Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Silent movie | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

Keywords: animals, australia, books, camel, canada, communication, community, creativity, critical thinking, crowd, culture, diversity, donkey, education, elephant, england, excitement, feelings, geography, happiness, horse, indonesian, kenyan, kindness, library, multicultural, nonverbal communication, pakistani, poverty, reading, thai, transportation, travel, verbal communication, village, zimbabwe

The shaking bag | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

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

The red bird | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

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

Down down the mountain | by 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.

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

Sometimes i wish i were mindy | by 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.

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

Leah's pony | by 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.

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

Cakes and miracles: A purim tale | by 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.

Keywords: 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 | by 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!

Keywords: 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 | by 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.

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

The bakers dozen | by 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.

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

Tight times | by Hazen, Barbara Shook

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

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

The gingerbread doll | by 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.

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

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