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

Tags: poverty

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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

A different pond

Phi, Bao

A young boy accompanies his dad to catch fish for food before the sunrises and before other family members awake. The dad tells the bait man at the all-night store that he is starting a second job. The boy meets a Hmong man and a black man who are also fishing -- but this time, it is just the boy and his dad under the starlit sky. The boy learns to make a fire and to bait his hook and to honor the stories of his Dad as he explains how life was in Vietnam when he was a boy. When they return home, the dad and mom head to work while the boy looks after his brothers and sisters.

Tags

african american, author's note, bicycle, bodies of water, counting, feelings, fire, fishing, food, hard work, hmong, illustrator's note, language, learning, loss, morning, multicultural, photograph, pond, poverty, refugee, responsibilities, sadness, siblings, sleep, storytelling, teeth, tree, vietnamese, war, work

The runaway wok

Compestine, Ying Chang

Ming lives in a poor family. He goes to the market to trade and receive food so he and his neighbors can share a Chinese new year feast. Instead of buying food, Ming chooses a magical wok. The wok rounds up the food and prized possessions of the rich to bring food to Ming's family and poor neighbors. Ming celebrates a wonderful new year, and he sells more woks to help other poor families.

Tags

author's note, birds, celebration, chinese, community, conflict resolution, dragon, folktale, food, giving, helping, instruments, kite, magic, market, money, multicultural, neighbors, new year, poverty, problem solving, recipe, rhyme, seagull, song, stress management, trading, village

Papa's pastries

Toscano, Charles

Miguel and his father set out to sell their homemade pastries in the near by villages. Since money was scarce, Miguel's father decided that kindness was more important than money and was later repaid.

Tags

baby, body parts, careers, clothing, dancing, encouragement, faith, family, feelings, food, god, kindness, language, money, multicultural, parents, poverty, prayer, rest, sharing, singing, spanish, trust, village, worry

Home for Navidad

Cohen, Santiago

Rosa has not seen her mother in three years. Rosa's mother works to save money in America until she is finally able to come home for Navidad. The whole family can now celebrate the Christmas holiday in the small town in Mexico.

Tags

america, christmas, correspondence, dreams, family, farm, food, goal setting, grandparents, hard work, holidays, hope, language, market, math, mexican, Mexico, money, multicultural, nonverbal communication, numbers, parents, plants, poverty, pretend, routine, school, secrets, singing, sleep, song, spanish, sun, telephone, transportation, travel, truck, verbal communication, writing

My heart will not sit down

Rookliff, Mara

In school, Kedi learns about the Great Depression happening in America. She feels so badly for the starving children there (including her teacher's family) that she finds a way to make a difference.

Tags

caring, empathy, family, history, hunger, love, poverty

How I learned geography

Shulevitz, Uri

A war occurs and a boy and his family must flee from their homeland. Food is scarce and there is no entertainment. One day, Father brings home a map. The little boy studies the map. He learns geography and allows his imagination to take him to faraway places. He forgets about his hunger and his sadness.

Tags

author's note, family, fantasy, feelings, forgiveness, geography, history, hunger, imagination, kazakhstan, learning, maps, market, multicultural, parents, photography, Poland, poverty, rhyme, sadness, seasons, stress management, summer, travel, war, winter

Beatrice's goat

McBrier, Page

Beatrice lives in Uganda and helps her mother care for her younger siblings. Money is scarce until Mugisa, a goat arrives. Mugisa provides milk, and the family is nourished by it. Mugisa's milk and babies provide enough money so Beatrice and her family can live a better life. Beatrice can afford her dream of attending school. This story has an afterwords by Hillary Rodhman Clinton.

Tags

africa, animals, birds, chicken, conflict resolution, dug, family, food, future, garden, goal setting, goat, hard work, helping, hope, hunger, language, leadership, learning, market, maturity, money, multicultural, poverty, presents, respect, school, siblings, uganda, village

Silent movie

Avi,

This black and white picture book vividly portrays a historical time when immigrants set sail for America. They hope for better lives and dream of prosperity. This journey comes from the immigrant's perspective, in the form of a movie, where language is a not a barrier.

