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

Tags: reading

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An American story

Alexander, Kwame

An African American story is an American story of slavery, brutal conditions, struggle, and oppression. Remember the American story of hard work, pride, and strength in the fight for liberty as Black people stand up and speak out while "holding history in one hand and clenching hope in the other".

Tags

african american, body parts, bravery, culture, fairness, feelings, fight, food, future, history, hope, justice, leadership, literacy, multicultural, oppression, pride, reading, sadness, storytelling, war

That flag

Brown, Tameka Fryer

Tags

anger, author's note, bias, change, clothing, comparisons, conversation, differences, family, feelings, flag, friendship, games, hatred, history, illustrator's note, jump rope, learning, museum, neighbors, parents, quiet, racism, reading, recess, respect, sadness, school, technology, television, war

Where are my books?

Ohi, Debbie Ridpath

Spencer loves to read books every night at bedtime. He always puts the book back on the shelf before sleep. One morning, he noticed that his book was gone. A different book was missing the next day and the next day. Spencer finds his books being read by squirrels , so he helps them pick out their first book to read from his collection and also teaches them how to return books at the library so they can keep borrowing books to read. Spencer reads a book out loud to his sister and the squirrels - and everyone is happy.

Tags

animals, books, habit, library, literacy, lost, missing, parents, reading, rules, squirrel

Ruth and the green book

Ramsey, Calvin Alexander

Ruth and her parents drive from Chicago to Alabama to visit her grandma. Along the way, they saw signs that said "White Only" where they couldn't eat in the restaurants or use the bathroom inside. Ruth's mother had food packed for the trip, and they sang songs along the way to stay happy. They also visited a friend, Eddy, in Tennessee where Eddy and Ruth's daddy played music together. When the family drove into Georgia, a man explained "The Negro Motorist Green Book" which would list places in different states that would welcome black people who were traveling. Ruth and her family learns how to use the Green Book to find places to sleep, eat, shop, and get a haircut on their travels because Jim Crow laws were unfair and discriminatory against black people. When a 'tourist home' welcomes them for free, Ruth learns that it is important to help each other and treat others like a big family. After this lesson, she gives her Brown Bear to a little boy who was traveling away from home with his mother for the very first time. Ruth said that she no longer needed Brown Bear because she was too old now, then she told his mother about buying a Green Book for her travels.

Tags

african american, anger, author's note, books, car, conversation, discrimination, family, fear, feelings, food, friendship, grandparents, happiness, instruments, law, learning, literacy, map, multicultural, music, oppression, parents, reading, signs, singing, storytelling, toy, transportation, travel

Only passing through: The story of Sojourner Truth

Rockwell, Anne

A young woman named Isabella leads a strong and courageous life after being sold three times as a slave girl in the northeastern United States. After she is given a freedom day by a couple living nearby who knew of the 1827 New York law to set adults free, Isabella felt the "power of a nation" in court to win back her son who was unlawfully sold out of state. Isabella later heard God calling her to be a sojourner and spread her message about the value of freedom and what it had been like to be a slave. She would ask people "Is this any way to treat a human being"? Sojourner told her truth so well that she took the name Sojourner Truth and carried a white silk banner with the words "Proclaim Liberty" wherever she went.

Tags

african american, children, correspondence, courage, death, faith, family, feelings, fight, god, government, happiness, history, justice, law, loss, money, multicultural, oppression, parents, reading, sadness, singing, slavery, speech, timeline, travel, truth, writing

Schomburg: The man who built a library

Weatherford, Carole Boston

Amid the scholars, poets, authors, and artists of the Harlem Renaissance stood an Afro-Puerto Rican named Arturo Schomburg. This law clerk's life's passion was to collect books, letters, music, and art from Africa and the African diaspora and to bring light to the achievements of people of African descent through the ages. When Schomburg's collection became so big it began to overflow his house (and his wife threatened to mutiny), he turned to the New York Public Library, where he created and curated a collection that was the cornerstone of a new Negro Division. A century later, his groundbreaking collection, known as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, has become a beacon to scholars all over the world.

