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

Tags: nature

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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

Dancing hands: A story of friendship in filipino sign language

Que, Joanna//Marquez, Charria

The new neighbors do not use their voices to speak. Their hands move in a rhythm to express their thoughts and feelings. Mai teaches her friend to communicate using her "hands to dance". The girls share their dreams and their aspirations for careers. Sam and Mai become best friends.

Tags

author's note, birds, body parts, butterfly, careers, communication, deafness, differences, disability, dreams, earth, filipino, friendship, gestures, insects, language, learning, multicultural, nature, neighbors, observation, plan, rhythm, sign language

Me, all alone, at the end of the world

Anderson, M. T.

A young boy loves living quietly by himself because he enjoys reading, whistling dance tunes, and listening to the wind and sounds of nature. A boisterous man shows up one day and installs an amusement park for tourists to visit and play. Eventually, he leaves to live all alone at the Top of the World where he is quite happy for the time being.

Tags

adventure, companion, comparisons, fantasy, five senses, fun, future, life, map, nature, noise, park, quiet, trees, wind

A land of books: Dreams of young Mexihcah word painters

Topnatiuh, Duncan

Aztec artists living in Mesoamerica painted beautifully crafted books to keep the knowledge, culture, and history of the Mexihcah (also known as the Aztec). The process of making paper and obtaining dyes from plants, animals, and rocks is explained, then the way that a painter of words and images will share their work to be sung by a reader in a land of books.

Tags

art, author's note, books, calendar, careers, colors, culture, history, images, interpretation, language, native american, nature, sequence

Where wonder grows

Gonzalez, Xelena

When Grandma goes to her garden, her grandchildren follow so they can gather magic rocks and relics from nature. They use the rocks to learn more about the world and earth. And the rocks are used to send songs and prayers through the air to their ancestors. Down into the water, they dive to see the rocks. Grandma reminds her granddaughters that "water names and breaks even the biggest rocks, very slowly, over time. So when life feels too hard, just remember to go with the flow".

Tags

author's note, bodies of water, colors, earth, fish, garden, grandparents, multicultural, mystery, native american, nature, night, perspective, rocks, shells, space, traditions

Love is

Adams, Diane

A little girl raises a duckling and loves it very much. One day, she realizes that it is time for her duckling to leave and join the other ducks outside. Even though she misses her pet, their love stays strong and she still gets to see her duck and its new family.

Tags

african american, animals, bath, birds, bodies of water, change, companion, courage, duck, feelings, health, hygiene, love, morning, multicultural, nature, pets, pond, sadness, sleep, swimming, teaching, trust

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

Quiet in the garden

Aliki

A little boy enjoys going out into his garden. His garden has flowers, produce, and wildlife. The wildlife shows the little boy the importance of the food chain. The little boy enjoys a picnic with the wildlife, because he loves nature.

Tags

algae, amphibians, author's note, birds, bodies of water, bug, butterfly, fish, five senses, flowers, frog, fruits, garden, gnat, hunger, insects, listening, lizard, mouse, nature, onomatopoeia, picnic, plants, pond, quiet, rabbit, reptiles, robin, sight, snail, sounds, spider, squirrel, tree, turtle, vegetables, wildlife, worm

Wild wild sunflower child Anna

Carlstrom, Nancy White

Anna loves spending time outdoors. She explores insects, flowers, berries, and other animals.

Tags

beetle, colors, five senses, flowers, food, insects, nature, nonverbal communication, plants

Crickwing

Cannon, Janell

Crickwing is different from all the other cockroaches. He likes to create sculptures and has a twisted wing. Crickwing is tired of being bullied by the bigger animals in the forest and mistakenly takes his anger out on the leaf-cutter ants, learning a valuable lesson in return.

Mathematickles

Franco, Betsy

Explore the magic of each season through mathematical equations. Discover things in nature that have mathematical qualities.

Tags

autumn, change, counting, critical thinking, cycle, decision making, education, language, learning, math, nature, numbers, poetry, problem solving, riddle, seasons, sequence, spring, summer, winter

Greetings, sun

Gershator, Phyllis//Gershator, David

A boy and girl greet the sun of a new day and begin their routine of eating breakfast, walking to school along the island, and observing parts of their school building. At the end of the day, they prepare for bed and say goodnight to nature.