Tags

america, author's note, family, feelings, film, history, hope, illustrator's note, immigrants, language, money, multicultural, nonverbal communication, parents, poverty, sadness, shelter, siblings, sizes, stress management, sweden, symbols, theatre

My librarian is a camel: How books are brought to children around the world

Ruurs, Margriet

Examine many different kinds of libraries from all around the world. Unlike the typical library room or building, many libraries are a bus, boat, train, or camel. Each type is different, but they all serve the same important purpose of delivering books to people, no matter where they live.

The shaking bag

Battle-Lavert, Gwendolyn

Though Miss Annie Mae doesn't always have much food for herself or her dog Effie Lucille, she faithfully feeds the birds in the lawn. One day a stranger comes to visit. He shakes many special surprises for her out of the old seed bag to reward her for all her generosity.

Tags

african american, animals, birds, books, dog, fantasy, fire, food, hunger, kindness, multicultural, noise, nutrition, plants, poverty, raven, sharing, sounds, spiritual, unselfish

Degas and the little dancer: A story about Edgar Degas

Anholt, Laurence

Marie dreams of being a famous dancer until one day her chance of being in the Christmas show diminishes when her father becomes ill. Marie begins to model for a painter to earn money for her family's lost income. One day, Maria's sculpture shows up in the art museum and becomes the famed sculpture of Edgar Degas.

Tags

apology, art, careers, dancing, disappointment, dreams, excitement, fame, fear, hard work, illness, loneliness, museum, opera, poverty, practice, school, security, sympathy, teaching

The table where rich people sit

Baylor, Byrd

A young girl feels that her family is so poor that rich people wouldn't even sit at her family's table. She holds a meeting with her family to discuss the money her family has. During the meeting she discovers how rich her family really is. She also learns the important things in life such as, family is more valuable than money itself.

Tags

assertiveness, birds, conflict resolution, critical thinking, family, greed, money, parents, perspective, pheasant, poverty, relaxation, responsibilities, rules, self esteem, sharing, wealth

The red bird

Lindgren, Astrid

A brother and sister who live a very poor and hard life find a secret doorway to a ﾓperfect worldﾔ. The children leave it to go back to their lives after being told if they shut the door they can never return. But, one cold hard day they entered the ﾓroomﾔ again and face the decision, ﾓDo we shut the door?ﾔ.

Tags

animals, barn, birds, bodies of water, cardinal, challenges, critical thinking, decision making, excitement, farmer, hunger, mice, poverty, seasons, self confidence, snow, spring, stream, stress management, toys, verbal communication, walking

The promise quilt

Ransom, Candice

A little girl, living in the mountaintops of Virginia, wants to go to school. Her father promises to send her when she is old enough, but he goes off to fight in the civil war. During the war the school and books are burned. Find a special way to build a new school.

Tags

books, critical thinking, decision making, family, fear, feelings, goal setting, history, loss, parents, poverty, prayer, quilt, reading, rhyme, sadness, siblings, war, writing

Three names of me

Cummings, Mary

Ada is a Chinese American girl. Ada shares her experiences of being adopted and moving to a new country. She collects new names that melt into one compelling identity for her.

Tags

acceptance, adoption, airplane, american, author's note, body parts, chinese american, culture, differences, family, feelings, food, grandparents, happiness, identity, language, love, multicultural, orphan, parents, poverty, sleep, stars, transportation, travel, writing

Babu's song

Stuve-Bodeen, Stephanie

Bernardi lives with his grandfather, Babu, who is mute and makes toys. Because they do not make much money, Bernardi can not afford to go to school in his native Tanzanian town. Bernardi wants to go to school and play soccer with the other children. Through the unconditional love of Babu, Bernardi learns that sacrifice leads to achieving the impossible dream.

Tags

african, bicycle, family, grandparents, handicap, illness, love, market, money, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, poverty, school, soccer, sports, tanzanian

Meet Kofi, Maria and Sunita: Family life in Ghana, Peru and India

Simmons, Lesley Anne

Kofi, Maria, and Sunita come from Ghana, Peru, and India. They tell about traditions of their country, their school, and their family.

Tags

africa, african, birthday, books, careers, Days of The Week, food, garden, ghana, grandparents, hygiene, illness, india, language, maps, multicultural, parents, poverty, south american, traditions, verbal communication

Just enough is plenty: A hanukkah tale

Goldin, Barbara Diamond

It is almost time for Hanukkah. Malka's family invites a peddler for dinner. They are surprised when they wake up in the morning and find that the peddler has left behind wonderful gifts.

