ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Awnie's House ???? FESTIVAL OF THE ELVES: THE MAGIC AROUND YOU by Holly Figgyworth and Mai S. Kemble
Hello, my wonderful reading friends! I’m so happy you’re here to read with me. Today, we’re going to learn about a special Christmas tradition started by elves at the North Pole. Let’s dive into the magical story of “Festival of the Elves: The Magic Around You,” written by Holly Figgyworth and illustrated by Mai S. Kemble.
Have you ever wondered why there are four little outfits sticking out of the snow? Well, one pair of boots belongs to my brother Noel, and the other pair belongs to me, Holly. We just zoomed through the cold, starry sky and landed in a big, fluffy pile of snow. This is how our Festival of the Elves adventure began on a twinkly, snowy night.
Before we go on, let me tell you about our Grandpa Norris Figgyworth. He’s a kind and fun-loving elf. When he was young, he wanted December to be the most magical month ever. He called his idea the “Festival of the Elves.” Every night in December, Grandpa Figgyworth left funny notes and little gifts for his family, friends, and neighbors. He always said, “The magic around you is the magic you make.”
The Festival of the Elves became a big tradition, with elves leaving notes and gifts for each other all over the North Pole. My brother Noel and I loved it so much that we wanted to share it with humans too. We asked the Elder Elf Council for permission. They were worried because elf magic is limited, but they finally agreed to let us try it with one human family.
We prepared everything we needed: magic meter, check; tiny dust, check. Then, we clicked our boots, spun in the air, and poof! We landed in a snowy place, far from home. Our magic meter was empty, but Noel reminded me, “The magic around you is the magic you make.” We walked to a twinkling house with the name “Puddington” on the mailbox.
We shrank ourselves with tiny dust and hid on top of a bookcase. We learned about the Puddington family: Olivia loved to dance, Henry liked dinosaurs and drawing, Mama Puddington had a big laugh, and Daddy Puddington told great bedtime stories. We knew we picked a good house!
The next day was Hide and Seek Day. We left a note for the Puddingtons, saying, “The magic around you is the magic you make.” Olivia and Henry found our hidden Nutcracker, and we felt a little more magical. Our magic meter didn’t move much, but we were determined to make the Festival of the Elves fun for them.
We left notes for the Puddingtons every day. There was Silly Day, Treat Day, Art Day, Riddle Day, and Sing and Dance Day. My favorite was Gratitude Day, where we celebrated all the good things in life.
On Gratitude Day, we left a note saying, “Celebrate all the things that make life great.” Our magic meter went wild, and we floated up, up, and up, feeling all the joy around us. Our boots spun us around, and poof! We were home.
For many years, we left notes and gifts for the Puddingtons, and they shared our elf tradition with their friends and family. Now, many of our elf friends help spread magic around the world.
As Grandpa Figgyworth always says, “The magic around you is the magic you make. It grows and swirls like snow, and it all starts with a note sent with a kiss.”
Remember, as long as you try, the magic around you will lift your heart to the sky. Happy Festival of the Elves!
I hope you enjoyed our story today. See you next time!
Elf Note Writing: Just like Grandpa Figgyworth, you can create your own magic by writing notes! Think of someone special in your life, like a family member or a friend. Write a kind note or draw a picture for them. You can leave it somewhere they will find it, like under their pillow or in their lunchbox. Notice how it makes them feel and how it makes you feel to spread a little magic!
Magic Meter Craft: Create your own magic meter to see how much magic you can spread! Use a paper plate or a piece of cardboard as the base. Draw a meter with different levels, from “a little magic” to “a lot of magic.” Each time you do something kind or magical, move the pointer up. Decorate your meter with glitter, stickers, or drawings to make it special. How high can you get your magic meter to go?
Gratitude Jar: On Gratitude Day, the elves celebrated all the good things in life. You can do the same by creating a Gratitude Jar. Find a jar or a box and decorate it with colorful paper and stickers. Each day, write down something you are thankful for on a small piece of paper and put it in the jar. At the end of the week, read all the notes and feel the magic of gratitude!
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hello, my wonderful reading friends! It’s Annie. I’m so glad you came to read with me. If you want to read more stories with me, be sure to subscribe! For shoutouts, book reviews, and other content, follow me on social media.
In this story, we’ll learn about a wonderful Christmas tradition that was started by elves in the North Pole. Let’s find out all about it as we read “Festival of the Elves: The Magic Around You.” If you have a copy, go get it so you can read along with me!
“Festival of the Elves: The Magic Around You,” written by Holly Figgyworth and illustrated by My S. Campbell.
You might be wondering why there are four little outfits sticking out of the snow. Well, one pair of boots belongs to my brother Noel, and the other pair belongs to me, Holly. We just rocketed through the cold velvet sky into the deepest cushion of snow. This is how our Festival of the Elves adventure began on a twinkly, swirly snowy night.
But before I can tell you that, I must first tell you about our Grandpa Norris Figgyworth. Grandpa Figgyworth is a kind-hearted and fun-loving elf. When he was young, Grandpa decided to make the month of December the most magical ever. He wanted the holiday season to be full of surprises and delights. Grandpa called his idea “Festival of the Elves.”