Tags

bedtime, body parts, clothing, exercise, family, food, goal setting, jamaican, jumping, morning, multicultural, nature, nutrition, parents, rhyme, routine

One small place in a tree

Brenner, Barbara

A bear scratches the bark of a tree; beetles form small openings; a woodpecker eats the beetles; bacteria takes over the tree and a small hole is formed. Although the tree is dying, this small hole is still a home for many animals. Both living and dying trees are important as shelter and home to living organisms.

Tags

aging, amphibians, animals, autumn, bear, beetle, birds, birth, bluebird, change, critical thinking, death, frog, home, insects, mouse, nature, nonverbal communication, rain, safety, seasons, snake, snow, spider, spring, squirrel, summer, tree, weather, wildlife, wind, winter, woodpecker

How groundhog's garden grew

Cherry, Lynne

Little Groundhog is hungry. His friend Squirrel reminds him that it would not be nice to eat from someone else's garden, so he offers to teach Groundhog how to grow food in his own garden. Groundhog learns that cooperation with the birds and insects around him will help meet their needs and help his garden to grow. After planting, tending, and harvesting his garden, Groundhog has a feast with his friends.

Tags

amphibians, animals, author's note, birds, bluebird, butterfly, cooperation, cycle, dragonfly, flowers, food, friendship, garden, goldfish, helping, hunger, insects, mole, nature, opossum, plants, praying mantis, reptiles, robin, seed, skunk, snake, squirrel, toad, turtle, vocabulary, winter, wren

The little brute family

Hoban, Russell

It isn't until Baby Brute finds a lost good feeling in a field of daisies that the family becomes happy and friendly. In the springtime, they flew thier kites together. In summer, they swam together. In fall, they gathered nuts and acorns. And in winter, they sang songs together. When spring came again, the little Brute family changed their name to nice.

Tags

autumn, baby, change, family, feelings, fight, flowers, food, kite, manners, nature, parents, pony, school, seasons, siblings, sledding, sleep, snow, song, spring, summer, sun, swimming, winter, woods

Coming on home soon

Woodson, Jacqueline

A girl says goodbye to her mother who is heading to find work in the city. The girl waits everyday for her mother's letter that says she will be coming home. All the while, the girl remembers her mother loves her more than snow or rain.

Tags

african american, animals, careers, cat, coping, correspondence, death, disappointment, emotions, family, future, love, money, multicultural, nature, parents, prayer, rain, snow, time, war, weather

The tremendous tree book

Brenner, Barbara // Garelick, May

Characteristics of different trees are given with descriptions of different leaves. Tree history, tree survival strategies and uses of trees by both humans and wildlife are shared.

Tags

autumn, classification, food, forest, geography, habitat, identification, nature, nutrition, observation, plants, recreation, reproduction, rhyme, seasons, seed, spring, temperature, tree, wildlife, woods

Colors

Crowther, Robert

Objects from everyday life are described based on their colors. Through interactive pull-down pages, you will have hours of fun learning colors from everyday objects in their environment.

Tags

amphibians, animals, art, birds, colors, critical thinking, crustaceans, food, identification, insects, nature, nonverbal communication, plants, shadows, shells, shrimp, sun, weather

Let's find it!

Arnold, Katya

An assortment of environmental themes, such as a park, a street scene, a garden, a pond, a beach and a forest are used as background to identify plants and animals. Words are used to label and identify different plants and aniamls in our environment.

Tags

animals, beach, birds, bodies of water, cat, critical thinking, crow, dog, environment, exploration, flowers, forest, garden, goal setting, grasshopper, hummingbird, insects, ladybug, nature, nonverbal communication, osprey, park, parrot, pets, plants, pond, reptiles, sea, snake, sparrow, tree

A seed grows

Hickman, Pamela

Sam plants a seed that grows into a tasty treat - a watermelon! Flaps open on this book to reveal factual information about the progression of the seed's growth. This interactive adventure engages children to explore the world around them.

