These books will represent Texas at National Book Fest

If visitors to the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., want to know what Texas is all about, they will have two books there to tell them.

Driving the news: The Texas Center for the Book, part of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, selected "West with Giraffes" by Lynda Rutledge as the adult pick and "Nell Plants a Tree" by Anne Wynter, illustrated by Daniel Miyares, as the youth pick.

Context: Every year, the Library of Congress asks each state to pick books that represent their local literary landscape to showcase at the National Book Festival.

Details: "West with Giraffes" takes place during the Great Depression and is inspired by true events. It follows the journey of two giraffes who survive a hurricane and then take a road trip to the San Diego Zoo, where they became the first giraffes in Southern California.

• The picture book "Nell Plants a Tree" is inspired by the pecan trees of Wynter's childhood. It tells the story of one child's care for the tree that turns into a hub for an intergenerational Black family.

What's next: The 2023 National Book Festival is Aug. 12 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Several programs will be livestreamed.