The Little Red Elf by Barbara Barbieri McGrath

The Little Red Elf works hard. She keeps the workshop in order while her roommates (Reindeer, Penguin, and Hare) laze about sleeping and playing games. This behaviour goes on until Little Red Elf has enough. She's tired of doing all the work. Why should Reindeer, Penguin, and Hare get any gifts? She does relent and their gifts are very appropriate--they gets lots and lots of stuffed little red hens.

What I thought: A Christmas version of the Little Red Hen--how wonderful! This is a story I'd never considered the possibility of adaptation. It worked well. The illustrations are great. They are so detailed. I (and any child) could spend hours pouring over them. I suppose the prefect word to describe the illustrations is charming.

(Illus. Rosalinde Bonnet. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2009)