their car far away until there are no city lights. Papa sings a sweet sad song on the side of the road where there are other people at a campfire. The boy eventually learns that the laborers worked in Alaska, Los Angeles, Michigan, Minnesota, Kansas, and Chicago, and they cross the border together to find answers to their dreams.

Tags

america, author's note, border, butterfly, California, car, farmer, fishing, food, geography, hard work, history, immigrants, language, maps, Mexico, moon, music, neighbors, newspaper, opportunity, ship, sleep, spanish, stars, train, 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.

Tags

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

The great poochini

Clement, Gary

The Great Poochini lives with his owner, Hersh, and leaves at night to sing in the opera. Due to his talent, the Great Poochini is the lead singer and, on the night of the premiere, he is unable to leave his home. Then, after a robber breaks into Hersh's home and the Great Poochini scares him away, he makes it to the opera just in time for the show.

Tags

animals, italian, language, music, opera, performance, photograph, practice, robbery, shadows, singing

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'm going to sing: Black American spirituals volume two

Bryan, Ashley

Black American Spirituals are a representation of the resilience and bravery of enslaved Blacks. Although these songs represent suffering and sadness, they also demonstrate creativity, heritage, and expression. Ultimately, spirituals connect people to each other, their culture, and their goals.

Tags

african american, art, drawing, feelings, happiness, history, hope, multicultural, music, sadness, singing, slavery, spiritual

Boycott blues: How Rosa Parks inspired a nation

Pinkney, Andrea Davis

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus because of her race, sparking a social movement to end segregation enforced by the Jim Crow laws.Following the arrest of Rosa Park, her supporters refused to ride the community bus system during the Montgomery bus boycott. Despite the struggles of this protest, the Jim Crow laws were eventually overturned due to the spark that Rosa Parks ignited to motivate a generation to stay resolute in their pursuit of justice.

Tags

aggression, ambition, america, author's note, beliefs, boycott, bravery, challenges, change, conflict, courage, determination, discrimination, history, music, onomatopoeia, prejudice, protest, walking

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.

Tags

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

Walk together children: Black American spirituals volume one

Bryan, Ashley

Black American Spirituals are a representation of the resilience and bravery of enslaved Blacks. Although these songs represent suffering and sadness, they also demonstrate creativity, heritage, and expression. Ultimately, Spirituals connect people to each other, their culture, and their goals.

Tags

african american, art, drawing, feelings, happiness, history, hope, multicultural, music, publisher's note, sadness, singing, slavery, spiritual, walking

Unplugged

Antony, Steve

Blip accidentally becomes unplugged and spends the day outside, traveling through the forest and sailing through a river. Blip starts to make friends with the animals and realizes they love to spend time outdoors, away from the screen. Finally, Blip returns home and leaves soon after to join their friends again.

Tags

change, computer, friendship, games, learning, music, nature, play, playing, technology

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

What will you be, Sara Mee?

Avraham, Kate Aver

Cho, a young boy, wonders what his little sister Sara Mee will be? They celebrate Sara Mee's first birthday with a feast and music from Korea. Cho continues to try to figure out what his sister will be when she grows up.

Tags

america, author's note, bath, birthday, body parts, celebration, cleanliness, clothing, correspondence, customs, drawing, family, feelings, food, game, gender, generations, grandparents, growing up, imagination, Korea, korean, language, love, money, music, neighbors, new baby, nutrition, onomatopoeia, parents, party, prediction, sadness, siblings, toys, verbal communication, writing

Sunday week

Johnson, Dinah

A community describes each day of their weekly routine. The community is constantly looking forward to their Sunday traditions. Sunday is rich with family time, the Lord, and storytelling.

Tags

african american, books, car, careers, choir, church, Days of The Week, exercise, faith, family, god, hard work, hunger, jumping, love, market, multicultural, music, neighbors, newspaper, practice, prayer, promise, quiet, reading fish, rest, routine, school, sequence, singing, spiritual, traditions, transportation, travel

Who will I be, Lord?

Nelson, Vaunda Michaeaux

A young girls outlines the careers and callings of her family members. She questions the Lord on what she will become. As she realizes that her family dreams of being more than anything they are now, she then understands that she can be anything she wants to be, because it is up to her.

Tags

careers, church, dreams, family, god, investigation, music, radio, reasoning, rules, storytelling, talent, technology, television

Tashi and the Tibetan flower cure

Rose, Naomi C.

Tashi's Papola becomes ill and is bedridden. Tashi remembers a cure from her family's homeland in Tibet. Tashi works hard to resemble the Tibetan flower cure and surround her Papola with many flowers and caring people. Although Papola argues that the cure wont work in America, neighbors work together to bring flowers to Papola and make him better.

