What do you think?
Rate this book
The Christmas Tree Elf
Blink, the most famous elf ever, saves Christmas and introduces Santa to his elves.
Many, many Christmases ago, Santa discovers that Mrs. Claus has always wanted a Christmas tree to decorate. The following Christmas Season, he brings home the very first indoor Christmas tree for her. The Clauses love their tree, but they forget to water it because they are so busy preparing for Christmas. The night before Christmas Eve, the tree is almost lost, but a mysterious elf with a magical blinking red hat saves Christmas, and teaches Santa and Mrs. Claus that all living things need care and attention.
Many, many Christmases ago, Santa discovers that Mrs. Claus has always wanted a Christmas tree to decorate. The following Christmas Season, he brings home the very first indoor Christmas tree for her. The Clauses love their tree, but they forget to water it because they are so busy preparing for Christmas. The night before Christmas Eve, the tree is almost lost, but a mysterious elf with a magical blinking red hat saves Christmas, and teaches Santa and Mrs. Claus that all living things need care and attention.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published November 4, 2013
571 people want to read
About the author
Valentine D'Arcy Sheldon
1 book1 followerValentine D’Arcy Sheldon received a BA in Creative Writing from Hamilton College, a Master’s degree from the Tisch School of the Arts and attended the Rhode Island School of Design. He works as a television producer and editor. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and two daughters along with his two beloved vizslas. ‘The Christmas Tree Elf’ is his first book. www.TheChristmasTreeElf.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 20, 2013
Mrs. Claus has a wish. She tells Santa that she wants her very own tree to decorate at Christmas, just like the pretty trees that the elves have decorated all around their home. Santa promises Mrs. Claus her very own tree, but not until next Christmas. Santa is very busy, but when Christmas rolls around, he remembers his promise. Mrs. Claus is delighted. She decorates her tree and makes it glitter and sparkle just like the trees all around their home. However, Mrs. Claus has a lot to learn: some very important safety issues. When a disaster almost consumes their home, the elves come to the rescue in more ways than one.
There are lessons to be learned in The Christmas Tree Elf, lessons that we all should learn, not only to protect ourselves and our loved ones, but also to protect the natural environment around us. While the elves save the day, they also save Santa, whose work load has become too much for just one man to do all by himself. By sharing Christmas with the elves, he is sharing the spirit of the season and the joy of giving.
This is the first book by Valentine D’Arcy Sheldon. A television producer and editor, he studied Creative Writing at Hamilton College as well as writing and illustration at the Tisch School of the Arts and the Rhode Island School of Design. The illustrator, Jeremiah Humphries, lives in Minnesota and has a passion for drawing, dogs, and trucks.
The Christmas Tree Elf is a delightful tale that will please both young and old readers alike. Highly Recommended by Allbooks reviewer, Emily-Jane Hills Orford, Allbooks Reviews, www.allbooksreviewint.com.
There are lessons to be learned in The Christmas Tree Elf, lessons that we all should learn, not only to protect ourselves and our loved ones, but also to protect the natural environment around us. While the elves save the day, they also save Santa, whose work load has become too much for just one man to do all by himself. By sharing Christmas with the elves, he is sharing the spirit of the season and the joy of giving.
This is the first book by Valentine D’Arcy Sheldon. A television producer and editor, he studied Creative Writing at Hamilton College as well as writing and illustration at the Tisch School of the Arts and the Rhode Island School of Design. The illustrator, Jeremiah Humphries, lives in Minnesota and has a passion for drawing, dogs, and trucks.
The Christmas Tree Elf is a delightful tale that will please both young and old readers alike. Highly Recommended by Allbooks reviewer, Emily-Jane Hills Orford, Allbooks Reviews, www.allbooksreviewint.com.
November 18, 2014
What a beautiful, inspiring story about the elves that help Santa during Christmas each year. Most books that are written about Christmas tell the story of Santa and focus on his aspect of the story yet this gorgeous depiction focuses on the elves and how they affect Christmas each year.
The illustrations in the book are absolutely breath-taking. Each page captures a beautiful brush stroke Christmas image. My favorite image in the book is the one with the lab looking up at the Christmas tree with the fire going behind him. Such a beautiful moment.
"Blazer waited for Santa to come home, but he fell asleep in front of the fireplace, dreaming of long walks with Santa and getting lots of Santa snacks."
I read this to my seven year son and he absolutely loved it. He loved hearing how the elf takes care of the Christmas tree and helps to spread Christmas cheer by ensuring there is a Christmas tree in every family's home. I would highly recommend this to kids of all ages! What a beautiful story!!!
http://curling-up-with-a-good-book.bl...