Tags

african american, art, books, careers, generations, history, library, multicultural, numbers, puerto rican, reading, research, respect

Someone builds the dream

Wheeler, Lisa

Many skilled workers, craftsmen, and tradesmen help to build each dream of a community in order for it to become a house, a park, or a bridge. After many many examples of how dreams are made and constructed, you learn how an author and illustrator are also a dream team that makes a book for you.

Tags

books, bridge, buildings, careers, computer, construction, dreams, energy, hard work, library, machines, playground, reading, science, teamwork, technology, tools, tractor, transportation, truck

Hello muddah, hello faddah! A letter from camp

Davis, Jack E.

On a rainy first day at Camp Granada, a young camper writes home to "Muddah" and "Faddah" to ask them to let him leave the difficult place. The lyrics of this camp song is a letter from camp with all the jokes aside.

Tags

alligator, baseball, bear, boat, bodies of water, body parts, camping, careers, correspondence, diseases, family, hiking, lost, lyrics, parents, reading, reptiles, siblings, song, sports, swimming

One little bag: An amazing journey

Cole, Henry

Beginning as a tree in the forest, a paper bag is made and given to a little boy as he shops in the market. Over time, the boy reuses this bag, meets his wife, and has a baby. One day, the baby's grandfather passes away, and instead of carrying the bag around, they plant a tree in it to honor the family member they lost.

Tags

art, bedtime, car, children, emotions, forest, grandparents, instruments, library, love, music, photograph, plants, reading, recycling, symbols, transportation, tree, truck, wedding, woods

Blue

Seeger, Laura Vaccaro

A boy and his dog go through their lives together and experience different things associated with the color blue. Whether they are playing with blue butterflies or picking blue blueberries together, they love spending time with each other. One day, the boy’s dog passes away and, with time, he gets a new puppy to share his life with.

Tags

activities, animals, baby, balloon, beach, birds, bodies of water, books, butterfly, cardinal, colors, companion, death, dog, feelings, insects, loss, love, play, rain, reading, relationship, running, sadness, sea, sledding, sleep, snow, transportation, wagon, weather

Lola loves stories

McQuinn, Anna

Lola and her dad go to the library on Saturdays to pick out books to read during the week. Every time Lola reads a book, she acts it out the next day. If she reads about building, she becomes a builder. If Lola reads a book about fairies, she becomes a fairy. What will Lola be next?

Tags

acting, african american, animals, baby, bedtime, books, buildings, clothing, companion, cow, creativity, Days of The Week, family, imagination, library, love, multicultural, parents, reading, relationship, routine, royalty, shoes, storytelling, tiger, tools, travel, wilderness

Going down home with daddy

Lyons, Kelly Starling

Alan looks forward to the annual family reunion at the farm where Daddy grew up, but everyone is suppose to share something special and Alan worries about arriving with empty hands.

Tags

car, celebration, family, feelings, geography, instruments, music, performance, reading, reunion, sharing, sleep, storytelling, tractor, travel, worry

Overground railroad

Cline-Ransome, Lesa

One day, Ruth Ellen and her family leave North Carolina to travel North to New York City, looking for a better life and a brighter future in a society without segregation. During their travels, Ruth Ellen read a book about Frederick Douglass's journey and how his experiences compared to hers. Despite these differences, both traveled in pursuit of a common goal.

Tags

african american, bodies of water, body parts, family, farm, feelings, food, freedom, games, grandparents, history, moon, multicultural, neighbors, parents, reading, river, train, transportation, travel, walking, writing

The hard-times jar

Smothers, Ethel Footman

Emma is a book-loving girl whose parents are poor migrant workers. She decides to pick apples to add money to the hard-times jar. But this year, she attends school which happens to have a whole library of books. Emma's mom reminds her of something important when she eventually follows the rules.

