River Goes To The Library 

One sunny afternoon, Tiger River went to the library with his best friend, Gail. River had never been to the library before, and as soon as they walked in, he stopped in his tracks, his eyes growing wide.

“Wow, Gail! Look at all these books! There are SO many!” River said excitedly, his tail swishing back and fourth with excitement.

Gail giggled and put her finger to her lips. “Shh, River. We have to be quiet in the library. You’re not supposed to talk loudly here.”

River’s eyes widened even more as he nodded quickly. “Oh, okay. I’ll be quiet,” he whispered back, trying hard to keep his voice down.

“Come on, let’s go to the kids' section,” Gail said, grabbing River’s paw and leading him toward a corner filled with bright, colorful bookshelves.

When they got there, River’s jaw dropped. The kids' section was full of books with colorful covers, fun illustrations, and comfy couches to sit on. River’s heart raced with excitement. He had no idea there could be so many books all in one place.

“Look at all these books!” River whispered to Gail. “Which one do we read first?”

Gail smiled at how eager River was. “Well, let’s take a look,” she said, pointing to a shelf full of books about animals. River’s eyes went straight to a book with a big bear on the front.

“What’s this book about?” River asked, staring at the cover.

“That’s a book about bears,” Gail explained. “See the bear on the front? It’s all about how bears live, what they eat, and their cubs.”

River nodded, already amazed by how much there was to learn. But then something caught his eye, and he gasped so loudly that a few other kids turned to look.

“Look, Gail! Look!” River pointed excitedly at another book on the shelf. “That book has a tiger on the cover! Just like me!”

Gail chuckled. “Yep, that’s a book all about tigers,” she said. “It tells you everything about how tigers live in the wild.”

“Can I have it?” River asked, clutching the book like it was a precious treasure.

Gail smiled and shook her head. “You can’t keep the books from the library, but you can borrow them if you have a library card.”

River smiled eye to eye. “I want a library card too!”

“Well, you can use mine for now,” Gail said, pulling her card out of her pocket and handing it to River. His paws were a bit too big for the small card, but he held it carefully.

“Thank you SO much, Gail!” River said, practically bouncing with joy.

“You’re welcome! Now, let’s pick out five books to take home,” Gail said, glancing at the shelves. “I’ll pick two, and you can pick three.”

River’s eyes darted around, trying to take in all the options. After a few minutes, he proudly held up three books. “I want these!” he said. “A book about tigers, a book about dogs, and a book about kids!”

“Great choices!” Gail said, adding her two picks. “I’ve got two ‘Boxcar Children’ books. We’ll have plenty to read!”

River and Gail carried their books over to a small table where they laid them out in a neat pile. River looked down at his stack, his tail swishing back and forth with excitement.

“Let’s read the titles,” Gail said, pointing to River’s first book. “This one is *The Tale of Two Tigers*,” she read aloud. “And this one is *Biscuit*—that’s the dog book. And the last one is *Dick and Jane*. They’re fun stories about kids.”

“I love all the books I picked!” River said happily. “Can we read them all when we get home?”

“Of course,” Gail said with a smile. “We’ll read them together.”

“I can’t wait!” River exclaimed, carefully picking up his three books while Gail carried hers. They walked together to the front desk, where River watched the librarian scan the books. Each time the scanner made a beep, River’s ears perked up, and his eyes sparkled.

“That is SO cool!” River whispered, watching the librarian scan the last book.

Once they checked out all their books, River and Gail headed home. As soon as they got home, they cozied up on the couch, and Gail began reading aloud from *The Tale of Two Tigers*. River listened intently, loving every word. After that, they read *Biscuit* and *Dick and Jane*. River’s heart was full of happiness as he snuggled up close to Gail.

“Thank you so much for taking me to the library, Gail!” River said, wrapping his arms around her in a big hug.

“You’re welcome, River. I’m so glad you had fun,” Gail said, hugging him back.