Southwest

Told with a Texas twang, this tale features a dozen icons of the Lone Star state. Clever rhymes count down the days of Christmas, revealing such surprise gifts as silver spurs, oil wells, and armadillos. Festive illustrations fill the pages of this western romp.

Not so fast Rudolph-Willy guides Santa's sleigh in Texas! When Santa visits Texas, he encounters dense fog and needs a local's help to deliver gifts. Willy, a longhorn longing to fly with Santa, jumps at the opportunity to help. With the help of glowing blue paint, his horns light the way. Follow Willy and Santa on their journey to every house in the Lone Star State as they fly over Texas landmarks to deliver presents and a Texas-sized portion of cheer.

Step right in to a rootin’, tootin’, cowboy Christmas extravaganza!

Drawing on her skills as a children’s educator, librarian, and fiber artist, Susan Holt Kralovansky interprets the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas with Lone Star charm. Start with a mockingbird in an oak tree; throw in iconic armadillos, prickly pears, boots, and longhorns all illustrated in rustic fiber-art collages composed of Southwest-inspired textures of burlap, rope, and colorful cotton. Included are bonus pages of fun facts about these symbols of the great state of Texas. A wonderful book for classroom interactions or family reading, this unique presentation of a familiar rhyme will draw in young readers and keep them enthralled long after the last ’dillo scurries off to bed.

This fun Texas romp through the Mother Goose tales yields such results as Mary Had a White-Faced Calf, There Was an Old Cowgirl Who Lived in a Boot, Cactus Jack Horner, and many more. Western illustrations enhance the Texas theme and add a sense of humor to this beloved classic.

"This is not just a story—it’s a legend in the making." —Macaroni KID

Meet Lucas the little longhorn, a pint-sized dreamer with a heart as big as the Lone Star State. When Lucas decides to build the greatest ranch Texas has ever seen, he knows he can’t do it alone. So he rounds up his team of small critters (even tiny Meadow Mouse Pete) and “little by little, they build something great—the biggest little ranch in the whole darn state!”

With its rollicking rhymes and vibrant illustrations, Lucas the Little Longhorn invites readers big and small to remember that little bodies can build great things, especially when we work together. “There’s something about doing things as a crew, that can make almost anything more fun to do!”

A celebration of friendship, courage, and teamwork, Lucas the Little Longhorn will delight and inspire even the littlest readers to follow their dreams, no matter how big!

Sweet, inviting treats from the town of Tex-Mex and spice. Influenced by Spanish and Mexican flavors, the cuisine of San Antonio is sensational and simple-Latin food with a sure Texas twist. This collection of the best desserts from the city's favorite restaurants includes Warm Cajeta Apple Crisp, Ruby-Red Grapefruit Tart, Banana Cheesecake Brule�, Candied Jalapenos, and dozens of other chocolaty, spicy, fruity, and fresh dishes. Featured restaurants include Rosario's, Azuca Nuevo Latino, the Colonial Room at the Menger Hotel, El Paradiso, and El Siete Mares.

The patriotic sacrifice of Texas remembered. This tribute to the famous 13 day siege gives the stories of real-life heroes including David Crockett, Sam Houston, and William King (who, at 15 years old, was the youngest defender to die during the conflict.) These accounts, lacking in sensationalism, reveal the true characters in one of the most important events in Texas history. This reference includes a timeline of events.

With a team of Longhorns, Santa arrives at a sod shanty and drops down the chimney to fill the young�uns� boots with toys.

Follow Mother Mockingbird on a heartfelt journey across Texas

After her chicks drift off to sleep, Mother Mockingbird takes flight. From Houston to Amarillo, she visits many of the places that make Texas special. While she attends rodeos, barbecues, and honky-tonks, she thinks about her babies sleeping peacefully in their nest. She knows that we, as Texans, carry the ones we love in our hearts, no matter where we go.

The owners of rise n° 1 restaurant share their take on cooking and entertaining in this beautifully photographed book. Recipes for soufflés, salads, soups, seafoods, tarts, and more illustrate their dedication to food and tradition. Do not miss some of their favorite guests and coveted annual events, which you will find covered throughout the book. Anecdotes and ideas for entertaining round out this charming volume.

A celebration of food, tradition, and the French lifestyle, this unique collection of recipes, anecdotes, and photographs from rise, an oasis of French cuisine in Dallas, offers readers nothing short of a completely transformative sensory experience.

With a menu designed to complement and celebrate the restaurant’s masterpiece dish—the soufflé—rise specializes in nurturing the body and soul. Savory and sweet soufflés, bright salads, and artisanal cheeses are among the highlights of the eatery’s simple and elegant menu.

Amid sections discussing entertaining and food consciousness, Rise to the Occasion presents recipes such as escargot soufflé, apricot galette, hay roasted duck, and chocolate soufflé. Illustrated step-by-step instructions will enable any interested eater to master the art of the soufflé. Much more than a cookbook, this elegant volume offers Francophiles and foodies an opportunity to experience the true passion and pleasure of eating.

When snow-loving Kyle gets a plane ticket to see his Grandma in the desert, he’s not so sure what to expect. But after a rip-roaring road trip around Arizona—through Tucson, Bisbee, Winslow, across dams and lakes and the grandest of canyons—Kyle may just have become a convert to the warm air and dark skies. After all, when you’re with Grandma Rose, everything’s an adventure!

A wacky spin on an Old West favorite. This tall tale about a famous American cowboy takes readers on a romp into the Wild West. When Pecos Bill cannot seem to find the best hat to fit his head, he searches for creative ways to keep his noggin covered. His often humorous ideas lead to the invention of the cowboy hat. A glossary includes cowboy terms.