Tags

books, family, farmer, hard work, learning, money, parents, reading, rules, school

Vegetable dreams

Jeffers, Dawn

Erin dreams about having a garden. Her parents allow her to share a garden with her neighbor, Mr. Martinez. Erin cares for her garden everyday and enjoys eating and canning the fresh food with her family. She learns that she loves learning and the friendship developed with Mr. Martinez more than the vegetables themselves.

Anna's corn

Santucci, Barbara

Anna visits Grandpa's cornfield. She can hear the corn making beautiful music as the wind blows. Grandpa gets Anna corn kernels to plant next autumn, and the two agree that Anna will grow corn on her own. That winter, Grandpa dies. Anna wants to hold onto the seeds to remember Grandpa. She decides to plant them instead so she can hear the corn make music again. By next fall, the corn grows, Anna hears the music, and she collects kernels to plant corn for next year.

Tags

conflict resolution, coping, death, decision making, family, farm, farmer, feelings, five senses, food, garden, grandparents, hearing, illness, loss, month, nutrition, rain, reading, rhythm, role model, sadness, seasons, signs, song, stress management, vegetables, weather, writing

Pastry school in Paris: An adventure in capacity

Neuschwander, Cindy

A family and their children travel to Paris and visit a pastry academy. The kids work with others to practice baking. When a situation arises, the kids are called to save the day by making brownies for the competition.

Annie Rose is my little sister

Hughes, Shirley

A little boy and his baby sister do everything together. They each have friends of their own, but spend time doing things mostly with one another.

Tags

anger, beach, bodies of water, books, diving, exercise, exploration, family, feelings, flowers, friendship, games, happiness, love, ocean, parents, reading, relationship, siblings, swimming, toys, verbal communication

Monster has a party

Blance, Ellen & Cook, Ann

Monster and his friend plan and prepare for Monster's birthday party. Monster becomes sad when no one shows up because of the parents' fears of Monster. His sadness disappears after Monster saves people from a burning buildin, the parents' fears fade and the children come to his party.

Tags

aging, behavior, beliefs, bias, birthday, celebration, decision making, emergency, feelings, fire, games, monsters, preparation, reading, rescue, sadness, writing

Minnie and moo go to paris

Cazet, Denys

Minnie and Moo go to see Africa, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and a monsoon in China all in time to be milked in America by five. Moo's delighted to see new places and new faces during her journey.

Tags

adventures, africa, america, animals, bus, china, companion, confusion, cow, culture, curiosity, determination, farm, food, france, friendship, glasses, multicultural, reading, recognition, transportation, travel, verbal communication

Ruby's wish

Bridges, Shirin Yim

Ruby is known for wearing red and being an exceptionally bright student. Even during a time in China when ...most girls were never taught to read and write. However, Ruby's grandfather hires a teacher to come to the house, making it possible for any grandchild living in the house to learn. This initiates a desire in Ruby to attend university, a place that women in China were not encouraged to go.\r\n*Based on a true story of the author's grandmother.

Tags

acceptance, accomplishment, ambition, appreciation, art, asian, assertiveness, beliefs, change, china, chinese, conflict, conflict resolution, courage, culture, customs, decision making, dedication, depression, determination, disappointment, emotions, encouragement, equality, excitement, family, frustration, generations, giving, goal setting, grandparents, happiness, independence, individuality, intelligence, kindness, language, learning, listening, new year, nonverbal communication, obedience, parade, patience, persistence, poetry, prevention, progress, reading, recognition, refusal skills, relationship, relief, resentment, resolution, role model, school, self confidence, self esteem, skills, stress management, support, symbols, sympathy, teaching, traditions, understanding, verbal communication, wealth, wish, writing

Guji Guji

Chen Chih-Yuan

A rolling egg finds a home in a duck nest. It wasn't until three crocodiles find Guji Guji that she may not be a duck. The crocodiles ask Guji Guji to trap his family for them to eat. Instead Guji Guji, with the help of his duck family, drop heavy rocks into the crocodiles open mouths.

