Helpful Elves

Back in the day, according to an old German folktale, the townspeople in Cologne were very fortunate because “lazy people could go to sleep at night, and along came the elves.” The shopkeepers would awaken to find bread baked, sausages strung, wine barrels rotated and clothes sewn, oh my!  The charm in this innovative picture book comes from the cut-outs of 10 impish elves found at the top of the page.  After little readers turn each page an elf disappears.

Sure enough, in the end the elves leave Cologne and “Since that day, the people have had to do their own work...the helpful elves never came back.” Beatrice Braun-Fock’s illustrations bring this German tale to life.  What would your plan be to round-up whomever is doing all this work? (The plan of the tailor’s wife did not work!)

Note: the illustration of eiderdown on the cover is wonderful

Paul,

How would you catch 10 little elves who wear red caps and sneak into your house at night to do all of the family chores?  You’ll like this story and I’m sure Grandpa Doryl can even tell it to you in German!  

Love, Grandma

Gift with: a red cap, a job chart, or lentils/dried beans.

Give to: a teacher or a child who has assigned chores.

Occasion: a child learning how to count 1-10, a book to read when sharing a favorite German meal together, when Grandpa comes to visit, or for a teacher - read aloud.