Tags

author's note, bee, bug, critical thinking, cycle, decision making, flowers, food, garden, goal setting, insects, nature, nonverbal communication, nutrition, plants, science, seed, sun, verbal communication

My mountain song

Crum, Shutta

Observe a relationship that blossoms between competing cousins over their grandparents. Enjoy the scenic illustrations of summer life on the mountains while reading about a legacy being passed down.

Tags

companion, conflict resolution, family, farm, generations, grandparents, growing up, nature, nonverbal communication, relationship, seasons, sharing, song, summer

The whole green world

Johnston, Tony

Put on your shoes and prepare to walk the world! Learn all that goes into planting and growing seeds then watch as the world turns green. Animated text and vibrant illustrations detail this rhyming story so you can dance the whole green world.

Tags

animals, ant, bee, beetle, birds, colors, dancing, dog, exercise, family, feelings, flowers, food, garden, goal setting, happiness, insects, nature, nutrition, parents, plants, reading, seasons, seed, self esteem, tree, verbal communication

Disasters in nature: Hurricanes

Chambers, Catherine

This informational text takes you inside a hurricane with questions of what? where? why? and when? to explain hurricane zones around the earth. Explains rain, wind, and air pressure of hurricanes. Global warming, storm tracking, and prediction problems are discussed for hurricanes and tornadoes. Learn how technology and the natural world alert us about upcoming storms.

Tags

australia, bangladesh, belize, careers, caribbean, change, comparisons, cyclone, destruction, disasters, history, hurricane, india, island, jamaica, japan, maps, multicultural, nature, netherlands, nonfiction, numbers, photograph, prediction, prevention, problem solving, science, sequence, storm, technology, temperature, tornado, typhoon, weather

A walk with Grandpa/ Un paseo con el abuelo

Solomon, Sharon

Daniela and her grandpa take a walk in the woods and share what they mean to each other.

Tags

exercise, family, feelings, grandparents, language, love, nature, spanish, walking, woods

Earth day - hooray!

Murphy, Stuart J.

Ryan, Carly, and Luke set out to clean up Gilroy Park for an Earth Day celebration. They decide to plant flowers to beautify the park while collecting cans to raise money through recycling. The children use math and find school resources to help them with their project.

If you find a rock

Christian, Peggy

Real life photos capture children doing activities with rocks of different shapes, colors, and sizes. Can you remember the feel of a special rock in your hand?

Tags

activities, colors, critical thinking, exploration, feelings, fun, geology, goal setting, imagination, investigation, memory, nature, nonverbal communication, play, rocks, science, self esteem, shapes, sizes, stress management, water, wish

Emma's magic winter

Little, Jean

When a new neighbor named Sally moves in, Emma learns to overcome her shyness and her fear of reading out loud to her schoolmates. Early readers can explore their friendships and activities during winter then spring.

Tags

clothing, exercise, family, food, friendship, imagination, jumping, magic, mountains, nature, neighbors, play, reading, school, seasons, self esteem, shyness, siblings, sledding, snow, spring, verbal communication, weather, winter

All falling down

Zion, Gene//Graham, M.B.

Rain, snow, leaves, stars, and many other things all fall down.

Tags

nature, plants, rain, snow, stars, weather

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

Old home day

Hall, Donald

From the time when only plants and animals lived there, to the modern bicentennial celebration, the people who called the fictional village of Blackwater home remember its history.

Tags

aggression, aging, american, animals, author's note, autumn, baby, barn, baseball, birds, birth, bodies of water, bones, careers, celebration, change, community, conflict, conflict resolution, cow, death, decision making, deer, family, farm, farmer, forest, future, generations, goal setting, grandparents, hard work, history, hunting, lake, love, marriage, memories, nature, neighbors, nonverbal communication, parade, parents, peer resistance, plants, pond, reunion, seasons, settlers, snow, sports, spring, summer, war, water, weather, wilderness, winter, work

Water dance

Locker, Thomas

The water cycle is explained in a story form using beautiful illustrations as a visual lesson. All forms of water, including clouds, mist, rainbows, rivers, and seas are explained and described.