Tags

author's note, body parts, caring, cure, emotions, family, feelings, five senses, flowers, grandparents, health, illness, immigrants, language, love, medicine, multicultural, music, neighbors, plants, sadness, tibet, village

One million men and me

Lyons, Kelly Starling

A young high school girl goes with her father to a march on the United States capitol during a civil rights gathering. She is surrounded by "one million men" and she experiences pride as she and her father witness history in Washington, D.C.

Tags

african american, american, author's note, bus, careers, civil rights, community, faith, family, feelings, future, history, hope, marching, money, multicultural, music, parents, peace, pride, responsibilities, subway, train, transportation, verbal communication

Brothers of the knight

Allen, Debbie

Twelve brothers magically disappear every night even though their door is locked. Their father hires a housekeeper to figure out the mystery of his boys. She learns to listen, which turns out to be more powerful than simply solving a mystery.

Tags

african american, bedtime, careers, church, conflict resolution, dancing, deception, exercise, family, generations, hard work, magic, multicultural, music, mystery, parents, relationship, secrets, siblings, stress management

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

Ten mice for Tet

Shea, Pegi Deitz // Weill, Cynthia

A group of mice prepare for Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. The mice plan parties and a feast to celebrate.

Tags

author's note, celebration, counting, dancing, fireworks, food, learning, market, math, mouse, multicultural, music, new year, nonverbal communication, party, play, presents, verbal communication, vietnamese

Angelo

Macauley, David

A man is repairing when he comes upon an injured pigeon. He nurses the pigeon back to health and a friendship fast emerges. The pigeon helps the man fulfill his lifelong dream and is surprised to find an addition to the building.

Tags

aging, ambition, birds, careers, church, death, food, friendship, health, italian, kindness, monuments, multicultural, music, pigeon, teamwork, work

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

Elena's serenade

Geeslin, Campbell

Elenaﾒs father is a glassblower. Elena wants her father to teach her how to blow glass. He refuses to teach her because she is a girl. After disguising herself as a boy, she learns how to blow glass. She shows her father she can blow glass and then reveals that it is her.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, business, conflict resolution, day, decision making, discrimination, disguise, family, goal setting, mexican, Mexico, multicultural, music, night, nonverbal communication, spanish, travel, verbal communication

Three cheers for catherine the great!

Best, Cari

A family moves from Russia to America. The grandma of the family has a birthday and she does not want presents. Her grand-daughter spends hours trying to figure out the perfect no present for her grandma.

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

I was born to be a brother

Michels-Gualtieri, Zaydek G.

A big brother describes the duties he has when teaching his little sister. He has many responsibilities to uphold and for the most part gets along well with his baby sister. There are times, however, when siblings get in the way, but in the end a little sister is the best thing in the world. (With music CD)

Tags

anger, baby, careers, caring, child care, closeness, companion, family, feelings, food, friendship, growing up, helping, injury, learning, music, pets, play, relationship, responsibilities, role model, safety, siblings, song, teaching, technology, teeth, television, toys

Oh say can you say?

Seuss, Dr.

Oh say can you say is filled with tongue twisters to make the reading fun and challenging. The story features pages of rhymes ranging from animals to people.

Tags

beach, birds, boat, bones, books, christmas, colors, dinosaur, dog, duck, family, fish, island, money, monkey, music, parrot, pig, poetry, rain, reading, rhyme, storm, travel, umbrella, water, whale

Bubba and beau go night-night

Appelt, Kathi

Baby Bubba and his puppy Beau love going for truck rides with Big Bubba. After a long day they return home, but still are not ready for bed. When they drive around at night they finally fall asleep in the truck after seeing the Feed & Seed Store, the ice cream store, and the fruit and vegetable stand.

Tags

baby, bedtime, car, dog, flood, music, preparation, radio, sleep, transportation, travel, truck

The big cheese of third street

Anderson, Halse Laurie

Little Benny is bullied constantly for being so little. It isn't until he wins the pole challenge that everyone cheers and honors Benny.

Tags

bully, celebration, challenges, climbing, community, family, flood, games, music, neighbors, party, play, river, siblings, swimming, teasing, violence

The way to start a day

Baylor, Byrd

Morning time is a sacred time. The beginning of a new day is about to unfold. There's a lot of movement around the world. Wake up to enjoy the warmth of the sun.

Tags

activities, adventures, africa, exercise, five senses, health, magic, multicultural, music, seasons, song, sounds, sun, symbols, time, weather

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.

Tags

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

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.

A song for ba

Yee, Paul

A young, ambitious boy spends a lot of time with his grandfather learning how to sing and follow in the footsteps of his father who travels with a Chinese opera troupe. Wei, the little boy, loves to go to the opera and watch his father perform hoping one day, he too, will be a star. Through difficult times and financial loss, a young boy comes to the rescue of both his father and his cultural background.

1
2
3
4
5
Next
Last

Browse Items (295 items total)