January 23, 2014
I cannot say enough good things about this book.
This book is about how elves came to help Santa and protect all Christmas Trees.
The characters are all well known and loved throughout history. The graphics are so outstanding that when I opened the book my mouth dropped. The story line is wonderfully put together. It even has a dog in it...how can you go wrong?
I would suggest this for every household at Christmas time. Maybe even order an elf that can guard your Christmas tree if you have children.
Goodreads Winner
This book is about how elves came to help Santa and protect all Christmas Trees.
The characters are all well known and loved throughout history. The graphics are so outstanding that when I opened the book my mouth dropped. The story line is wonderfully put together. It even has a dog in it...how can you go wrong?
I would suggest this for every household at Christmas time. Maybe even order an elf that can guard your Christmas tree if you have children.
Goodreads Winner
January 25, 2014
Young readers may enjoy hearing this one read aloud since it offers an explanation for how elves came to work in Santa Claus's workshop as well as how it became customary for trees to be decorated and placed indoors. Additionally, it provides safety tips for making sure that indoor trees don't dry out. I enjoyed the affection between the Clauses and the enthusiasm of Blink, the helpful elf that kept that tree from burning. Although the facial expressions of Mrs. Claus are a bit strange at times, sharing this book during holiday seasons might become a family tradition for many.
August 14, 2016
I would read this every Christmas for to my grandkids. It is a wonderful find. My friend won it on Goodreads and now I will buy it.
This book is about the birth of the Christmas legend with Elves. How they saved Santa's house and started helping him build toys. It is so pure and wonderful.
I would suggest every household with children get this book and make it a Christmas tradition to read it.
This book is about the birth of the Christmas legend with Elves. How they saved Santa's house and started helping him build toys. It is so pure and wonderful.
I would suggest every household with children get this book and make it a Christmas tradition to read it.
December 18, 2013
I read this story of our Raising Readers program the other night and the children sat totally engrossed through the whole story. The illustrations were beautifully done and along with the story of where Santa got his Elves the children learned about proper care of a live Christmas tree. This will be one of our Christmas favourites for years to come.
February 13, 2014
Adorable, well written book with beautiful illustrations. My son is a lover of Christmas trees (thank goodness) and this book was a perfect read for both of us to enjoy during the holidays for that reason. I can't wait to pull it out and enjoy it some more next year!
November 2, 2024
Sort of ties together several Christmas myths into one... Santa and how elves came to work for him, Elves and Christmas trees and why we have decorated trees inside during the holidays and even Elf on the Shelf (they're overseeing the trees' safety, etc). This one just didn't feel magical to me.
November 28, 2021
What a cute, cute story! Every Christmas tree ought to have a Christmas Tree Elf!
December 2, 2013
"Sure to become a favorite among the young set...This book has garnered many excellent reviews and recommendations. You can add mine." - Bookviews.com
A debut children’s story about how elves came to work for Santa.
One evening, Santa and Mrs. Claus walk through the Christmas Tree Forest together and decide that they’d like to have a tree inside their home. They decorate the first indoor Christmas tree, but because they don’t know proper tree care, it catches fire and endangers Santa’s Christmas preparations. The tragedy would have set Santa’s overloaded schedule back further if not for the appearance of a magical Christmas tree elf, nicknamed Blink, who teaches the Clauses how to safely take care of their tree. He and other elves want to be useful, so Santa enlists them to help build toys in his workshop, but they also have another mission—to take care of all the trees that come from the Christmas Tree Forest. “Every home should have a Christmas tree,” Blink tells Santa, and every tree must have an elf to look after it. The gorgeous illustrations of Santa, Mrs. Claus, their dog, Blazer, and the pointy hatted elves will make older readers pore over the details, and young readers will be delighted by the story. However, children who read the book may want their own toy elf to tend the tree in their home, similar to the tradition created by the popular 2005 book The Elf on the Shelf. Fortunately, the book stands on its own without a potential toy, and it’s worth reading for the brightly colored, painterly pictures alone. The story’s lesson may also help get children involved in taking care of indoor Christmas trees—rather than forgetting about them after they’re decorated.
A promising debut that families that celebrate Christmas will likely enjoy.
- Kirkus Reviews
"The story is lovely; the illustrations are stunning; and the plot is extremely unique. This is one that should definitely be added to your Christmas reading list, so Blink the Christmas Tree Elf can become a family tradition!" - Amy Lignor, FeatheredQuill.com
A debut children’s story about how elves came to work for Santa.