Tags

author's note, dancing, exercise, family, food, hanukkah, helping, holidays, Jewish, multicultural, nutrition, polish, poverty, presents, song

Down down the mountain

Creedle, Ellis

Hetty and Hank want shoes, but there are no stores in the mountain and Pappy says they have no money. So Granny gives them an idea how to raise the money. They grow some turnips to take down the mountain. On the way they find most of the turnips away, but still have a happy ending.

Tags

assertiveness, clothing, conflict resolution, family, food, goal setting, grandparents, poverty, responsibilities, sharing, teamwork, verbal communication

Sometimes i wish i were mindy

Levine, Abby//Levine, Sarah

Mindy is a very wealthy girl. Her friend is jealous of all the things Mindy has. But she realizes that she is fortunate to have a loving family and maybe someday she will have the things Mindy has.

Tags

acceptance, family, feelings, jealousy, poverty, self esteem

Leah's pony

Friedrich, Elizabeth

One summer, Leah's father gives her a pony which she grows to love dearly. When told the devastating news that her family is running out of money, Leah has to decide what she will sacrifice to help.

Tags

animals, author's note, conflict resolution, decision making, family, farm, feelings, money, neighbors, pony, poverty, unselfish

Cakes and miracles: A purim tale

Goldin, Barbara Diamond

Hershel is a blind boy who loves to play outside and catch frogs in the river. His mother is always angry when he comes home covered with mud. One day Hershel has a dream that he can see. After that, he is able to help his mom make three-cornered fat cakes and cookies to sell at the market so they can earn money.

Tags

amphibians, angel, author's note, blindness, bodies of water, celebration, dancing, dreams, exercise, food, frog, handicap, holidays, Jewish, multicultural, nutrition, play, poverty, recipe, river, song, traditions

The secret of the stones

San Souci, Robert D.

John and Clara work very hard all day, but they have no children to love. One night Clara finds two little white stones and brings them home with her. When they came home the next night all of the chores had been done, and John and Clara must find out who their helpers are and how to help them!

Tags

african american, animals, author's note, bones, cabin, chicken, conflict resolution, cow, decision making, escape, farm, folktale, food, hard work, magic, multicultural, nutrition, orphan, poverty, rocks, song, stream, verbal communication

Rocks in my pockets

Harshman, M.//Collins, B.

The Woods family is a poor, farming family who lives on top of a windy mountain. They have little food, clothes, or money, but they work hard on the farm. They all carry rocks in their pockets while farming to keep their skinny bodies from blowing away. They also use rocks to heat and keep them warm in the winter. The rocks become shiny and smooth and are sold for money.

Tags

clothing, family, food, geology, grandparents, hard work, helping, kindness, learning, money, parents, poverty, rocks, self esteem, siblings

The bakers dozen

Forest, Heather

Jan Van Amsterdam is a well known baker. People travel from all over to buy his goods. When he begins to get greedy, he starts to use less ingredients in his cookies. When a woman asks for a bakers dozen, he only gives her 12 She puts a curse on him and his baked goods. When he finally realizes that a bakers dozen is 13, the curse is broken.

Tags

author's note, careers, celebration, christmas, community, deception, folktale, food, greed, holidays, magic, nutrition, poverty, seasons, winter

Tight times

Hazen, Barbara Shook

A young boy does not understand why in tight times he cannot get a dog.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, coping, critical thinking, dog, family, feelings, frustration, hunger, pets, poverty

The gingerbread doll

Tews, Susan

Rebecca lived during the Depression when times were hard, so when she gets a gingerbread doll instead of the porcelain doll she has always wanted, she understands and loves the doll. When times get better, Rebecca eventually gets a porcelain doll, but remembers the love she had for her gingerbread doll.

Tags

acceptance, appreciation, christmas, dolls, family, grandparents, holidays, love, memory, moving, parents, poverty, siblings, storytelling, toys

Uncle james

Harshman, Marc

Jimmy's family needs all the help they can get and Uncle James is promising them that help. When Uncle James arrives and brings nothing with him, Jimmy is very disappointed. He realizes that Uncle James needs help in becoming a hero.