Every night in December, Grandpa Figgyworth left funny little notes and sometimes trinkets for his family, friends, and neighbors. As he delivered each note, he would say with a little half-smile, a wiggle of his left eyebrow, and a waggle of his right ear, “The magic around you is the magic you make.”
Over the years, the Festival of the Elves tradition grew and grew, with elf families leaving notes and trinkets for other families all over the North Pole. My little brother Noel and I loved it so much that we thought it was a shame that only elves got to enjoy the tradition. After all, everybody could use some extra magic, right?
So we visited the Elder Elf Council. The Elder Elf Council listened patiently as we explained that we wanted to share the Festival of the Elves with humans. “I’m sure the humans would love the Festival of the Elves,” said Eggnog, the eldest Elder Elf, “but Elf Magic is in limited supply. If you use your magic to visit humans, you might not have enough magic to get back home.”
I trusted in Grandpa’s belief that when you do something special for someone, magic grows. Finally, the Elder Elf Council reluctantly agreed to our mission. “Only you two will try it with one family,” Eggnog said, “and we’ll hope for your safe return.”
The next day, Noel made sure we had everything we needed: magic meter, check; tiny dust, check. Okay, we’re all set! We buckled our boots, clicked them together, spun in the air, and poof! We landed in a pile of snow, totally lost. We used all our magic to travel here, and now our magic meter was at zero. There was no magic anywhere.
Then, with a sparkle in his eye and a wrinkle of his nose, Noel said, “Don’t forget, the magic around you is the magic you make. We can still make magic here!” I knew my brother was right. I grabbed his hand, and we walked to the twinkling house in the distance.
The name “Puddington” was written on the letterbox. We used just enough tiny dust to shrink ourselves and then tiptoed into the cozy home, hiding on top of the tallest bookcase. We got to know the family. We learned that Olivia was a twirly type of girl who danced from room to room, Henry was all about dinosaurs and drawing, Mama Puddington had a big laugh, and Daddy Puddington told the best bedtime stories. I think we picked a good house, I said to Noel. The Puddingtons aren’t magical, but perhaps someday they could be.
The next day was Monday, Hide and Seek Day. We worked late into the night getting everything ready. When we found the perfect place for our note, we whispered, “The magic around you is the magic you make,” and sent it with a kiss.
The next morning, Olivia twirled into the room and stopped. “There’s a note!” she cried. Sleepyhead Henry perked up, and everyone eagerly listened to Mama Puddington as she read the note out loud:
“Dear Puddingtons, each day in December will be a day to remember. We’ll leave you a note for when you rise; we think you’ll find it a terrific surprise. Now let’s play a game called hide and seek; hopefully, you haven’t taken a peek. We’ve hidden a trinket for you all to find; it’s something we’ve made and one of a kind. Keep your eyes peeled, search high and low, but here’s a hint: where do the cards go? So everyone, let’s start the fun! Now count it down: three, two, one, run! Happy Festival of the Elves! Signed, Holly and Noel.”
Olivia and Henry dashed off, looking from room to room. Then Olivia said, “I know where it is!” Oh, she had guessed right! Our handsome Nutcracker was snuggled amongst the cards. As Noel and I watched, we felt a little bit more magical and joyous. The needle on our magic meter barely budged, but that did not stop us from making the Festival of the Elves fun for the Puddingtons.
Next, we left Noel’s silly day note: “Dear Puddingtons, did you know elves love to be silly? Today is Silly Day! Put your right hand on top of your head and your left hand on your tummy. While you rub them, say one of these three times fast: ‘Naughty Nutcracker Ned nibbles nuts nimbly,’ ‘Dashing Dasher danced divinely during dinner,’ or ‘Really Sammy Snowman sang seasonal songs so sweetly.’ Good luck! Happy Festival of the Elves! Noel and Holly.”
The Puddingtons practiced being silly that morning, and later that night, so did Noel and I. Day after day for 24 days, we left the Puddingtons notes. Wednesday was Treat Day, Thursday was Art Day, Friday was Riddle Day, and Saturday was Sing and Dance Day. We ended each week with Gratitude Day, my favorite!
On Sunday: “Dear Puddingtons, today is Gratitude Day! Hip hip hooray! Time to reflect on those blessings you’ve got, like your family who love you a lot, like cozy warm nights and a bright shining sun, and playing with friends and just having fun. So on this special day, celebrate all the things that make life so great. Happy Festival of the Elves! Holly and Noel.”
Our magic meter vibrated, and the dial went crazy. We started to float up and up and up, feeling all the merriment around us. Our boots spun us around, then poof! We were home.
For many years afterward, we left notes and trinkets for the Puddingtons, and it warmed our hearts to see them bring our elf tradition to their friends and family. These days, many of our friends have joined us to spread a little bit of magic around the world.
As our Grandpa Figgyworth loves to say, “The magic around you is the magic you make. It happens when you give more than you take. It grows and it grows and swirls all around, just like the snow that never touches the ground. And before you know it, you’re lost in its bliss, and it all starts with a note sent with a kiss.”
So remember, my friend, as long as you try, the magic around you will launch your heart to the sky. Happy Festival of the Elves!
I just love the tradition they started, don’t you? I hope you enjoyed our story today. See you next time!
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