Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Alejandro's gift | by Albert, Richard

A lonely man plants a garden full of vegetables in the middle of the desert. A wide array of desert wildlife finds their way to his garden and watering hole. He wants to be friends with the animals and help them.

Keywords: animals, author's note, badger, birds, cactus, caring, coyote, critical thinking, deer, desert, donkey, dove, feelings, fox, friendship, garden, habitat, hummingbird, loneliness, mouse, plants, presents, rabbit, rat, responsibilities, shelter, skunk, sparrow, squirrel, tortoise, wildlife, woodpecker, wren

The story of frog belly rat bone | by Ering, Timothy Basil

A boy discovers an unexpected treasure at the junk yard. After some of the treasure is stolen, he makes a creature to stand guard. As they patiently wait, their treasure blooms into a gorgeous garden for them to enjoy.

Keywords: animals, anticipation, critical thinking, dedication, excitement, flowers, garden, goal setting, patience, plants, prevention, problem solving, protection, rabbit, rat, robbery, teamwork

Hooway for woodney wat | by Lester, Helen

Rodney Rat has a speech impediment. He can't even say his own name. The other students make fun of him unil he becomes the class hero by running off the class bully.

Keywords: acceptance, animals, body parts, bully, counting, feelings, guinea pig, heroism, jumping, numbers, play, playground, rat, school, speech, teasing

What's inside? The alphabet book | by Kitamura, Satoshi

Playful pictures prompt each letter's picture and word. The guessing game aspect of this format sets it apart from typical alphabet book (A wordless book).

Keywords: alphabet, birds, cat, critical thinking, dog, elephant, fire engine, hippopotamus, iguana, kite, morning, night, octopus, rat, sequence, snow, tiger, transportation, umbrella, woodpecker, zebra

The steel pan of Harlem | by Bootman, Colin

The city of Harlem has rats everywhere in houses, subways, restaurants, stores and business, and the citizens are fed up! One day, a steel pan man comes to the subway station and when he plays his music everyone is entranced, even the rats. He tells the mayor that he will fix the rat problem if the mayor pays him a million dollars. The mayor reluctantly agrees and the man keeps his promise. However, the mayor, does not keep his end of the bargain, so he is given what he deserves!

Keywords: african american, anger, animals, body parts, cat, citizen, conflict resolution, dancing, exercise, feelings, frustration, instruments, magic, money, multicultural, music, neighbors, politics, rat, subway, transportation, trust

The birthday pet | by Javernick, Ellen

Danny can have a pet for his birthday and he knows exactly what he wants. The other members of his family think differently.

Keywords: animals, birds, birthday, cat, decision making, dog, family, food, hygiene, parents, pattern, pets, presents, rat, rhyme, turtle, walking

Why the bush fowl calls at sunrise | by Tredgold, Margaret

In this folktale from Zimbabwe, a repeated sequence of inadvertent events between people, animals, and objects lead to the bush fowlﾒs eggs being crushed. The bush fowl is too sad to call the sun in the morning so the Great Spirit intervenes. As each participant is questioned by the Great Spirit, the sequence is repeated and deconstructed. Finally, the buzzing fly is restricted to saying only ﾓBUZZﾔ and the bush fowl promises to always call the sun in the morning.

Keywords: african, animals, birds, elephant, fly, folktale, insects, multicultural, rat, sequence, snake, sounds, zimbabwe

Picnic with piggins | by Yolen, Jane

Piggins the butler solves the mystery of Mrs. Reynard's disappearing necklace before anyone else.

Keywords: animals, critical thinking, dog, fox, loss, mystery, picnic, pig, rabbit, rat, reptiles, turtle

Miranda and the cat | by Smith, Linell

A young girl named Miranda discovers an alley cat while playing ball in her neighborhood. She tries to win the cat's heart by bringing him food every night and making sure he's okay. One night, she finds him injured. She takes him into her home, nurses him back to health, and lets him go, despite knowing she will never see him again.

Keywords: animals, assertiveness, cat, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, determination, dog, family, feelings, fish, food, happiness, injury, nonverbal communication, parents, pets, rat, responsibilities, sadness, safety, siblings, verbal communication

Inspector hopper | by Cushman, Doug

Inspector Hopper and his partner McBugg work as a team to solve several mysterious case. Join them as they look for Mrs. Ladybug who strangely disappears. Find out what happens to the officer's boat. And discover how they catch a thief with additional help.