Tags

assertiveness, conflict resolution, coping, decision making, disappointment, family, helping, heroism, nonverbal communication, parents, poverty, self esteem, siblings, stress management, verbal communication

Not so fast songololo

Daly, Niki

A grandmother and her grandson go for a trip into the city. The young boy looked at a new pair of shoes and wanted them. Although the grandmother had little money, she managed to save enough so she could buy him the shoes.

Tags

clothing, decision making, family, grandparents, nonverbal communication, poverty, travel

The magician

Shulevitz, Uri

A magician, who is actually the prophet Elijah, comes to town. He gives an old, poor couple dinner and a soft place to sit during the Passover celebration. The reason the couple is chosen is because they are unselfish and they do not think that they are that bad off, since they have each other.

Tags

decision making, food, giving, holidays, Jewish, nutrition, passover, peer resistance, poverty, religion, self esteem, stress management, verbal communication

Trouble at the mines

Rappaport, Doreen

With the help of Mother Jones, a famous leader, the miners go on strike to fight for better working conditions and wages. Rosie's family struggles to survive the eight-month strike. The persistant women and miners force the owners to give in, and the strike ends with victory.

Tags

assertiveness, careers, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, equality, family, fight, geology, goal setting, kindness, parents, peer resistance, persistence, poverty, siblings, stress management, verbal communication

Bread is for eating

Gershator, David//Gershator, Phillis

When a little boy leaves bread on his plate, his mother reminds him how important bread is and the hard work that goes into making it. Through a song, children learn why they should not waste food, and how to be thankful for grain and bread.

Tags

appreciation, awareness, careers, critical thinking, culture, decision making, farm, farmer, food, health, hispanic, hunger, language, machines, money, multicultural, music, nature, nonverbal communication, nutrition, parents, plants, poverty, rain, rainbow, snow, song, spanish, storytelling, sun, teaching, verbal communication, weather, winter

Mr. rabbit and the lovely present

Zolotow, C.

A girl looks for a birthday present for her mother. She has no money so she asks Mr. Rabbit for help. She tells Mr. Rabbit the various colors that her mom likes. In the end, her mother receives a beautiful fruit basket.

Tags

animals, birthday, colors, conflict resolution, decision making, food, holidays, nutrition, poverty, presents, rabbit, stress management, verbal communication

The two uncles of pablo

Behn, Harry

A young boy, named Pablo, is in search of getting an education and making money for his poor family. In this pursuit, Pablo unites two uncles who have been feuding.

Tags

assertiveness, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, family, fight, goal setting, hispanic, honesty, multicultural, nonverbal communication, peer resistance, poverty, refusal skills, self esteem

Mary of mile 18

Blades, Ann

Mary and her family live in Mile 18 It is a cold winter and the family is poor. One day Mary finds a wolf pup, but her father will not allow her to keep it. Until, a coyete comes to get the hens and the pup warns the family. The father decides they can keep the pup and everyone is happy.

Tags

animals, conflict resolution, decision making, family, feelings, pets, poverty, verbal communication, wolf

A hanukkah treasury

Kimmel, Eric

Hanukkah is to me the time for lighting the menorah, spinning the dreidel, and remembering heros from the past. Poetry, music, and recipes help keep the Hanukkah tradition alive!

Tags

acceptance, accomplishment, adventures, ambition, american, animals, anticipation, appreciation, assertiveness, beliefs, bias, bravery, celebration, ceremony, challenges, change, charity, closeness, communication, conflict, conflict resolution, cooking, courage, critical thinking, culture, customs, decision making, destruction, determination, discrimination, elephant, family, feelings, folktale, food, freedom, games, goal setting, god, grandparents, grief, hanukkah, happiness, hebrew, heroism, history, holidays, hope, immigrants, independence, individuality, israelian, Jewish, kindness, language, love, loyalty, memories, miracle, moose, moving, multicultural, music, parents, peace, pilgrims, poetry, polish, politics, poverty, prayer, prejudice, presents, racism, religion, russian, sadness, secrets, siblings, snow, song, spiritual, storytelling, toys, traditions, war, weather

The long way to a new land

Sandin, Joan

A starving Swedish family decides to move to America. The journey is long, but the family finally arrives.

