The Year Santa's Elves Quit: A Five-Part Christmas Story (English Edition)

Excerpt from the book: "Santa stopped in front of the doors and turned to face the children. 'Behind these doors is my workshop. Please look and don’t touch. Follow me.'"

Just like many little boys and girls, Caleb dreams of visiting Santa's workshop. When he is at the Christmas parade in town, he finds a letter in the snow. He asks Mama if he can take it home with him to try figure out who it should be returned to. Little does Caleb know this letter is his ticket to the North Pole and to Santa's workshop!

This story has been written in five parts for the intended purpose of reading one part at a time leading up to Christmas. Each part includes the following activities: a self-illustration guidance, a Christmas word challenge, a cut/color/glue craft, and a Christmas song. The free Activity Pack can be downloaded at www.thewholeberry.com/downloads.

My hope is that you would read this story aloud to your children and encourage them to just sit and listen, allowing their imaginations to conjure up their own images based on what they are hearing. The different activities at the end of each part were chosen specifically to challenge and encourage both the creative and the logical thinking sides of the brain. While there is great value in sharing artwork/illustrations with children, there is also great value in encouraging children to be their own artist and to develop their own creative abilities. Some of the skill development encouraged with this story and its activities include: self-expression, imagination, fine motor skills, problem solving skills, visual analysis, concentration, and hand-eye coordination. Learning should be fun!