Tags

bodies of water, clouds, environment, forest, lake, moon, mountains, nature, rain, rainbow, river, science, sea, sky, storm, stream, sun, water, weather, wind

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

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

When I am old with you

Johson, Angela

A grandfather and a young boy talk and participate in a variety of activites together. Grandaddy and the child play cards, go fishing, enjoy nature, eat together, and play dress up.

Tags

african american, animals, birds, boat, car, clothing, dancing, dog, family, feelings, firefly, fishing, flowers, fly, food, friendship, games, grandparents, happiness, insects, multicultural, nature, nutrition, picnic, play, relationship, tractor, tree, walking, woods

On Meadowview Street

Coles, Henry

Caroline and her family move into a new house on Meadowview street. Much to Caroline's dismay, there is no meadow on Meadowview Street. After Caroline's hard work to create a wild life preserve in her own backyard, there is now a meadow on Meadowview Street, a new home to many.

Tags

ambition, amphibians, animals, bat, bee, beetle, birds, bodies of water, butterfly, dragonfly, family, flowers, home, hummingbird, insects, mouse, moving, nature, neighbors, parents, plants, pond, reptiles, rescue, spider, swallow, teamwork, tree, turtle, wildlife, wren

The frog who wanted to see the sea

Billout, Gary

One day, a little frog named Alice asks a passing seagull about life beyond her pond. The seagull tells Alice about everything there is to see between her pond and the great sea. Feeling courageous, Alice take up her lilly pad and embarks on a wondrous adventure to the sea and back.

Tags

adventures, animals, boat, bodies of water, buildings, clouds, colors, courage, dragonfly, fear, feelings, fish, flowers, fox, frog, happiness, moon, morning, mountains, nature, night, numbers, perspective, pond, river, sadness, sea, seagull, seasons, sky, sleep, spring, summer, surfing, turtle, woods

Shoo, fly guy

Arnold, Tedd

Fly guy comes home to find that Buzz is on a picnic with his parents. Fly guy is hungry, so he decides to find his family's picnic location by searching for his favorite brown, oozy, lumpy, smelly food. After coming across many food thatfit part of the decription, he finally find his favorite food and the picnic.

Tags

animals, birds, colors, dog, fly, food, frog, horse, hunger, insects, lost, mountains, nature, persistence, picnic, reading, repetition, surprises, vulture

The useful moose: A truthful, moose-full tale

Robinson, Fiona

Molly loves moose so much that her family vacationed in Alaska, so that she could see them up close; except when they got there the moose had left for a vacation in the city. Once in the city, she saw moose everywhere and befriended three young moose who were tired and needed rest. She invited the moose to stay with them when they cooked, cleaned, and became part of the family. The moose became homesick for their own family, so they went back to Alaska. Molly was sad when she invited the moose to her birthday party and they didnﾒt respond, but they surprised her by jumping out of an airplane at her party and promised to come back often.

Our nest

Lindbergh, Reeve

When you get into your bed at night, there are many other creatures also getting into their beds called nests. Enjoy learning about the world we all share.

Tags

animals, bedtime, birds, bodies of water, community, comparisons, critical thinking, deer, environment, exploration, fish, geography, moon, mouse, nature, nonverbal communication, planet, river, science, shelter, sleep, space, stars, sun, wildlife

What the animals were waiting for

London, Jonathan

The story of the dramatic cycles of life on the African savanna, one of the last great, wild places on earth.

Tags

africa, animals, bodies of water, celebration, crocodile, elephant, family, giraffe, grandparents, language, lightning, lion, moon, multicultural, nature, night, patience, river, storytelling, wisdom, zebra

Bashi, elephant baby

Radcliffe, Theresa

As the sun rises over the African plain, the mother elephant and her newborn calf, Bashi, follow the herd down to the watering hole. But they are not alone, for the water has drawn some lionesses to the edge to drink and they are looking hungrily at Bashi.

Tags

africa, african, animals, baby, bodies of water, caring, elephant, family, helping, hunting, lion, nature, protection, sun

Turtle summer: A journal for my daughter

Monroe, Mary A.

A young mother writes a journal for her daughter. This scrapbook-journal explains the nesting cycle of loggerhead sea turtles and the natural life along the southeastern coast, including local shore birds, shells, and a sea turtle hospital.

