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

Tags: playing

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A sky full of dragons

Wright, Mildred Whatley

Lee Chow's grandfather shows him the wonderful items in the magic Chest of Dragons. What Lee Chow really wants is marbles and the Chest of Dragons cannot provide them. Fortunately, the Spring Festival creates good times, friends, and the beautiful marbles Lee Chow desires.

Tags

appreciation, art, celebration, chinese american, colors, conflict resolution, customs, dragons, family, friendship, games, giving, grandparents, happiness, kite, magic, manners, multicultural, park, playing, respect, verbal communication

A to z do you ever feel like me?

Hausman, Bonnie

How are you feeling today?Join the children in this book to find out if they are feeling the same way. Learn the letters of the alphabet while you solve the puzzles of emotions. Have fun!

Alfonse: Where are you?

Wikler, Linda

Join Alfonse and Little Bird as they play the game of hide-and-seek. Alfonse and the other geese search all around for Little Bird but have no luck in finding her. If Alfonse were quiet, however, perhaps he might be able to hear her.

Tags

animals, birds, bodies of water, counting, disappearance, discovery, games, goose, hearing, helping, lake, lost, noise, play, playing, worry

Alicia has a bad day

Jahn-Clough, Lisa

Since Alicia is typically a very happy little girl that likes to be silly, she does not like the miserable feeling she experiences one morning. Alicia first handles her emotions by sitting and moping. Later she goes outside to write about her dark and dreary feelings in her notebook, only to be interrupted by a storm. After some alone time under her bed and a lick from her dog, Alizie realizes the world is not so lugubrious and goes outside to play.

Tags

anger, animals, awareness, clouds, coping, creativity, dog, emotions, feelings, hope, language, pets, playing, rain, sadness, weather, wood

Allie's basketball dream

Barber, Barbara

Allie loves basketball, but she is often the only girl on the court. Buddy and other boys tease Allie about playing basketball. Allie believes in her ability and keeps practicing so that one day she can be better at basketball than the boys!

Another important book

Brown, Margaret Wise

Learn about all of the important things in early childhood from ages one through six. At one, you've found your nose and discovered your toes. By five and six, you've learned some tricks.

Tags

aging, baby, birth, body parts, counting, dancing, exercise, growing up, health, jumping, learning, numbers, playing, running, self confidence, self esteem, sequence, uniqueness, walking

Ant plays bear

Byars, Betsy

Ant is a young boy with a wild imagination. An imagination that allows him to be a bear and a dog. He also imagines a giant outside his window and experiences the careers of his dreams.

Tags

animals, bear, bedtime, careers, cave, creativity, dog, exercise, family, fear, fun, games, giants, goal setting, parents, play, playing, pretend, running, siblings, sounds

Arthur's computer disaster

Brown, Marc

Arthur is captivated by a new computer game and plays it while his mom is gone, even though she asked him not to. While he is playing with his friend, they both reach for the mouse and the screen suddenly goes blank. Find out if he can fix the computer before his mom gets home, or if he gets the nerve to confront his wrong doing!

Tags

apology, computer, conflict, conflict resolution, consequences, critical thinking, disappointment, disobedience, family, games, honesty, misbehavior, playing, respect, technology, working mother

Astro bunnies

Loomis, Christine

Zip!Zoom!Join these astro bunnies as they explore outer space. Help the bunnies get to outer space. What will they find there?Whether it's shooting starts or bunnies from other places, astro bunnies always come home.

Tags

accomplishment, adventures, animals, astronaut, astronomy, challenges, critical thinking, emotions, exploration, friendship, fun, goal setting, happiness, imagination, moon, nonverbal communication, ocean, planet, playing, rabbit, rhyme, science, sky, stars, technology, transportation, travel, weather

Back of the bus

Reynolds, Aaron

From the back of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, a young boy plays with his marble while sitting next to his mother. His mother tells the boy to stop the rolling marble and to tuck his marble inside and be quiet. This is the day that Rosa Parks sits in the front of the bus instead of the back of the bus with the boy and his mother. The boy knows his marble with its brown and golden shine in the sunlight is a symbol of change. No need to hide it no more.