Tags

animals, birds, books, comparisons, crocodile, duck, family, feelings, fight, food, loyalty, reading

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.

I hate to be sick!

Bermiss, Aamir Lee

A young boy wakes up feeling ill with a sore throat, cough, fever, and aching body. He soon realizes that he will not be able to attend school that day and experiences feelings of disappointment, since he will miss his friends and school activities. However, after eating soup and reading a bood with his father, the boy realizes that although he hates to be sick, he can get well again and return to school by eating well and resting.

Tags

anger, disappointment, emotions, family, feelings, frustration, health, helping, illness, medicine, parents, reading, school, siblings

Baby brains

James, Simon

Baby Brains is a child prodigy! As an infant, his intelligence is that of a brilliant adult. His infancy is occupied by going to school, being a doctor and travelling to space. One day, he realizes that he really just wants his mommy.

Tags

acceptance, baby, challenges, child care, doctor, family, feelings, fun, intelligence, learning, newspaper, pregnancy, reading, school, space, transportation, understanding

Please bury me in the library

Lewis, J. Patrick

This unique collection of prose utilizes a variety of poetry styles and play on word techniques. Learn about reading, words, and libraries as gardens with unsurpassed growing excitement.

Tags

books, imagination, library, poetry, reading, rhyme, rhythm, vocabulary

Hip, hug, hooray!

Tangvald, Christine

Do you know how many types of hugs there are? Look and learn how hugs are imporatant everywhere and everyday.

Tags

activities, affection, animals, baby, bath, beach, bedtime, birds, birthday, books, caring, celebration, church, cleanliness, climbing, dog, family, feelings, food, friendship, glasses, god, grandparents, happiness, hygiene, lake, library, love, night, parents, party, picnic, playground, rabbit, rain, reading, religion, sand, seasons, sheep, snow, soccer, sports, squirrel, storytelling, summer, swimming, tree, umbrella, weather, winter

Hunter bunny learns to ski

Weaver, Alexis Rae

Hunter Bunny is eagerly awaiting for winter to arrive and is determined to take part in all the activities that come along with it. He visits his fellow animal friends who teach him to ski, skate and snowboard, but with Hunter Bunny's shorter leg, he is unable to be successful. With the help of his best friend Clark, the two find a way for Hunter to be able to ski in the animal ski race. Determined to win, Hunter Bunny practices day and night for the big competition and it pays off in the end when he brings home the first place ribbon.

Tags

accidents, activities, animals, anticipation, challenges, cold, colors, competition, confidence, determination, disability, dreams, encouragement, excitement, exercise, family, feelings, friendship, handicap, helping, learning, parents, practice, preparation, problem solving, protection, rabbit, reading, sadness, safety, seasons, skating, skiing, sledding, sleep, snow, sports, support, surprises, teaching, teamwork, teasing, uniqueness, wind, winter, zoo

Oh say can you say?

Seuss, Dr.

Oh say can you say is filled with tongue twisters to make the reading fun and challenging. The story features pages of rhymes ranging from animals to people.

Tags

beach, birds, boat, bones, books, christmas, colors, dinosaur, dog, duck, family, fish, island, money, monkey, music, parrot, pig, poetry, rain, reading, rhyme, storm, travel, umbrella, water, whale

The underbed

Hoellworth, Cathryn Clinton

Tucker is unable to fall asleep at night until his mom helps him scare away the underbed that Tucker says is living under his bed.

Tags

bedtime, books, counting, family, fear, feelings, gymnastics, jumping, parents, reading, sports

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

The whole green world

Johnston, Tony

Put on your shoes and prepare to walk the world! Learn all that goes into planting and growing seeds then watch as the world turns green. Animated text and vibrant illustrations detail this rhyming story so you can dance the whole green world.

