This import from Switzerland is intended as a Christmas story, but the timeframe is referred to only as Advent, without any explanation of how Advent relates to the Christmas season. As six-year-old Paul and his family light the first candle in their Advent wreath, the candle mysteriously disgorges an odd little man (seen only by Paul) who introduces himself as Arty the Advent elf. The slight (and only slightly interesting) plot finds Arty dashing into Paul’s room, hiding from the family cat and finally returning back into the Advent candle flame. Arty the elf doesn’t have the star power needed to carry this story, and though the illustrations of the elf employing Paul’s suggested methods for returning to “elf land” provide some whimsy, they're not enough to make up for the lack of plot. (Picture book. 3-7)