Tags

boycott, bus, change, colors, courage, discrimination, family, hope, parents, playing, signs, sun, toy, transportation

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.

Beep beep, vroom vroom!

Murphy, Stuart J.

Molly wants to play with her big brother's brightly colored toy cars just like him. But her family thinks she is too little to share Kevin's cars and besides, he likes to keep them in a special order. Each family member catches Molly playing with Kevin's cars and they help her put them back the way Kevin likes them. In the end, Molly gets a surprise of her own!

Tags

animals, author's note, birthday, car, colors, disobedience, dog, family, fun, helping, parents, playing, sequence, siblings, sizes, sounds, transportation

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

Black cat

Myers, Christopher

Black cat creeps through the city streets looking for a home. He encounters many things on his journey including chain-link fences, children playing and jeeps passing in the streets. Observe the sights and sounds of the city while discovering where black cat calls home.

Tags

animals, art, basketball, car, cat, community, exploration, homeless, noise, observation, photograph, playground, playing, poetry, sports, subway, sun

Cat and mouse in the snow

Bogacki, Tomacz

When two friends, Cat and Mouse, go outside one day to play in the green meadow, they are very surprised to find snow instead of grass. Together, they discover the fun of playing in the cold, white snow.

Tags

animals, cat, climbing, cold, colors, family, friendship, monsters, mouse, playing, running, seasons, siblings, sledding, snow, weather, winter

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

Double-dip feelings

Cain, Barbara S.

When you first started school, were you excited? Were you scared?Did you feel both excited and scared? Feelings can be hard to understand, especially when you have two feelings at the same time. Everyone has feelings at different times for different reasons.

Tags

animals, bravery, change, chicken pox, competition, diseases, dog, embarrassment, exercise, feelings, friendship, happiness, illness, new baby, playing, reading, sadness, school, siblings, stress management, swimming

Elephants can paint too!

Arnold, Katya

Comparisons are made between human students and elephants who are learning how to paint. Photographs of elephants and their artwork are shared. Children learn that these elephants have many similarities to humans and must take part in the same learning process as them in order to achieve goals.

Tags

animals, art, body parts, colors, communication, comparisons, creativity, elephant, food, friendship, goal setting, jungle, learning, nonverbal communication, playing, school, self esteem, similarities, teaching, wildlife

Ella's trip to the museum

Clayton, Elaine

Ella and her class are going to the museum. She is very excited about being there. All of the art work seems to be calling to her. They ask her to fly with the angels, spin with the ballerinas, or dance with the statues. Her teacher wants Ella to enjoy the art, but doesn't understand that it is exactly what Ella is doing!

Tags

art, behavior, creativity, dancing, exercise, flowers, imagination, learning, museum, plants, playing, school, seasons, spring, teaching, verbal communication

Erandi's braids

Madrigan, Antonio Hernandez

Erandi has thick, long, beautiful hair that her mother braids each morning. One day while making dinner with her mother, Erandi hears voices from the street offering money for the women's hair. Mama' explains that the hair buyers would pay well for Erandi's braids. That day they go fishing and mama' discovers that they need a new fishing net badly but they do not have money for one. The next day is Erandi's birthday and Erandi picks out a new dress for her present. On the way home mama' and Erandi stop at the barber shop where Erandi allows the barber to cut her hair so her mama' can afford a new net.

Tags

author's note, birthday, body parts, clothing, critical thinking, culture, decision making, dolls, embarrassment, fish, fishing, food, language, market, mexican, multicultural, nutrition, playing, poverty, pride, recreation

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

First snow

McCully, Emily Arnold

Little mice children enjoy the first snow with Grandma and Grandpa. They skate, make a snowman, and sled down the hill.

Tags

acceptance, animals, decision making, exercise, family, fun, grandparents, mouse, nonverbal communication, playing, seasons, self confidence, skating, sliding, snow, verbal communication, weather, winter

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed

Christelow, Eileen

Five little monkey experience the consequences of jumping on the bed because their mama called the doctor and the doctor said, No more monkeys jumping on the bed!