Tags

animals, baby, beach, birds, birth, bodies of water, family, injury, migration, nature, parents, reproduction, reptiles, sea, shells, storytelling, turtle

Tudley didn't know

Himmelman, John

A painted turtle, Dudley, adopts other animalsﾒ behaviors ﾖsimply because he doesnﾒt know he canﾒt! Tudley flies like a bird, sings like a katydid, hops like a frog, and glows like a firefly. He uses all his special behaviors to help other animals. Will Tudley's friends help him when he needs help?

Tags

amphibians, animals, birds, bodies of water, courage, differences, fear, feelings, firefly, friendship, frog, hummingbird, insects, nature, pond, reptiles, song, turtle

Earth mother

Jackson, Ellen

The day begins by Mother Earth tending to her plants and animals. As the day progresses, Mother Earth comes upon a man, a frog, and a mosquito. Each tell Mother Earth what can be changed in their life.

Tags

african, animals, appreciation, assertiveness, birds, communication, cycle, decision making, dedication, diversity, earth, environment, fantasy, firefly, frog, frustration, hawk, insects, loyalty, mosquito, multicultural, nature, nonverbal communication, otter, peace, plants, seasons, snow, summer, verbal communication, whale, wildlife, winter

The hunter

Geraghty, Paul

Jamina goes looking for honey in the bush with her grandfather. She hopes to see an elephant, but her grandfather tells her that it is not likely since the hunters have come. Jamina tells her grandfather that she wants to be a hunter. When she helps a little elephant whose mother was shot by hunters, she realizes she never wants to be a hunter.

Tags

african, animals, community, elephant, family, grandparents, helping, hunting, lion, lost, multicultural, nature, recreation, rescue, rhinoceros, village, violence

The village of round and square houses

Grifalconi, Ann

In a village in West Africa, women live in round houses and men live in square houses. After supper, grandmother tells a story about the origin of these houses aand how it is related to the rupturing of volcanic mountain, Naka.

Tags

african, celebration, coping, family, folktale, generations, grandparents, mountains, multicultural, nature, parents, respect, shapes, siblings, storytelling, traditions

Loon chase

Diehl, Jean Heilprin

A boy discovers that his domesticated dog still has powerful instincts similar to animals in the wild. There is a surprise encounter between the dog and a mother loon: the bigger animal doesn't necessarily prevail. In his moment of wonder, the boy finally meets the loon himself.

Tags

animals, birds, bodies of water, critical thinking, dog, family, fear, feelings, independence, lake, loon, multicultural, native american, nature, parents, play, relief, teamwork, transportation

Turtles in my sandbox

Curtis, Jennifer Keats

Imagine finding turtle eggs in your sandbox! When a mother diamondback terrapin lays eggs in a young girlﾒs sandbox, the girl becomes a ﾓturtle-sitterﾔ to help the babies safely hatch. She raises the teeny hatchlings until they become big enough to fend for themselves in the wild. Then, with the help of experts, she releases them. Along the way, she learns about these unique animals and that she has made an important contribution to their survival.

Tags

baby, beach, birth, bodies of water, critical thinking, curiosity, discovery, excitement, exercise, family, feelings, nature, ocean, parents, protection, reptiles, research, swimming, turtle, uniqueness

The desert alphabet book

Pallotta, Jerry

A reptile, insect, or animal is found in its environment or habitat as you learn your ABC's.

Tags

alphabet, animals, australian, desert, education, environment, habitat, insects, nature, rain, reptiles, sequence, verbal communication, wildlife

Georgia's bones

Bryant, Jen

A young girl, Georgia, is fascinated with shapes, colors, and objects. Her family does not share nor comprehend her love for art, so they deem her different. With her strong will and determination, Georgia moves to New York to discover a life as an artist. The illustrations help the reader detail the beauty of her work as they take us through the life of Georgia O'Keffe.

Tags

adventures, art, assertiveness, biography, bones, careers, collection, critical thinking, decision making, environment, excitement, family, farm, flowers, goal setting, hobby, images, nature, pride, relationship, self esteem, travel, verbal communication, wildlife

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