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

Tags: recreation

1
2
3
4
Next
Last

Sort by:

Halmoni and the picnic

Choi, Sook Nyul

Yunmi wants her grandmother, Halmoni to feel at home in New York City. However, Halmoni is having trouble adjusting to the American customs that differ so much from the customs of her native Korea. Yunmi's friends suggest that Halmoni chaperone the annual class picnic to Central Park. It may be an opportunity to open-up and feel comfortable in her new home.

When Catherine the Great and I were eight!

Best, Cari

Sara, her mother, and Russian grandmother Catherine the Great, pile into Mr. Minsky's car along with a few of their other neighbors. They make their way to the beach to escape the heat of the hot summer day. Although they find it takes longer than planned to reach the beach, everyone has fun along the way.

Big jabe

Nolan, Jerdine

Momma Mary goes back in time and tells stories of a unique young man named Jabe, who is responsible for creating magic among the slaves of the Plenty Plantation. He is described as a hero with the strength of fifty men, a big heart, and a wondrous gift at leading slaves away to freedom.

Tags

african, african american, animals, bee, chicken, cow, fable, fantasy, feelings, fish, fishing, flood, food, freedom, generations, happiness, heroism, horse, hunger, magic, multicultural, mystery, nonverbal communication, plants, recreation, river, slavery, storytelling, tornado, tree, uniqueness, unselfish, weather, wind

Three days on a river in a red canoe

Williams, Vera B

A boy and his brother Sam take a canoe trip with their mother and aunt and engage in a variety of adventurous activities along the way.

Tags

birds, boat, bodies of water, camping, car, cat, family, fire, fish, fishing, fog, food, heron, island, listening, maps, moose, morning, mosquito, preparation, rainbow, recipe, recreation, rescue, river, safety, shelter, shopping, sky, sleep, stars, storytelling, sun, swimming, travel, water, weather

The tremendous tree book

Brenner, Barbara // Garelick, May

Characteristics of different trees are given with descriptions of different leaves. Tree history, tree survival strategies and uses of trees by both humans and wildlife are shared.

Tags

autumn, classification, food, forest, geography, habitat, identification, nature, nutrition, observation, plants, recreation, reproduction, rhyme, seasons, seed, spring, temperature, tree, wildlife, woods

Chipper's choices

Boegehold, Betty

Chipper makes up five stories, riddles, and songs for his friends so they can have something to do when the winter season comes.

Tags

assertiveness, conflict resolution, critical thinking, differences, fear, friendship, imagination, individuality, recreation, seasons, self esteem, song, storytelling, winter

Have you seen wilhelmina krumph?

Chasek, Judith

Everyday, Wilhelmina Krumph disappears when she should be washing her windows like all the other housewives. They follow her one day and discover that she rides a motorcycle along a dirt road everyday. They see what fun it is and join her.

Tags

assertiveness, careers, decision making, independence, motorcycle, peer resistance, play, recreation, responsibilities, transportation, verbal communication

Frog and toad

Lobel, Arnold

Frog and Toad are friends, and they have many adventures together. They run, play and swim together. They cheer each other up when they are feeling down.

Tags

adventures, amphibians, feelings, friendship, frog, play, recreation, self esteem, toad

Africa brothers and sisters

Kroll, Virginia

At lunchtime Daddy and Jesse play their favorite game: a question and answer game about people who live in Africa and the ways in which they are connected to Jesse.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, clothing, community, critical thinking, dancing, family, farm, fishing, games, geography, giraffe, jewelry, maps, multicultural, parents, recreation, siblings, storytelling, traditions, verbal communication, village

The hunter

Geraghty, Paul

Jamina goes looking for honey in the bush with her grandfather. She hopes to see an elephant, but her grandfather tells her that it is not likely since the hunters have come. Jamina tells her grandfather that she wants to be a hunter. When she helps a little elephant whose mother was shot by hunters, she realizes she never wants to be a hunter.

Tags

african, animals, community, elephant, family, grandparents, helping, hunting, lion, lost, multicultural, nature, recreation, rescue, rhinoceros, village, violence

John Willy and Freddie Mcgee

Meade, Holly

Two guinea pigs, John Willy and Freddy McGee, are bored of sitting in their cage where nothing ever changes. One day, when their cage door is left open, the guinea pigs decide to go exploring throughout the house. They end up traveling through the tunnel of a pool table and run for their lives when pool balls start rolling through the tunnel. The guinea pigs run for the safety of their cage but when they get there and see how everything is the same, they leave to start a new adventure.

Tags

adventures, animals, boredom, cat, colors, courage, discovery, dog, escape, exploration, games, guinea pig, independence, recreation, sounds

How I captured a dinosaur

Schwartz, Henry

Liz captures an Albertosaurus dinosaur while in Baja, California with her family. Albert soon becomes a friend and moves back to Los Angeles with them where he enjoys running through the sprinkler.

Tags

critical thinking, dinosaur, family, friendship, nonverbal communication, play, recreation, travel

Molasses man

May, Kathy L.

A young boy and his family make molasses every summer. This summer the sourghum turns into a recipe that the boy's Grandfather has perfected. The boy spends his summer days helping his family make molasses and playing outside during the cooking process. While some molasses is cooling, Mama and her sisters pour it into glass jars and set up a stand near the road for passers-by.

Tags

african american, animals, author's note, books, community, cooking, family, farm, five senses, food, games, generations, glasses, grandparents, happiness, hard work, horse, moving, mule, neighbors, noise, observation, parents, plants, playing, pretend, recreation, sequence, smell, teamwork, traditions

Pig william

Dubanevich, Arlene

William takes his time doing everything. One day he messes around so long that he misses the bus and also the school picnic. At home, William takes his fish and radio outside for his own picnic. At the school picnic, it starts to rain and the picnic is cancelled. By the time his brothers arrive home, it stopped raining and they join in his picnic.

Tags

decision making, family, music, picnic, play, procrastination, rain, recreation, school, self esteem, siblings, time, transportation, weather

Winter rescue

Valgardson, W.D.

Thor wants to stay inside and watch cartoons on T.V. One day his grandfather needs help ice fishing and Thor is volunterred to help. Thor goes with grandfather, and the two ice fish for the entire day in the bitter cold. Thor ends up saving a man who falls through the ice.

Tags

accidents, bodies of water, clothing, cold, culture, emergency, fishing, food, ice, injury, lake, neighbors, nutrition, recreation, rescue, snow, storytelling, technology, television, weather, wind, winter

Song and dance man

Ackerman, Karen

When the children go to visit their grandpa, he takes them to the attic to show his three grandchildren what he used to do for entertainment before television was invented. He dresses up in his hat, vest, and cane, then begins to dance and sing for his grandchildren. When they go downstairs, they wonder how much he misses the good old days.

Tags

aging, clothing, dancing, exercise, family, grandparents, imagination, memories, nonverbal communication, play, recreation, respect, self esteem, technology, television

The pig in the pond

Waddell, Martin

Neligan's pig jumps into the pond on a hot summer day. Neligan sees his pig and decides to go for a swim himself. All the other animals jump in for one giant splash!

Tags

animals, bodies of water, conflict resolution, exercise, friendship, pig, play, pond, recreation, seasons, summer, swimming

A river dream

Say, Allen

Mark is sick in bed. He opens a box from his uncle and finds many wonderful things to prepare him for a boat trip with his uncle.

Tags

boat, family, goal setting, illness, nature, presents, recreation, surprises, transportation

A near thing for captain najork

Hoban, Russell

Tom finds that Captain Najork is not as hard to beat at games after all. Tom wins at more than games.

Tags

competition, conflict resolution, determination, games, imagination, play, recreation, success

My yellow ball

Lillegard, Dee

Five times a young girl throws her ball into the sky. With each throw, her imagination grows more and more as her ball travels to different parts of the world where it encounters various people and animals. On her last throw, the ball strikes a star and the girl makes a delightful wish.

Tags

animals, birds, chimpanzee, coyote, desert, fish, geography, hawk, imagination, jungle, octopus, pets, play, recreation, seal, stars, swordfish, toys, travel, tuna

Let's play as a team!

Halliman, P. K.

Kids like to play as a team no matter what they do -- football, soccer, baseball and all kinds of sports. When they're done playing, it doesn't matter who wins or loses as long as they all had a great time while they were playing. Join these kids in their fun-filled day of teamwork.

Tags

acceptance, baseball, basketball, change, cooperation, decision making, disability, excitement, exercise, football, friendship, fun, games, kindness, play, playground, recreation, responsibilities, rules, running, soccer, sports, success, teamwork

Frank and ernest play ball

Day, Alexandra

Frank and Ernest are a bear and an elephant who need jobs. Mr. Palmer lets them manage his baseball team. They do not know very much about baseball so they are always looking up baseball terms in the baseball dictionary.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, baseball, bear, careers, elephant, language, learning, recreation, responsibilities, song, sports, teamwork, verbal communication

A walk on a snowy night

Delton, Judy

A girl and her father go out in the snow together. They see many of the normal sights, but they look different at night covered with snow. They stop at a local cafe to get hot chocolate before bundling up their coats and walking home.

Tags

beverage, community, exercise, family, five senses, food, night, nonverbal communication, parents, recreation, seasons, snow, verbal communication, weather, winter

Next door to Laura Linda

Udry, Janice May

Laura Linda was not happy with anything she had. She wished she had a perfect little girl to play with in her tree house and yellow house next door. Finally, a little boy moved in next door and invited her to play in his treehouse if he could swing on her tree.

Tags

conflict resolution, feelings, friendship, moving, neighbors, plants, play, recreation, sadness, self esteem, sharing, shelter, verbal communication

See you in second grade

Cohen, Miriam

A first grade class spends their last day of school at the beach. They are afraid of going onto second grade, but the teacher assures them it will be fun. When they go home for the summer, they are excited about what the next school year may bring.

Tags

beach, bodies of water, change, conflict resolution, cooperation, fear, growing up, memories, nonverbal communication, play, recreation, school, seasons, self esteem, summer, verbal communication

No jumping on the bed

Arnold, Ted

Walter always wanted to jump on his bed. One night he dreamed that he fell through the floor. When he awoke, he never wanted to jump on his bed again.

Tags

assertiveness, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, injury, nonverbal communication, recreation, refusal skills, rules, safety, verbal communication

Hunter and his dog

Wildsmith, Brian

A dog is raised by a hunting dog, but refuses to bring back the wounded birds. Instead he brings back sticks. The hunting dog is ashamed at first, but then begins to help the wounded birds fly away to safety.

Tags

assertiveness, birds, caring, conflict resolution, decision making, disobedience, helping, learning, nonverbal communication, recreation, refusal skills, safety

I can take a walk

Watanabe, S.

A bear takes a walk by himself near his home. He imagines that he is climbing over high bridges and tall mountains. He later walks with his father who teaches him the proper way to cross the street.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, bear, critical thinking, decision making, exercise, family, learning, mountains, nature, parents, recreation, safety, self esteem, walking

Peter penny's dance

Quin, Janet

Peter Penny goes around the world dancing. As he travels, everyone wants him to stay, but he must move on. He returns home after his great voyage to marry a beautiful girl.

Tags

assertiveness, dancing, decision making, exercise, feelings, happiness, marriage, recreation, royalty, self esteem, travel, verbal communication

The raft

LaMarche, Jim

When a boy visits his grandmother for the summer, he finds adventure along the river. By making a raft, the boy is able to interact with the nature around him. He especially enjoys drawing the animals and fishing.

Tags

animals, art, author's note, bear, birds, cabin, crane, deer, dragonfly, exercise, family, fish, fishing, fog, fox, grandparents, insects, nature, rabbit, raccoon, recreation, river, seal, self esteem, summer, swimming, vacation

The someday house

Shelby, Anne

Follow the path of a child's dream world as she describes many wonderful places to live from the mountains to a bakery to the moon.

Tags

bodies of water, dancing, dreams, exercise, fishing, food, games, moon, mountains, music, nutrition, ocean, play, recreation, river, travel, tree

2 is for dancing: A 1 2 3 of actions

Hubbard, Woodleigh

Animals and actions illustrate each number one through twelve. For example, 3 is for jumping, 7 is for fishing, and 12 is for balancing.

Tags

animals, counting, dancing, exercise, fishing, jumping, numbers, reading, recreation, sequence, swimming

Weeks and weeks

Watts, Mabel

Mr. Hobbs is the town photographer who does well in his business until the town plans to start having activity weeks. The townspeople get so busy with each new activity that they don't pay much attention to Mr. Hobbs, until Take-A-Picture Week comes along.

Tags

activities, business, careers, chaos, community, fun, memories, recreation, time

Fish soup

LeGuin, Ursula K.

The thinking man and the writing woman are good friends. They decide to find a child to run messages between their homes and to catch fish for their fish soup. The child is created by their imaginations and a touch of magic.

Tags

fishing, food, friendship, imagination, magic, nutrition, recreation, travel

The little fish that got away

Cook, Bernadine

A little boy goes fishing and catches a great, great big fish, a great big fish and a big fish. A little fish was too smart for the boy and gets away.

Tags

accomplishment, critical thinking, fish, fishing, peer resistance, recreation, self esteem

A summer day

Florian, Douglas

A family gets up at the crack of dawn to take a trip to the countryside. They spend an enjoyable day together swimming and fishing.

Tags

exercise, family, fishing, recreation, seasons, self esteem, summer, swimming, traditions, travel

I like winter

Lenski, Lois

A boy tells of all the things he likes about winter, including snow, Christmas, ice skating, sledding, etc.

