Check It Out: What’s bedtime without a picture book?

A bedtime story is the foundation of many children’s nighttime routines. Picture books can be a wonderful resource for creating that special bonding time with a child.

The imagination is piqued by visiting the Newport Beach Public Library and checking out its vast array of great picture book favorites. The children’s shelves are bursting with the latest picture books as well as the classics. Here are just a few of the thousands of perfect story-time books to be found at your Newport Beach Public Library:

“Miss Nelson is Missing!” by Harry Allard: The kids in room 207 take advantage of their teacher’s good nature until she disappears and they are faced with a scary substitute.

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” by Eric Carle: Follow the very hungry caterpillar as he eats his way through many types of food until he becomes a big caterpillar, and eventually a beautiful butterfly.

“Olivia ... and the Missing Toy,” by Ian Falconer: When her best toy mysteriously disappears, Olivia the feisty pig is determined to find out who is responsible.

“Harold and the Purple Crayon,” by Crockett Johnson: Harold goes for an adventurous walk in the moonlight with his purple crayon.

“Swimmy,” by Leo Lionni: A brave little fish discovers an ingenious way to protect his school from being eaten by a bigger fish.

“Tikki Tikki Tembo,” by Arlene Mosel: When the eldest son fell in the well and most of the time getting help was spent pronouncing his name, the Chinese, according to legend, decided to give all their children short names.

“The True Story of the Three Little Pigs,” by Jon Scieszka: The wolf gives his own outlandish version of what really happened when he tangled with the three little pigs.

“Caps for Sale,” by Esphyr Slobodkina: A band of mischievous monkeys steals every one of a peddler’s caps while he takes a nap under a tree.

Have fun exploring the shelves of picture book favorites at the Newport Beach Public Library or any of its satellite locations: Central, Mariners, Balboa and Corona del Mar. Check out these and many other wonderful materials.

Celebrate National Library Week by attending a story time with a special guest reader — one of our local community leaders! Story times at three of our branches will be hosted by members of the Board of Library Trustees and members of the Newport Beach City Council. Please check our kids’ website, https://www.newportkids.org for information about story times and special family programs during National Library Week, April 14 through 20. Visit the Central Library during this special week and you’ll get a sneak peek at the new expanded children’s area.

CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public Library. All titles may be reserved from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at https://www.newportbeachlibrary.org. For more information on the Central Library or any of the branches, please contact the Newport Beach Public Library at (949) 717-3800, option 2.