SAGE PINEBLOSSOM

In Klama’s illustrated children’s book, a well-read elf struggles to find her place at the North Pole.

Sage Pineblossom is 45 years old—effectively a teenager in “elf years,” as elves are long-lived. She’s read nearly all the books in the North Pole library and remembers them all. One would think this would help her in her toymaking tasks, but instead, her reading habits put her at a disadvantage; she much prefers the hush of the library to the “banging, clanging, shooshing and floofing” sounds of the toy laboratory, and likes taking toys apart far more than putting them together. When it’s time for her to select her trade (“99% of elves make toys, the other 1% bake cookies,” notes Sage), she suggests becoming a tinkerer or a designer for “alien kids on other planets” who lack toys. Unable to pursue either goal, Sage decides to run away from home. Meanwhile, the magic reserves at the North Pole have “hit an all-time low,” which could prevent Santa from delivering his presents in a timely manner. Santa is also “not well,” as he’s come under the spell of real-life internet “Trolls.” Sage is the only elf who might be able to solve Santa’s problem, so the other elves must find her in the “real world.” Overall, Klama presents her young readers with a lively tale that effectively captures the free-flowing, one-thing-after-another manner of an actual child telling a story. That said, the plot can seem a bit scattershot at times, and it also has some familiar elements that call to mind the well-known Will Ferrell-starring Christmas film Elf (2003). Levine’s accompanying grayscale illustrations suit the events of the story and add some additional details regarding characters’ appearances and the North Pole setting.

A quick and often charming read for the holiday season.