One evening, Santa and Mrs. Claus walk through the Christmas Tree Forest together and decide that they’d like to have a tree inside their home. They decorate the first indoor Christmas tree, but because they don’t know proper tree care, it catches fire and endangers Santa’s Christmas preparations. The tragedy would have set Santa’s overloaded schedule back further if not for the appearance of a magical Christmas tree elf, nicknamed Blink, who teaches the Clauses how to safely take care of their tree. He and other elves want to be useful, so Santa enlists them to help build toys in his workshop, but they also have another mission—to take care of all the trees that come from the Christmas Tree Forest. “Every home should have a Christmas tree,” Blink tells Santa, and every tree must have an elf to look after it. The gorgeous illustrations of Santa, Mrs. Claus, their dog, Blazer, and the pointy hatted elves will make older readers pore over the details, and young readers will be delighted by the story. However, children who read the book may want their own toy elf to tend the tree in their home, similar to the tradition created by the popular 2005 book The Elf on the Shelf. Fortunately, the book stands on its own without a potential toy, and it’s worth reading for the brightly colored, painterly pictures alone. The story’s lesson may also help get children involved in taking care of indoor Christmas trees—rather than forgetting about them after they’re decorated.
A promising debut that families that celebrate Christmas will likely enjoy.
- Kirkus Reviews
"The story is lovely; the illustrations are stunning; and the plot is extremely unique. This is one that should definitely be added to your Christmas reading list, so Blink the Christmas Tree Elf can become a family tradition!" - Amy Lignor, FeatheredQuill.com
November 24, 2014
This is such a sweet story with a slight country kick. Momma and Santa Claus like to walk through the Christmas tree forest during the holidays. They both wonder how the trees' are decorated so brilliantly. The next Christmas, Santa surprises Momma with her very own tree inside. She is delighted and together they decorate it and enjoy the lights. However, because this is the first indoor Christmas tree, the Claus' don't know how to take care of it, and due to lack of water it dries out and later catches on fire. Surprise! Out pops a Christmas tree elf, the elf that raised the tree from a seed out in the forest. Momma and Santa Claus learn all about keeping a Christmas tree healthy, and in the process, they make lots of elf friends. Friends that need jobs when it is not Christmas tree time, and voila, Santa has his helper elves.
The country kick comes from our friendly elf, who wears a hat like a cowboy and dips his head in courtesy. I was surprised by the story itself. At first, I thought it would just be about Santa's helpers, but then it involved into such a crafty way to explain Christmas trees and how elves ended up at the North Pole, that I was delighted. The illustrations are bright and bold, perfect for little readers to look at while they follow along with the story. They aren't the most imaginative images, but I think kids will like seeing the realism.
4 Stars!
The country kick comes from our friendly elf, who wears a hat like a cowboy and dips his head in courtesy. I was surprised by the story itself. At first, I thought it would just be about Santa's helpers, but then it involved into such a crafty way to explain Christmas trees and how elves ended up at the North Pole, that I was delighted. The illustrations are bright and bold, perfect for little readers to look at while they follow along with the story. They aren't the most imaginative images, but I think kids will like seeing the realism.
4 Stars!
November 11, 2014
The Christmas Tree Elf is a delightful tale that portrays the home life of Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their dog, Blazer. The trees outside their home are decorated by Christmas tree elves, or so Santa says. Mrs. Claus doubts the existence of the elves, but really wants a Christmas tree for her house. So, begins the tradition of indoor Christmas trees.
However, when one brings a tree from the outdoors inside, there are obligations that must be fulfilled for safety’s sake. Mrs. Claus and Santa become so wrapped up with Christmas preparations, they forget to care for their tree. Disaster almost strikes, but with a bit of help from a surprise visitor, Christmas is saved and history is made in the process.
Sheldon creates a cute story, including important tree-safety guidelines along with fun Santa details that little ones are sure to love. The illustrations are vivid, with attention to detail. The colors are bright and are virtually guaranteed to captivate eyes of young and old readers alike.
I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
I award this book four fun-filled stars!
November 12, 2013
"The story is lovely; the illustrations are stunning; and the plot is extremely unique. This is one that should definitely be added to your Christmas reading list, so Blink the Christmas Tree Elf can become a family tradition!" - Amy Lignor, FeatheredQuill.com
December 24, 2013
A beautiful holiday story with stunning illustrations!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews