Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Alec's primer | by Pitts-Walter, Mildred

Alec was a slave who wanted to be free. Ms. Josephine, one of his masters and three years older than him, told Alic if he wanted to be free he needed to learn to read. Ms. Josephine taught him to read and when Alec was old enough he couragously fights in the Civil War and obtained his freedom.

Keywords: accomplishment, african american, alphabet, ambition, assertiveness, author's note, biography, books, courage, critical thinking, freedom, goal setting, hard work, learning, multicultural, museum, peace, photograph, prejudice, racism, reading, self esteem, slavery, verbal communication, war

Grey mouse | by de Vries, Anke

Grey Mouse is feeling lonely, so she decides to change her color in order to feel better about herself. However, all of the other animals laugh at her each time she does this. She finally realizes that she is happiest with her natural grey color when she finds other mice friends that look like her.

Keywords: acceptance, amphibians, animals, appearance, art, bee, birds, body image, boredom, change, colors, critical thinking, differences, feelings, flowers, frog, goal setting, goose, happiness, identity, images, insects, insecurity, ladybug, loneliness, mouse, nonverbal communication, racism, sadness, self confidence, self esteem, zebra

Candy shop | by Wahl, Jan

A young boy, Daniel, and his aunt Thelma take a trip to the market with money that he has earned. The boy is looking forward to visiting the candy shop but when they arrive they see a crowd and are faced with prejudice acts toward the owner of the store. Daniel and his aunt help comfort the owner and show true friendship.

Keywords: african american, asian, challenges, conflict, conflict resolution, coping, culture, discrimination, feelings, helping, kindness, market, money, multicultural, nonverbal communication, problem solving, racism, respect, sadness

Teammates | by Golenbock, Peter

Jackie Robinson becomes the first black player in the major leagues. He has to endure humiliation and prejudice from his own teammates, other players, and fans. Pee Wee Reese, a white player, comes to Jackie's support in a game at Crosley Field in Cincinnati which shocks the fans.

Keywords: african american, baseball, conflict resolution, exercise, multicultural, peer resistance, prejudice, racism, sports

Squids will be squids: Fresh morsels,beastly fables | by Scieszka, Jon//Smith, Lane

The moral of the story changes with every page depending upon the fable, the ani keeping his talent to himself, he decides to go out into the forest to sing. What he finds is no one believes a frog can sing, so frog has to keep going until someone gives him a chance.

Keywords: amphibians, challenges, dreams, fear, feelings, frog, frustration, persistence, racism, stereotypes

The frog who wanted to be a singer | by Goss, Linda

Frog wants to do something no frog has ever done before; sing!He practices and practices until he gets so tired of keeping his talent to himself, he decides to go out into the forest to sing. What he finds is no one believes a frog can sing, so frog has to keep going until someone gives him a chance.

Keywords: amphibians, challenges, dreams, fear, feelings, frog, frustration, music, persistence, practice, racism, stereotypes

Born in the gravy | by Cazet, Denys

Margouita starts her first day of kindergarten. She tells papa all about her big day over an ice cream cone. She has one question that papa knows just how to answer.

Keywords: food, friendship, mexican, nutrition, racism, responsibilities, school, self esteem, song, stress management, verbal communication

A hanukkah treasury | by 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!

Keywords: 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 butterfly | by Polacco, Patricia

When a little girls meets a ghost which turns out to be a girl that is hiding in the cellar with the rest of her family from the Nazi's. They form a friendship that is strong. But the friendship is broken up by the sudden movement of her and her family. But butterflies show that everything is fine even though they are apart.

Keywords: animals, author's note, bedtime, butterfly, decision making, family, feelings, french, hanukkah, happiness, holidays, Jewish, language, multicultural, parents, prejudice, racism, religion, sadness, self esteem, separation, stress management, verbal communication, war

The dragon wore pink | by Hope, Christopher

Tarquin is a dinosaur and his fellow dragon disowned him. After settling a quarrel between the dragons and people. Tarquin is criticized again. He and Ellio fly away.

Keywords: conflict resolution, decision making, dinosaur, dragons, friendship, magic, nonverbal communication, racism, verbal communication

Black like kyra, white like me | by Vigna, Judith

A young girl finds out about racial discrimination when it rears its ugly head in her neighborhood.

Keywords: african american, assertiveness, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, differences, discrimination, friendship, learning, multicultural, nonverbal communication, peer resistance, prejudice, racism, refusal skills, self esteem, stress management, understanding, verbal communication

Bright april | by De Angeli, Marguerite

April Bright's family encounters all sorts of racism as African Americans. April ends up making a new friend when prejudices are overcome.

Keywords: birthday, celebration, conflict, conflict resolution, family, parents, prejudice, racism, self esteem, siblings

The great shaking | by Carson, Jo

A bear tells the story of the great earthquake of 1811 In its own unique way, the bear describes the possible reasons for the earthquake and the changes that are made by the earthquake.

Keywords: bear, change, critical thinking, earthquake, nature, racism, shelter, survival

Peace crane | by Hamanaka, Sheila

A young African American girl learns about the Peace Crane, created by Sadako Sasaki, survivor of Hiroshima. The girl wishes the Peace Crane would take her away from the violence in her own world to a place without racism and violence.

Keywords: african american, author's note, birds, crane, death, dreams, feelings, hope, japanese, love, multicultural, nonverbal communication, peace, prejudice, racism, sadness, self esteem, verbal communication, violence, war

Birthday | by Steptoe, John

A little girl's family moves to Africa from America because of racism. The little girl's birthday is celebrated by the whole town.

Keywords: african american, birthday, celebration, community, conflict resolution, family, holidays, racism

Dinner at aunt connie's house | by Ringgold, Faith

While Melody and her aunt's adopted son, Lonnie, are playing hide-and-seek, they stumble upon something magical. They discover that her aunt's paintings can speak. Each of the paintings is a portrait of a famous African-American woman, who tells Melody and Lonnie of their accomplishments.

Keywords: accomplishment, african american, art, assertiveness, conflict resolution, discovery, family, food, goal setting, history, magic, multicultural, nutrition, pride, progress, racism, self esteem

Something beautiful | by Wyeth, Sharon Dennis

A little girl looks out her window only to see broken glass and trash in the court yard. She remembers her mother once told her everyone should have something beautiful. She sets out to look for something beautiful in her neighborhood.

White wash | by Shange, Ntozake

Helene-Angel is the only person in her class to have to wait for her brother, Mauricio to walk her home. On their walk home, a group of boys decide to pick on her. Her brother is out-numbered so the boys paint her white. She is devastated and refuses to leave her room. Find out how her grandma helps her overcome her fears.

Keywords: acceptance, african, aggression, american, apathy, appreciation, awareness, behavior, beliefs, bravery, challenges, chaos, family, feelings, frustration, mischief, multicultural, persistence, racism, resentment, stereotypes, support, uniqueness

Hidden child | by Millman, Isaac

Over fifty years have passed, and Isaac finally tells his story. He is one of the few survivors of the Holocaust. Isaac experiences many tragedies during the war including losing both parents, friends, and being left to strangers, but finally, was adopted into a home. Although he changes his name, he is adopted in a home where people grow to love him.

Keywords: adoption, autobiography, conflict resolution, decision making, family, fear, feelings, france, friendship, germany, history, Jewish, loneliness, multicultural, nonverbal communication, parents, peer resistance, photograph, politics, prison, racism, relationship, religion, rescue, sadness, safety, self esteem, separation, survival, war

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