Tags

animals, bedtime, concepts, counting, decision making, disobedience, excitement, exercise, family, feelings, happiness, health, injury, jumping, monkey, nonverbal communication, numbers, parents, playing, safety, siblings, verbal communication

Five little piggies

Martin, David

Everyone knows the five little piggies- one that goes to the market, one stays home, one has roast beef, one has none, and one goes we, wee, wee all the way home. Now we will finally learn why these little piggies did all these different things!

Tags

accidents, animals, balloon, caring, chicken, chicken pox, cow, fair, family, feelings, food, health, helping, illness, love, noise, nutrition, parents, pig, playing, rhyme, sadness, self esteem, shopping, siblings, surprises, verbal communication

Franklin has a sleepover

Bourgeois, Paulette

Franklin and Bear are excited for their first sleepover at Franklin's house. It's fun to play games, have a campfire, and campout in the livingroom with your friend. However, when it's time to go to bed, Bear and Franklin realize how scary sleepovers can be.

Tags

animals, anticipation, bear, bedtime, camping, conflict resolution, critical thinking, emotions, excitement, fear, feelings, food, friendship, games, growing up, happiness, health, homesickness, parents, playing, pretend, sadness, safety, separation, toys, traditions, turtle

God bless the child

Holiday, Billie & Herzog, Arthur Jr.

Each day is a work day for which to be thankful and grateful. There's a lot of work to be done on this land. It's time to go and experience the city life up north where things are different. Dream on, my child!

Tags

closeness, community, education, emotions, exploration, family, feelings, hard work, migration, parents, playing, reading, separation, siblings, skills, transportation, travel, wealth, work, 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

Hunter bunny saves Easter

Weaver, Alexis Rae

Hunter Bunny, made fun of because of his limp leg, meets Clark, the duck who has trouble seeing and the two become best friends. The night before Easter, the two find the Easter bunny lying on the ground and it is now up to them to deliver the baskets around town. After successfully saving Easter, the return to the forest to find all the animals praising and cheering for them.

Tags

animals, baby, differences, disability, discrimination, duck, easter, family, feelings, friendship, glasses, handicap, happiness, helping, heroism, holidays, hope, injury, learning, loneliness, moods, parents, playing, rabbit, sadness, siblings, sight, surprises, swimming, teaching, teasing, vision

I like your buttons!

Lamstein, Sarah

Random acts of kindness are demonstrated by Cassandra as she tells her teacher that she likes her buttons. Cassandra's positive attitude spreads throughout her school and around the neighborhood bringing joy and surprise to all.

If you take a mouse to the movies

Numeroff, Laura

A little mouse sure can be demanding when you spend the day together!Everything the mouse does with the little boy reminds him of something else he needs or wants to do!For example, once you get the mouse some paper and glue, he'll ask you for glitter!

Tags

animals, art, christmas, cold, entertainment, food, friendship, holidays, mouse, music, nonverbal communication, nutrition, playing, radio, seasons, snow, song, tree, weather, winter

In my momma's kitchen

Nolen, Jerdine

This little girl loves to be in her momma's kitchen. There's always something going on. From college announcements, to family dinners, to late nights of singing, everything happens in the kitchen. It is the most special place in the house.

Tags

accidents, african american, animals, birthday, caring, cat, celebration, clothing, cooking, family, food, friendship, love, multicultural, night, nutrition, parents, playing, pretend, school, siblings, verbal communication, wedding

Isla & Pickle: Best friends

McLelland, Kate

Pickle is a miniature Shetland pony who is fed, groomed, and loved by Isla. Isla's father wanted to buy her a pet but he wasn't interested in bringing Pickle into the family even though Pickle kept showing up a the beach, at school, and at bedtime. Eventually, Pickle becomes part of the family, and Isla plays with Pickle nonstop.

Tags

animals, beach, games, pets, playing, pony, siblings

It's my birthday!

Hutchins, Pat

It's Billy's birthday party and all of his monster friends want to play with his new toys. Billy does not want to share, so his friends find new games to play without him. He thinks he can have more fun by himself but soon figures out that isn't the truth. When he receives a gift he can't play by himself, he asks his friends to play finally.

