Finding A Way Back Home
A story of courage, kindness, and the magic of books
By Assistant Librarian: Audrianah Leon
Early January, in the quiet snowy village of Questa, New Mexico, something unexpected happened one frosty winter morning.
Inside the Questa Public Library, where stories slept on shelves and characters waited patiently for little hands to open their worlds, a pipe down in the ground froze… and burst.
It began with a slow drip… drip… drip. Then a crack, a rumble, and suddenly—WATER!
It rushed in, soaking carpets, and splashing across office floors. The library was flooding. The books could be in danger!
But what no one saw was what happened next—something only children might believe.
The books whispered to each other. Pages fluttered and then, one by one, the characters came to life.
The Great Escape
Winnie-the-Pooh climbed out of his story first. He looked around and gasped. “We need to get
out before our books are get ruined!”
Out popped Betty Boop, Strawberry Shortcake, and Captain Underpants, a flying superhero from the “young readers” section.
They worked together, gathering bookmarks, Popsicle sticks, and picture book pages. With a
sprinkle of story magic and a lot of imagination, they built a tiny ark, just big enough for the
characters to fit.
As the library doors were locked for repairs, the ark slipped out through the side garden and
floated gently into the Rio Grande.
The journey had begun.
Down the River of Dreams
The Rio Grande flowed steady and strong, like a sentence rolling off the tongue of a great
storyteller.
The characters huddled together as snowflakes kissed their noses.
“We’ll find safety,” whispered Fancy Nancy, her sparkly headband dancing in the moonlight.
“We just have to believe in the story.”
They passed through canyons where echoes whispered old folktales and spotted stars so bright they seemed close enough to touch.
Then, as their ark pulled into a quiet bend in the river, they saw something unexpected—a blue
bus, waiting just for them!
The Blue Bus to Santa Fe
The bus driver, a kind woman with silver earrings shaped like tiny books, smiled warmly. “I
heard there were some story folk in need of shelter,” she said. “Next stop: Santa Fe.”
The characters climbed aboard, tired but hopeful. The heater blew toasty air, and someone had
left snacks on every seat.
On the bus, they met a wise mountain lion named Don Ramón, who was fishing all day. He told them all about his travels around New Mexico and taught them a song about courage.
Verse:
Down in the desert where the roadrunners play,
I find my courage every day!
With Chile heat and skies so wide,
I face my fears with pride inside!
Chorus:
Brave like the wind in the old piñon tree,
Strong like the sun on me!
From Taos to the Rio Grande, you see —
being brave is “muy” cool to be!
Bridge:
We help our friends, we try new things,
with hearts as bold as an eagle’s wings!
The bus wound its way through snowy hills and pinion trees, until at last, they arrived at Paul
Davis Restoration—a warm, bright place filled with caring people and cozy corners.
Shelter and New Stories
At Paul Davis, the book characters weren’t alone. They met others who’d been rescued too:
Wendy the Weather Witch, saved from a school in Taos, and Sir Buttons the Teddy Knight, from a daycare in Española.
They shared stories around a heater, took turns reading each other’s books, and helped repair bent covers and crinkled pages.
Even Captain Underpants got a new fresh pair of undies.
Though it wasn’t home, it was filled with kindness—and that was enough to keep their spirits bright.
Home at Last
Then, one morning, the blue bus returned.
The driver grinned. “The walls are dry. The carpet’s brand new, and the kids are waiting just for you! I can take you back to your ark and you guys can finally head home!” as she gestured to climb aboard.
The characters cheered. Hello Kitty hugged Paddington Bear. Popeye saluted. Max & Ruby packed their bags. Back in the Ark, more excited as one can be… they sailed back upstream!
“Look! Look! Can it be?” yelled Greg Hefley. “Is that our library right in front of me?”
Back in Questa, the library shined like never before. Fresh paint. Soft carpet. Clean shelves.
But best of all—the children had come back. Their eyes lit up as they ran to the shelves.
“The books! We missed you!”
“Look, Beauty & the Beast!”
“Let’s read Cat in the Hat next!”
The books slid gently back into place, warm and happy, ready to be opened again.
And as the sun set behind the peaks of Questa, the library glowed with laughter, love, and the quiet magic that only stories and community can bring.
The End.
(And the beginning of so many more.)
*NO BOOKS WERE DAMAGED IN THE REAL LIBRARY FLOOD*
How many characters would you guess are on the Ark?
How many do you think you could name?
Stop by the library July 1st – 31st to submit your guesses to win a
PRIZE!
winners will be announced August 9th at Questa Art Tour & on our FaceBook!
Email us your answers too!
Subject “Ark Answers”
library@villageofquesta.org
**Look carefully, there is 1 non-book character on the ark, can you find them and guess who is is?*