Keywords: adventures, caterpillar, clouds, critical thinking, grasshopper, hunger, insects, investigation, ladybug, light, missing, moon, mosquito, mystery, rat, sky, snail, spider, worm, worry

Cinderella's rat | by Meddaugh, Susan

Cinderella's fairy godmother turns a rat into a coachboy. The coachboy loves that he has more food to eat and less enemies (cats). But what will he do when someone wants to harm his sister (a rat)?

Keywords: animals, cat, challenges, conflict resolution, critical thinking, fantasy, godmother, humor, magic, protection, rat, siblings, stress management, surprises, verbal communication

Nene | by Coste, Marion

The female nene keeps watch over her eggs, while the male nene stays close by watching for danger. When the eggs finally hatch, the birds must keep close watch over the baby goslings so that no cats, rats, or mongooses eat the young. The family must stay in this area for a few months, waiting until the babies get their flying wings. Not all of the goslings survive the wait, but when all the new feathers grow in, the family flies from the land near the ocean to the mountain.

Keywords: animals, author's note, birds, birth, bodies of water, cat, challenges, change, escape, family, goose, habitat, mountains, ocean, parents, protection, rat, seasons, summer, survival, winter

We are all in the dumps with jack and guy | by Sendak, Maurice

There are two rhymes that precede one another to make a story about kids that are homeless. Two mean rats take one child and some kittens, and the children go after him. Jack and Guy later find the boy and the mother of the kittens. They all go and save the kittens. Jack and Guy take care of the little boy.

Keywords: african american, animals, critical thinking, feelings, food, happiness, multicultural, nonverbal communication, nutrition, rat, sadness, stress management, verbal communication

Why rat comes first | by Yen, Clara

Jade King invites all of the animals in the land to his palace. When only 12 animals arrive, he decides to honor each within the 12 years of the calendar cycle. This explains the story behind the Chinese Zodiac and why the rat comes first.

Keywords: animals, calendar, celebration, chinese, cycle, month, multicultural, rat, royalty, sequence

The porcelain cat | by Hearn, Michael Patrick

Sorcerer has a terrible problem with rats. To solve his problem, the Sorcerer changes his porcelain cat into a real cat. In order for this to happen, his apprentice Nickon searches for a bargain is a bargain and uses social interactions to fulfill his sorcerer's request.

Keywords: animals, birds, boat, bodies of water, brook, cat, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, family, hummingbird, mythical, night, nutrition, rat, river, stress management, transportation, verbal communication, weather, witches

Hooway for wodney wat | by Lester, Helen

Rodney Rat is constantly made fun of by his classmates because he cannot pronounce his r's. Rodney saves the day and earns respect fromhis classmates when he saves them from the class bully.

Keywords: alliteration, animals, bully, conflict resolution, feelings, geography, numbers, peer resistance, playground, rat, sadness, school, self esteem, shyness, speech, teasing

Rabbit makes a monkey out of a lion | by Aardema, Verna

Rabbit and his friends have crossed lion by eating his honey. Lion chases Rabbit two days in a row, but does not catch him. Both times Rabbit outsmarts him. However, Rabbit learns his lesson to stop stealing Lion's honey.

Keywords: anger, animals, assertiveness, birds, decision making, feelings, food, forest, lion, rabbit, rat, refusal skills, teasing, turtle

Dumpy la rue | by Winthrop, Elizabeth

Dumpy La Rue is a pig with a passion for dancing. All of the other animals, including his family, keep telling Dumpy that pigs can't dance. But Dumpy doesn't listen and soon all of the animals are dancing with him.

Keywords: animals, assertiveness, beliefs, birds, cow, dancing, determination, exercise, family, fox, french, fun, goat, goose, horse, language, learning, mule, music, passion, pig, rat, rhyme, sheep, turkey

The church mice spread their wings | by Oakley, Graham

Humphrey and the other mice decide to go back to nature, and Sampson, the church cat, follows. They experience lots of adventures and also realize how much they love their home.

Keywords: adventures, animals, assertiveness, birds, cat, conflict resolution, exercise, goal setting, homesickness, mouse, owl, rat, verbal communication, walking

Tuttle's shell | by Murdocca, Sal

Tuttle, the turtle, loses his shell, so he stays inside a pumpkin. Gradually, he runs into different animals in the forest, and they all pull together to find his shell.

Keywords: animals, beaver, birds, caring, conflict resolution, cooperation, critical thinking, friendship, helping, lost, mouse, rabbit, rat, reptiles, shelter, snake, turtle, verbal communication, wolf

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