Kenny and the little kickers

Marzollo, Claudio

It's the first day of soccer. Kenny doesn't want to play, but he goes to practice anyway. At first he's a little nervous and doesn't play very well. With his coach's help and encouragement, he quickly becomes the best kicker on the team.

Tags

accomplishment, animals, badger, challenges, confidence, encouragement, exercise, friendship, games, overweight, playing, soccer, sports, success

Little white duck

Whippo, Walt

A little white duck and his friends, little green frog, little black bug, and little red snake enjoy spending their time playing and swimming in the water.

Tags

amphibians, birds, bodies of water, colors, duck, feelings, frog, happiness, insects, music, nonverbal communication, playing, pond, sadness, snake, song, sounds, swimming

Look out kindergarten, here I come

Carlson, Nancy

Henry can't wait for his first day of kindergarten to begin!He imagines all the wonderful things that he and his classmates will do. When he arrives at school, Henry becomes frightened that he will get lost and won't enjoy all of his new classmates. When his teacher invites him in and shows him all the neat activities, Henry realizes again how much fun kindergarten will be!

Tags

activities, animals, art, change, clothing, colors, confidence, curiosity, dentist, encouragement, excitement, family, fear, feelings, fun, games, growing up, math, mouse, numbers, playing, school, spelling, walking

Molasses man

May, Kathy L.

A young boy and his family make molasses every summer. This summer the sourghum turns into a recipe that the boy's Grandfather has perfected. The boy spends his summer days helping his family make molasses and playing outside during the cooking process. While some molasses is cooling, Mama and her sisters pour it into glass jars and set up a stand near the road for passers-by.

Tags

african american, animals, author's note, books, community, cooking, family, farm, five senses, food, games, generations, glasses, grandparents, happiness, hard work, horse, moving, mule, neighbors, noise, observation, parents, plants, playing, pretend, recreation, sequence, smell, teamwork, traditions

Monster at school

Blance, Ellen // Cook, Ann

Monster goes to school with a little boy one day. Once he arrives, he is a great help and loves to play with all of the children. One child, however, feels sad because Monster is not playing with him. What will Monster do to cheer up his sad friend?

Tags

allergies, boredom, feelings, fun, happiness, health, helping, monsters, nonverbal communication, playing, reading, sadness, school, self esteem, verbal communication, walking

Monster meets lady monster

Blance, Ellen // Cook, Ann

Monster and the little boy are cleaning the house when the little boy sees a lady monster outside. Monster is happy and freshens up before asking the lady monster if he can play with her. The two monsters play together and fall in love.

Tags

beauty, cleanliness, companion, excitement, feelings, goal setting, happiness, love, monsters, nonverbal communication, playing, relationship, sadness, success, verbal communication

Mud

Ray, Mary Lyn

Come along and play in the mud as winter melts into spring and the earth becomes unfrozen. Go ahead, stir, stick, dig, dance and play in that gooey, gloppy, mucky, magnificent mud.

Tags

anticipation, cycle, fun, playing, seasons, snow, spring, winter

No dragons for tea: Fire safety for kids (and dragons)

Pendziwol, Jean//Gourbault, Martine

A little girl meets a friendly dragon at the beach and invites him to tea and lunch. During lunch the dragon sneezes fire and the table and curtains catch on fire. The fire alarm goes off but the little girl knows the important rules of fire safety. She tells the dragon that they must not stay inside and must meet their mother outside by the tree. When the dragon tries to go back in for his teddy bear, the little girl tells him to never to go back insidde a burning building. The little girls mother calls for help and the fire men come and put out the fire. Everyone is safe which is really important. The next time that they want to have tea, the friends will have a picnic on the beach.

Tags

accidents, author's note, beach, bodies of water, critical thinking, dragons, emergency, family, fire, fire engine, food, friendship, health, nutrition, parents, playing, rhyme, rules, safety, toys, transportation, water

Oh, brother!