Tags

animals, ant, bee, beetle, birds, colors, dancing, dog, exercise, family, feelings, flowers, food, garden, goal setting, happiness, insects, nature, nutrition, parents, plants, reading, seasons, seed, self esteem, tree, verbal communication

Alec's primer

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.

Do not open this book!

Muntean, Michaela

A pig tries to dissuade the readers from opening the book because it is not finished yet. However, as the reader turns the pages, a frustrated pig realizes the book is being written after all.

Tags

accidents, animals, books, conflict, conflict resolution, disobedience, feelings, frustration, pig, reading, writing

Lucy's quiet book

Medearis, Angela Shelf

An annoyed Lucy decides to go the library to get away from her brothers. The librarian gives her a book to quiet her brothers down. Once Lucy begins to read to her brothers, they quiet down and Lucy learns the positive effects of books.

Emma's magic winter

Little, Jean

When a new neighbor named Sally moves in, Emma learns to overcome her shyness and her fear of reading out loud to her schoolmates. Early readers can explore their friendships and activities during winter then spring.

Tags

clothing, exercise, family, food, friendship, imagination, jumping, magic, mountains, nature, neighbors, play, reading, school, seasons, self esteem, shyness, siblings, sledding, snow, spring, verbal communication, weather, winter

A seed was planted/ Sembre una semilla

Palazeti, Toulla

A wonderful cycle of giving begins when a single seed is planted and sprouts are passed along from one person to the next. An entire community is touched.

Tags

adaptation, animals, birthday, diary, dog, english, family, giving, holidays, idiom, illness, language, multicultural, neighbors, pattern, pets, picnic, plants, presents, reading, school, seed, siblings, spanish, tree, water, woods

Marco Flamingo/ Marco Flamenco

Jarkins, Sheila

Marco is just a regular flamingo with one problem, he wants to be a winter bird. Watch what happens when he travels north for the winter.

Tags

birds, duck, firefly, flamingo, fly, goose, ice, insects, language, letters, migration, pelican, reading, research, seasons, skiing, sledding, snow, snowman, spanish, weather, winter

Teacher! Sharing, helping, caring

Hubbell, Patricia

Great big school! In we go! Our teacher greets us, waves hello! A teacher and her class do lots of interesting things throughout the week. They paint, read, look at weather charts, count money, work on the computer, and greet a special guest. The students not only learn, but they have fun, too. And so does the teacher!

Tags

african american, alphabet, art, asian american, careers, caring, computer, cooperation, Days of The Week, garden, helping, learning, multicultural, music, numbers, playground, reading, role model, school, teaching

The buffalo storm

Applegate, Katherine

Hallie and her parents are leaving their home in Nebraska and setting out in a wagon for Oregon. Hallie is sad to leave her home and her grandmother, but she isn't afraid. She is'nt afraid of anything, except for storms. When hallie experiences her greatest storm she's ever seen during her journey, she isn't afraid, though, thanks to her grandmother's beloved quilt and kind words.

Tags

animals, autumn, baby, barn, bodies of water, buffalo, chicken, clouds, coyote, creek, family, fear, forest, grandparents, horse, lizard, ox, parents, pig, pioneers, prairie dog, quilt, rain, reading, rocks, seasons, siblings, sky, storm, summer, transportation, travel, wagon, weather, winter, writing

Dooby dooby moo

Cronin, Doreen

Duck and his friends decide to participate in the county fair, behind Farmer Brown's back. Farmer Brown knows his animals are up to something, but doesn't know what. To keep them out of trouble, he takes them to the fair with him. Little does he knnow, that's exactly where they wanted to be!

Tags

animals, barn, cat, cow, dancing, day, dog, duck, fair, jumping, moon, mouse, newspaper, night, performance, pig, practice, reading, repetition, rhyme, sheep, sleep, song, stars, transportation, truck

Shoo, fly guy

Arnold, Tedd

Fly guy comes home to find that Buzz is on a picnic with his parents. Fly guy is hungry, so he decides to find his family's picnic location by searching for his favorite brown, oozy, lumpy, smelly food. After coming across many food thatfit part of the decription, he finally find his favorite food and the picnic.