Tags

decision making, family, goal setting, history, moving, multicultural, poverty, swedish, travel

The little match girl

Pinkey, Jerry

When a poor girl finds herself using matches to imagine things that are important in her life, she recalls the lessons that her grandmother has taught her. With hands stiff with cold, the little match girl studies the bright light that gives her warmth, imagination, and the closure to her young life.

Tags

carriage, christmas, cold, death, family, flowers, food, god, grandparents, history, holidays, hunger, images, imagination, market, poverty, seasons, snow, spiritual, stars, stress management, transportation, verbal communication, weather, winter

The truffle pig

Bishop, Clair Huchet//Wiese, Kurt

Pierre and his family are very poor. They work together and save their money to buy a piglet, Marcel. Pierre and Marcel become good friends and when it comes time to kill Marcel, they run away together. Marcel discovers truffles, an expensive food, and becomes The Truffle Pig. No longer is the family poor or hungry.

Tags

animals, conflict resolution, decision making, family, friendship, hunger, pig, poverty, teamwork

Sunday potatoes, monday potatoes

Shiefman, Vicky

A poor family eats potatoes every day of the week except Saturday. On Saturday, they eat potato pudding.

Tags

family, food, nutrition, poverty, recipe, sequence, time

How does a czar eat potatoes?

Rose, Anne

The life of a peasant farmer and the czar are compared and contrasted by the peasant's child.

Tags

careers, critical thinking, family, feelings, food, happiness, multicultural, nutrition, parents, poverty, royalty, russian

Friday night is papa night

Sonneborn, Ruth A.

A family waits for their Papa to return home. Their Papa must work two jobs to provide for the family so he only comes home on Friday nights. They wait extra long that night, but finally Papa does come home and everything is all right once more.

Tags

careers, family, fear, feelings, goal setting, nonverbal communication, parents, poverty, responsibilities, self esteem, stress management, verbal communication

Giant john

Lobel, Arnold

Giant John and his mother are very poor. Giant John leaves the enchanted forest to find a job. He comes across a castle and works for the royal family. Later, John returns with money just in time, before his mother is so desperate she must eat her shoe.

Tags

conflict resolution, decision making, dedication, family, goal setting, hard work, hunger, parents, poverty, refusal skills, royalty

Sarah and simon and no red paint

Ardizzone, Edward

Two children and their family are rather poor. Their father is a painter and he needs a tube of red paint to finish a painting, but he has no money left. The children try to help him get the red paint.

Tags

conflict resolution, courage, critical thinking, decision making, family, helping, poverty, teamwork

Bunny rabbit rebus

Adler, David A.

A little rabbit is hungry, but his mom does not have any food in their cupboards. So, little rabbit and his mom go to a neighbor to get some food. In return for the food, they must do many favors.

Tags

animals, conflict resolution, cooperation, critical thinking, decision making, food, hunger, neighbors, nutrition, poverty, rabbit, sharing, teamwork

Uncle willie and the soup kitchen

DiSalvo-Ryan, DyAnne

A little boy has an Uncle Willie who works at a soup kitchen during the day. The little boy doesn't understand what a soup kitchen is so Uncle Willie takes him to work. They prepare and serve a meal to the poor people of the community.

Tags

author's note, community, family, food, helping, hunger, nutrition, parents, poverty

A new coat for anna

Ziefert, Harriet

Anna needs a new winter coat, so her mother trades her valuables in order to get Anna a new coat.

Tags

assertiveness, clothing, conflict resolution, decision making, family, goal setting, parents, poverty, winter

Vejeigantes masquerade

Delacre, Lulu

Ramon wanted to be a vejigante masqueradae and dance in the carnival. He didn't have enough money to buy a new costume, so he made one. He worked in a mask store so he could have a new mask too.

Tags

assertiveness, carnival, clothing, courage, critical thinking, decision making, goal setting, language, parade, persistence, poverty, preparation, puerto rican, self esteem, verbal communication

As right as right can be

Rose, Anne

Ron Ronson's shoestrings break. He decides that once he has new shoelaces that his whole outfit should match the new shoelaces and that leaves him broke.

Tags

clothing, critical thinking, decision making, greed, peer resistance, poverty, self esteem

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