Festival of the Elves: The Magic Around You - Holly Figgyworth - ★★★.¾

-

AUTHOR: Holly Figgyworth

ILLUSTRATOR: Mai S. Kemble
GENRE: Children's Picture Book
RATING: 3.75 Stars.

In a Nutshell: A Christmas story that isn’t a Christmas story. 😃

Holly and Noel are two elves who are very impressed with their grandfather’s idea of the ‘Festival of the Elves’. This involves leaving little trinkets and notes on every day of December in the houses of family and friends, giving them a nice surprise and a theme for the day. Holly and Noel want to spread this custom into the human world too, but as there is only a limited supply of elf magic, they are allowed to try it in one human house. Thus they land up at the Puddington residence. What do you think? Will they be able to spread as much cheer there with the Festival of the Elves?

The story is like a combination of an Advent calendar and a treasure hunt. Through the daily note left by the elves in a bid to encourage the Puddingtons to spread cheer, there are many beautiful and fun moments coming out. I loved the catchphrase: “The Magic around you is the magic you make.” A nice way of remembering that magic and happiness lies in our own hands and that cheer enhances when spread.

There are plenty of good themes coming out in the book: the importance of family time, having fun, spreading joy, the joy of sharing,… Kids will be encouraged to try out such activities at home too. It could become a nice family tradition for December.

You will find subtle references to Christmas throughout the book: the names of the two elves, a map at the start of the book that has a mention of Santa’s workshop, many Christmassy decorations at the Puddington house,… However, there’s no direct mention of the festival or of anything religious. This approach makes the book a wonderful December read for everyone and not just those who celebrate Christmas.

I would have loved some more focus on the reasons behind the characters’ actions. Many a time, it felt like we knew the whats but not the whys. The Puddingtons’ reaction to the note left by the elves left me with mixed feelings; I liked their enthusiastic reception to the activities suggested by the elves but wondered why they never questioned who or where were the elves who left the note every single day. Ah well, kids will enjoy the story regardless.

The vocabulary is quite easy and will work well for bedtime readalouds too, especially because of the little notes written by the elves infusing the story with wonder.

The illustrations are quite striking, though I wanted the elves to look more magical. The vivid colours ought to work wonderfully in the physical copy.

This is supposed to be the first of a trilogy, but I found the story quite complete in itself. There’s no clue about what direction the series will take as there’s no thread left hanging. Time will tell what magic is to be unfurled in the next.

A good read for its target age group of 3+ years.

My thanks to eWonderment, LLC and NetGalley for the DRC of “Festival of the Elves ~ The Magic Around You”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

Violent Advents: A Christmas Horror Anthology - Edited by L. Stephenson - ★★★.¼

-
Image
  EDITOR: L. Stephenson GENRE: Christmas Horror Anthology PUBLICATION DATE:  December 12, 2024 RATING: 3.3 stars. In a Nutshell: A short-fiction anthology filled with Christmassy horror. Some really good stories here, though I wish there had been more variety in the “source of the evil.” A good option for those who are fed up of saccharine seasonal stories. This is the time of the year when readers are torn between spooky season and Christmas season. Here's a book that combines both. 😉 This indie anthology contains twenty-six stories by twenty-six writers. There’s no editor’s note, but the title and the tagline make the theme clear – it is a “Christmas horror” anthology. The stories are mostly fast-paced, which works well in this genre. After the first few stories, I wondered why a majority of them were using the Christmas tree as the horror device-of-choice. It occurred frequently enough for me to start eyeing every Christmas tree in the stories suspiciously. Only after...
Read More»

The Little Christmas Library - David M. Barnett - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: David M. Barnett GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 10, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A character-oriented contemporary fiction with a strong Christmas spirit and a dash of Christmas magic. Excellent characters and a well-connected narrative linking them all. True to contemporary times in every way. Might get a bit too sugary, but works well for the genre. A fabulous and heartwarming option for the festive season. Plot Preview: When Molly McGinley moves from London to her Northern hometown of Merry-le-Moors, she feels like an utter failure. Ten years in the big city, and all she has to show is a broken relationship and no job. Her widower dad Jack is more than happy to have his daughter home, especially as he is still missing his wife who passed away a decade back. Jack now whiles away his time driving the town’s mobile library and he insists that Molly accompany him on his rounds instead of moping alone at home. As the two take the library bus t...
Read More»

Somebody I Used to Know - Wendy Mitchell - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Wendy Mitchell GENRE: Memoir PUBLICATION DATE: June 5, 2018 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: The memoir of a woman who unexpectedly became the face of young-onset Alzheimer’s in the UK. Ghost-written with the help of a journalist, this book covers her diagnosis, reaction, coping strategies, everyday experiences, and her plans for the future.. The writing is filled with pain and frustration as well as hope. Much recommended. Do note that it might be triggering for Alzheimer’s patients and also caregivers. A reading challenge I am participating in needed a book penned by a ghost-writer. I was very clear that I didn’t want to opt for any celebrity memoir, most of which are sanitised fake versions of their lives. Nor did I want to try fictional novels that straddled the line between pseudonymous and ghost-written. ( The Nancy Drew series, for instance. ) Google led me to Wendy Mitchell’s memoir. One look at this book’s blurb, and I knew I finally found the right option for the...
Read More»

Making Up the Gods - Marion Agnew - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Marion Agnew GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An indie drama with some quirky characters and a great setting in Lake Superior, Canada. Mellow in tone, genuine in content, thought-provoking in themes. I enjoyed this unusual novel. Plot Preview: Simone, almost 70, is a retired widow who lives an isolated life in her cottage on the banks of Lake Superior and still misses her husband, though he’s been dead for five years. While she is now active in her local church and finds solace in baking for those grieving, she is fiercely protective of her privacy. But when the local reverend asks her to take care of nine-year-old Chen while his widowed mother goes on a much-needed trip, Simone finds it tough to refuse a fellow-mourning widow. Just before Chen arrives, a stranger named Martin knocks at Simone’s door, claiming to be her cousin. Simone is suddenly handling two strangers at once, and she worries that they will dis...
Read More»

The Night Counsellor - L.K. Pang - ★★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: L.K. Pang GENRE: Historical Mystery PUBLICATION DATE: October 17, 2024 RATING: 4 stars In a Nutshell: A historical mystery with a mental asylum as the dominant setting. Intriguing characters, creepy vibes, good handling of the two timelines. A great option for readers who enjoy gritty historical narratives. Plot Preview: 1953. Jane Galloway, in a new role as a counsellor, has just been assigned a new patient at The Beaumont, a mental asylum trying to shed its dark tag but not doing a great job of it. This patient, dubbed Patient A, was found wandering naked and covered in blood on the outskirts of Yorkshire. She doesn’t talk or respond in any way to anyone. The mystery gets even darker when Jane learns that this patient is a murder suspect. The hospital staff is firmly opposed to this new method of using conversations as therapy, but Jane is determined to make a difference. Can she help Patient A before it is too late? Is Patient A really guilty of such a heinous crime? The...
Read More»