Tags

christmas, holidays, play, presents, recreation, seasons, skating, snow, song, valentine's day, weather, winter

Mr. snow bunting's secret

Quackenbush, Robert

Mr. Snow Bunting opens a bow shop that is only open from March to November. The whole town is so curious about the way he wraps presents that they set out to find what the secret is -- especially Mr. Dog.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, community, conflict resolution, critical thinking, curiosity, decision making, dog, goal setting, nonverbal communication, presents, recreation, secrets

What i did last summer

Prelutsky, Jack

During a summer, a little boy plays baseball and goes to the beach, a museum, and a county fair. By the end of the summer, he is ready to go back to school.

Tags

assertiveness, baseball, beach, conflict resolution, decision making, fair, museum, nonverbal communication, peer resistance, play, recreation, rhyme, school, seasons, sports, summer, verbal communication

Three up a tree

Marshall, James

Sam and Spider see big kids building a tree house and decide to do the same. Then Sam, Spider, and their other friend, Lolly, trade stories in the house.

Tags

friendship, helping, play, recreation, sharing, shelter, teamwork, verbal communication

At grandma and grandpa's house

Hooker, Ruth

A little girl and boy know that at grandma and grandpa's house there are always special things to see and do. There are beds for bouncing, rooms full of toys, books, and games, and a tree to climb in the yard.

Tags

assertiveness, family, food, games, grandparents, nutrition, play, recreation, self esteem

The silver slippers

Koda-Callan, Elizabeth

A young girl is always out of step, but wishes to become a prima ballerina. Her mother gives her a silver slipper charm which raises her confidence to meet her dreams.

Tags

assertiveness, conflict resolution, dancing, decision making, dreams, exercise, family, fear, feelings, goal setting, hard work, parents, performance, presents, recreation, self confidence, self esteem

Starry night

Spohn, David

Nate, Matt, and their dad go camping. The three enjoy the stars and each other's company. They stoke the fire and settle down for the chilly night.

Tags

astronomy, bedtime, camping, family, feelings, fire, happiness, night, parents, recreation, siblings, sleep, stars

What dads can't do

Wood, Douglas

Throughout the day, a dad shows his love for his son by showing him things that he can't do alone such as pitching a baseball very fast, reading a book to himself, fishing alone, and winning at cards.

Tags

activities, baseball, bedtime, books, camping, car, careers, caring, cooking, family, fear, feelings, fishing, food, games, hygiene, love, nonverbal communication, parents, reading, recreation, sleep, sports, transportation

Addie runs away

Robins, Joan

Addie's parents want to send her to camp. She thinks that they do not want her anymore, so she runs away. Her friend, Max, tells her camp is fun and they decide to go to camp together.

Tags

camping, exercise, family, fear, feelings, friendship, independence, neighbors, parents, play, recreation, running, running away

Rain

Spier, Peter

Two children play outside in the rain discovering all of the wonderful things to do. When it is dark, they come in and warm up. The next day, the sun is shining.

Tags

decision making, nature, night, nonverbal communication, play, rain, recreation, safety, sun, weather

Bigmama's

Crews, Donald

Each summer, young Donald Crews takes a train ride and car ride to Bigmama's farm. He plays with the his cousins on the big porch, then explores the shed, outhouse, toolshed, stable, barn, and pond for fishing. His family gathers around a big table to eat and celebrate being together.

Tags

african american, animals, barn, bodies of water, car, family, farm, fishing, food, horse, multicultural, nutrition, play, pond, recreation, seasons, summer, train, transportation, travel

The story of edward

Dumas, Philippe

Once in the real world, a donkey tried to pretend he is not a donkey. When he is discovered, he dances the waltz to capture his bride.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, conflict resolution, coping, dancing, death, determination, donkey, exercise, goal setting, love, marriage, recreation, self esteem, verbal communication

Nothing to do

Hoban, Russell

Walter is bored, so his father gives him a magic stone that will make him think of fun activities when rubbed. However, after Walter loses the stone, he realizes that he is capable of entertaining himself. He gives his sister a magic stick so she will stop bothering him.

Tags

boredom, critical thinking, family, imagination, imitation, magic, parents, play, recreation, siblings

Sea swan

Lasky, Katheryn

Elzibah Swan decides to take up swimming at the age of seventy-five. She shares her new hobby with her grandchildren.

Tags

aging, birds, change, conflict resolution, exercise, family, goal setting, grandparents, learning, loneliness, recreation, self esteem, swimming

1
2
3
4
Next
Last

Browse Items (175 items total)