cover image Advent Elf

Advent Elf

Päivi Stalder, illus. by Barbara Korthues, NorthSouth, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7358-2335-8

Arty, a quick-talking, cranky elf who pops out of a family's Advent wreath, isn't enough to spark this confusing tale. Readers not familiar with this Christian tradition will be perplexed: though the wreath and other decorations signal that Christmas is nigh, no mention is made of the holiday—or what it might have to do with Advent. Korthues's chipper artwork is a bright spot, but given the decidedly non-Christian focus on the elf, it's hard to know who this book's audience is. Ages 4–up. (Oct.)