A cute little elf in red overalls and stocking cap is an efficient worker who gets everything done herself, including making toys for Santa. She lives with her friends—a reindeer, a penguin and a hare—but they prefer to sleep or play rather than help with household tasks. When the little red elf finds a pine cone and plants it, the plot then follows the structure of “The Little Red Hen.” The little elf does all the preparations for Christmas herself while her friends lie around, but then they want to open all the presents on Christmas morning. In a clever twist, the many presents for the lazy ones are all stuffed little-red-hen toys. Bonnet’s illustrations are bright and cheerful, with a sweet elf and comical creatures as the nonhelpers. (Picture book. 3-7)