A Baffling and Brutal Case

Sunday, July 18, 1965, started out like any other hot summer day in Texas. Shirley Ann Stark and Susan Rigsby, Chi Omega sorority sisters at the University of Texas at Austin, left their Dallas homes early and drove together in Shirley’s Corvair to Austin. Little did they know the fate that awaited them later that afternoon as they visited the apartment of a friend and fellow UT student. The following day, the women were reported missing. A twelve-day nationwide search ensued, ending with the discovery of their bodies in a north Austin field. As one Associated Press reporter would later write, “The story held all the elements of a classic murder case: Campus beauties, youth, mystery, terror, and social standing.’’ Author Alan Burton revisits the forgotten, gruesome, and tragic double homicide that shook the Lone Star State. 

How much can a tall Texan eat?

In this humorous retelling of the classic tale, a tall Texan devours a toad, a rattlesnake, a bat, a bull, and more to get rid of the flea he accidentally ate. The Texan gets bigger and bigger as he eats more and more-all to get rid of a silly old flea! Whoo-ee!

Voices from those who lived through the largest environmental catastrophe in American history.

Accelerated Reader Program Selection

The 1930s Dust Bowl was the greatest ecological tragedy in the United States. Through a combination of drought and fierce winds, America’s Great Plains were left bare. In a series of sixteen narrative profiles, the author brings to life the voices of this time period. The characters who symbolize common residents of the “Great American Desert,” include a teacher protecting her class from a black roller, a nurse treating patients with dust pneumonia, and a nine-year-old girl who has never seen rain.

Dated entries appear chronologically and depict outlaw Bonnie Parker and photographer Dorthea Lange, among other figures of the era. In the back of the book, a historical note gives a thorough overview of the Dust Bowl’s national impact on population growth, healthcare, and the government. A glossary explains terms such as Hooverville and Civilian Conservation Corps. An educational resource, this illustrated history conveys the full effect of this disastrous decade.

A Harrowing Heritage of Resilience

During the era of Indian Removal, scores of men, women and children of African descent were forced west alongside the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole Nations. 

Tulsa has always been vital to Route 66. In 1920, as the automobile was altering American life, good roads were nonexistent. Tulsa businessman and civic leader Cyrus Avery led the charge to transform the patchwork of dirt and mud trails that linked cities into a national system of paved highways, culminating in the creation of Route 66 in 1926. 

For this, Avery is known as the “Father of Route 66.” Through the Great Depression, World War II, and the country’s postwar prosperity, the “Main Street of America” permeated culture through song, literature, movies, and even a television show. All the while, Tulsa—the “Magic City” with a petroleum pedigree—hosted travelers with big-city services and shopping in an Art Deco setting. And then, the road was gone. It was replaced by the faster, straighter interstate highway system in 1985. The signs came down and the double sixes disappeared until another Tulsan, Michael Wallis, brought them back. In 2024, Tulsa officially became the “Capital of Route 66.” Travelers from around the globe get their kicks at exciting attractions from Buck Atom Space Cowboy to Meadow Gold Mack and Mother Road Market to Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza. Again, neon dances in the Capital of Route 66.

Steve Clem is a Route 66 “roadie” (aficionado) and a trustee at Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum. Becky Hatchett is president of the Southwest Tulsa Historical Society and volunteers at the Route 66 Historical Village. Rhys Martin serves on Tulsa’s Route 66 Commission and is president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association.

Founded in Albuquerque on February 28, 1889, the University of New Mexico (UNM) stands as a testament to the spirit of the Southwest. From its beginnings on the rugged frontier, UNM has blossomed into a cultural and academic hub, defined by its striking Pueblo Revival architecture and commitment to the diverse peoples and traditions of New Mexico.

Built on the ancestral lands of the Pueblo of Sandia, UNM has grown from a single territorial building into a world-class institution celebrated for its academic excellence, cultural diversity, and stunning architecture. Photographs of student life, groundbreaking events, and the vibrant traditions of Lobo pride reveal a tapestry of history that reflects the university’s enduring influence on the cultural and academic identity of New Mexico.

Author Amber Lane, archivist, historian, and UNM alumna, draws on the rich resources of the Center for Southwest Research to present a photographic journey through UNM’s first century, offering readers a deeper connection to the university's storied past while focusing on visual storytelling. Portia Vescio, also a UNM alumna, is the university’s archivist, and her mission is to spread awareness about the rich history of the university.

Full of whip-crackin' cow-huntin' fun. Iris Wall was anything but an average girl. Average girls in 1948 were learning how to embroider and crochet. However, Iris was having the time of her life riding in rodeos, taming horses, and hunting cows with her daddy. The ultimate outdoor heroine, she was part of the Old Florida heritage that is synonymous with endurance, pride, and strength. A glossary of terms about cracker cowhunters is included in this biography.

�Aye Chihuahua! The sky is falling. Join the colorful desert bird, Chachalaca Chiquita, and her feathered friends in this Southwestern spin on the Chicken Little tale. The story incorporates Spanish vocabulary for un peque�o fun as the amigos set off to tell the jefe that the sky is falling. The story takes a turn when they meet sly Tacito Ocelote.

Celebrating the contributions of women to the art of the American West! Women have long captured the spirit of America's dynamic West in their artwork. From Georgia O'Keeffe's stunning works to Alice Cleaver's haunting oil paintings, from Jessie Benton Evans's Arizona landscapes to Sally James Farnham's bronzes, this collection represents an important testament to women's art featuring the rugged spirit of the West. Stimulating questions and fascinating biographical details will encourage conversation and understanding about each artist's work.