Elf On The Shelf By cafn8me on Dec 02, 2008 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

This adorable book and elf set were all the rage in my town last year just after Thanksgiving, so I got one for my kids, who were 6 and 8 at the time. The book details the story of scout elves, who are sent by Santa to watch over children by day and report back to the North Pole each night regarding the children's behavior. The elves arrive from the North Pole shortly after Thanksgiving, and they return to the North Pole with Santa on Christmas Eve until the next holiday season begins. The book uses clever Seuss-esque rhymes to tell the reader how the children may talk to the elf, sending messages to Santa Claus about his or her Christmas wish list. The elf may not speak to the children, however. Nor may the children touch the elf...that would take away the elf's magic. They must choose a name for their elf, and each day, when the children wake up, they get to discover the elf's newest hiding place.

I loved the idea of the adorable elf keeping a watchful eye on my children for Santa, since they seemed even more inclined to be on their best behavior knowing that Iggy, their elf, was giving Santa the 411 on them. The elf proved to be such a hit that my now 7-year-old daughter wrote letters to the elf throughout this year, telling him how much she missed him! When Iggy reappeared for the first time on the morning after Thanksgiving, my kids were hooting and hollering from excitement! They love to go through the house, looking for Iggy on the fireplace mantle, the kitchen shelf, or hiding in the Christmas tree!

This is a wonderful tradition, which apparently has created quite a stir with the under-10 set! If you know a child who fits into that category, I would HIGHLY recommend this as a gift to be cherished for years to come.