6 Classic Texas Books for Story Time

Whether you’re snuggling up around a fire or hitting the road for the holiday, reading your kids a bedtime story is priceless time spent together. Add these Texas-themed children’s books to your little readers’ growing libraries, or pack up a few of them to take with you on the road this holiday season.

Together, these books help tell Texas’ many stories in a colorful, digestible manner perfect for young minds. They are also a fun way to show those who aren’t lucky enough to be Texans what our state is all about.

Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson

Revisit one of your childhood favorites while introducing it to your kids. Set in the Hill Country in the 1860s, this story follows the relationship between a young boy and his once-stray yellow dog. The tale of love, friendship, and the trials of growing up will stay with your kids for years to come.

A Texas Year: Twelve Months in the Life of Texan Kids, by Tania McCartnery and Tina Snerling

Experience what it’s like to be a Texan through the eyes of five kids who live throughout the Lone Star State. This book takes a look at life in Texas through a multicultural lens. Take a peek inside celebrations, family traditions, and musings of day-to-day life.

This is Texas, Y’all: The Lone Star State From A to Z, by Misha Maynerick Blaise

This colorful guide to Texas is the perfect addition to any young child’s library. It’s filled with hand-drawn illustrations and quips about everything Texan from food and music to geography and nature. Even lifelong Texans might learn something new from this Texas-themed children’s book.

The Cotton Candy Catastrophe at the Texas State Fair, by Dotti Enderle

Revel in the magic of the State Fair of Texas year-round with this sticky-sweet tale of one boy’s trek through Fair Park. Follow Jake as he unintentionally causes calamity while trying to satisfy his sweet tooth. The Cotton Bowl, Big Tex, and Texas Star all make an appearance as Jake wanders through the country’s most hyped state fair.

Juneteenth Jamboree, by Carole Boston Weatherford

Juneteenth, the African-American celebration of emancipation in Texas, is brought to life through a young girl named Cassie, who’s new to the Lone Star State. Texas doesn’t quite feel like home, until Cassie experiences this time-honored tradition with her family.

The Legend of the Bluebonnet: An Old Tale of Texas, by Tomie dePaola

This retelling of a Comanche folktale shares the origin story of Texas’ most recognizable flower — the bluebonnet. In this folktale, a young girl’s sacrifice of her treasured doll is rewarded each spring with an abundance of the flower throughout Texas. The tale emphasizes the importance of family, community, and nature.

For more Texas tales, try these frontier legends and spooky Texas ghost stories.