Tags

animals, birds, colors, dog, fly, food, frog, horse, hunger, insects, lost, mountains, nature, persistence, picnic, reading, repetition, surprises, vulture

The useful moose: A truthful, moose-full tale

Robinson, Fiona

Molly loves moose so much that her family vacationed in Alaska, so that she could see them up close; except when they got there the moose had left for a vacation in the city. Once in the city, she saw moose everywhere and befriended three young moose who were tired and needed rest. She invited the moose to stay with them when they cooked, cleaned, and became part of the family. The moose became homesick for their own family, so they went back to Alaska. Molly was sad when she invited the moose to her birthday party and they didnﾒt respond, but they surprised her by jumping out of an airplane at her party and promised to come back often.

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

Louanne pig in the talent show

Carlson, Nancy

Louanne's school is putting on a talent show. There's only one problem though: Louanne doesn't have a talent. When an unexpected turn of events causes Louanne to step up to the plate, she discovers her hidden talent: saving the day!

Tags

acrobat, acting, animals, bear, books, dancing, feelings, happiness, helping, instruments, performance, pig, practice, rabbit, reading, sadness, success, telephone

Monster goes to the beach

Blance, Ellen // Cook, Ann

On a nice sunny day, Monster and the little boy and little girl go to the beach. While relaxing near the water, all the children came over to ask Monster to play hide and seek. Monster hides, but the children always find him. They tell Monster to hide where he cannot be found, so he covers himself with sand. When the children canﾒt find him, they play on a sand hill. Soon, a boy begins to dig in the sand and found Monster.

Tags

beach, bodies of water, bus, conflict resolution, critical thinking, feelings, food, glasses, happiness, monsters, newspaper, peace, reading, relaxation, sun, umbrella, verbal communication

Monster and the toy sale

Blance, Ellen // Cook, Ann

Monster and the little boy see an ad in the newspaper that reads ﾓTOY SALE TODAY!ﾔ Together, they bicycle to the store. On their journey, they are very helpful to others. Monster and the little boy serve as policemen to direct traffic, and as mangers at the toy store. They are so busy that they run out of time to shop for their own toys. Everyone is grateful for their unselfish behavior.

The monster behind the wall

Herbert, Barbara N.

Danny moves to a new house and discovers a monster on the other side of their garden wall. The monster throws Dannyﾒs soccer ball back to him, talks, plays, and eats candy with Danny. At school the next day, Danny plays soccer and gets tripped. Both boys yell nasty names at each other. Then, Danny goes home to talk to the monster, Fred, but he wasnﾒt there. Later, a huge thunderstorm tears down the wall, and Danny sees that ﾓFredﾔ is the child that tripped him during soccer. They become fast friends, tear the wall down, and play soccer together

Supersister

Cadena, Beth

Supersister is always thinking of ways she can help her pregnant mother. In the morning on the way to school, she forgets two things: to tie her mother's shoes and to give her mother a kiss. Throughout the day, she does all her chores and thinks of new ways to help her mother. At the end of the day she forgets the same two things, but when she remembers her mother says, Like I always say, you're going to be a super sister.

Tags

assertiveness, baby, bedtime, books, critical thinking, exercise, family, five senses, goal setting, helping, nonverbal communication, numbers, pets, playground, pregnancy, reading, school, self esteem, siblings, sounds, teacher

April fool! Watch out at school!

DeGroat, Diane

It's April Fool's Day so Gilbert is excited to trick his friends. Throughout the day, his friends keep on tricking him, but he can't seem to trick anyone else. Gilbert doesn't give up though: he has one more trick in mind. The rest of the afternoon, he's extra nice to Lewis. Lewis gets so nervous about what Gilbert's trick is, the other classmates manage to trick him. At the end of the day, Lewis finds out Gilbert didn't have a trick after all. He had been tricked!

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