Grimes, Nikki

Xavier feels sad, angry, and jealous towards his new step brother, Chris. Xavier soon realizes that Chris is coping with loneliness and resentment too. The pain over losing a parent to divorce forms a special band between Xavier and Chris so they promise each other, that no one will ever leave. Through short vignettes, the story ends with Our family is a song we sing, and we can add new notes anytime we like.

Tags

african american, aggression, anger, apology, baby, baseball, bedtime, behavior, books, celebration, change, chores, climbing, comparisons, conflict, conflict resolution, divorce, emotions, family, fear, feelings, friendship, fun, games, hispanic, jealousy, mountains, multicultural, parents, photograph, playing, pregnancy, relationship, rhythm, school, self esteem, siblings, sports, stepfather, stepmother, sympathy, technology, telephone, verbal communication, wedding

Oh!

Henkes, Kevin

Oh!How white everything is in the morning when it snows. Everyone wants to play in the snow. Squirrels, cats, dogs, rabbits, and children get excited to play in the snow. When the sun goes down, the snow looks blue and play time is over for everyone.

Tags

animals, birds, cat, dog, fun, play, playing, rabbit, seasons, snow, squirrel, sun, weather, winter

Our community garden

Pollak, Barbara

Neighborhood children plant a garden together and each contribute by helping to take care of the garden. They set goals, work hard, and build healthy friendship. After harvesting their crops, everyone from the community comes together for a special meal made from vegetables grown in the garden. What a nutritious, heart-warming treat!

Tags

ant, bee, beetle, bug, celebration, community, cooking, counting, dancing, decision making, diversity, dragonfly, flowers, food, friendship, garden, goal setting, hard work, harvest, helping, insects, ladybug, learning, multicultural, nature, neighbors, nonverbal communication, numbers, nutrition, plants, playing, recipe, responsibilities, teamwork, tools, variety, vegetables, worm

Panda's new toy

Dunbar, Joyce

Panda just got a new toy and he is having a lot of fun playing with it. Gander wants to try it too, but Panda is unwilling to share. When Gander decides to play with another toy, Panda wants that one too. The friends talk about it and decide that sharing and working together are more fun than being selfish.

Tags

animals, argument, birds, conflict resolution, cooperation, feelings, fight, friendship, goose, jealousy, panda, playing, sadness, selfishness, sharing, toys, verbal communication

Preschool day hooray!

Strauss, Linda Leopold

A day in preschool is full of fun activities and energetic students. The students come into the classroom excited to learn and play with friends. They paint, play, eat and sleep. The students explore, dance and play until it's time to go home!

Tags

art, books, discovery, food, learning, playground, playing, poetry, rhythm, school, sequence, sleep, teaching, toys

Raising sweetness

Stanley, Diane

The town sheriff adopts eight orphans to save them from the mean Ms. Stump, but there are a few problems. Pa is not too good at cooking and his cleaning is quite shabby. The orphans one wish is for him to get married. One of the orphans, Sweetness, believes a letter that arrived in the mail is the answer.

Rhymes for annie rose

Hughes, Shirley

More than twenty rhymes tell about the daily life and activities of a young girl named Annie Rose. The playful poems cover several topics including animals, people, seasons, routines and adventures that children love.

Tags

adventures, animals, bedtime, behavior, birds, boat, body parts, clothing, counting, cow, dancing, day, dog, dolls, dreams, food, friendship, games, garden, imagination, mice, moon, morning, nature, neighbors, night, numbers, playing, poetry, presents, rain, rhyme, sand, sea, seasons, sheep, snow, summer, sun, toys, tree, water, weather, winter

Room for a stepdaddy

Cook, Jean Thor

Joey wishes Daddy still lived at home and has a great deal of trouble accepting Bill, his new stepfather. After many experiences with Bill, like playing ball and swimming, Joey decides there is plenty of room in his life for Daddy and Bill. He loves both of them.

Tags

amphibians, animals, autumn, cat, change, conflict resolution, coping, dog, exercise, family, feelings, food, frog, happiness, loss, nonverbal communication, parents, park, playing, presents, sadness, school, seasons, spring, stepfather, summer, swimming, verbal communication, winter

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