Memoirs of an Elf (Memoirs of)

Scillian and Bowers return to the format they introduced in Memoirs of a Goldfish, delivering a tech-savvy elf's by-the-minute chronicle of Santa's Christmas Eve journey around the world, which involves texting with Santa ("Time to fly, big guy!") and snapping multiple "elfies" to commemorate the occasion. Bowers's high-energy illustrations show the sleigh soaring above snow-covered neighborhood, as well as scenes of a rather dotty, dilly-dallying Santa: "Starting to worry about falling behind," reports the elf. "Santa always wants to stop and pet every dog." A canine stowaway presents an amusing quandary and a light message about the meaning of the holiday. It's a lighthearted diversion with a few modern twists for readers who wonder if Santa uses GPS. Ages 6-9. Illustrator's agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. (Sept.)

PreS-Gr 1--Armed with a smart phone for texting, navigating via GPS, and using the camera feature to take an "elfie" of himself and his crew before taking off with Santa on Christmas Eve, Spark is truly a millennial elf. At times, his Type A personality surfaces whenever it seems that Santa is falling behind schedule, but Sparks' heart, following truisms like "No Santa, no Christmas," is in the right place. After Tugboat, an adorable stowaway dog, accidentally hitches a ride to the North Pole, Spark witnesses the heartwarming, more-important-than-Santa side of the holiday when they reunite Tugboat with his family. Cartoon illustrations blend the modern and festive well (the microphone on Spark's headset is red-and-white striped and his phone is holly leaf green), making the book as a whole appeal to children regardless of their tech savvy.--Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library