Elliot’s Christmas Surprise

Submitted by Ms. Jill!
Elliot’s Christmas Surprise by Andrea Beck. Elliot (a stuffed moose) wakes up on Christmas Eve morning to discover a giant red box waiting at the foot of his bed. What could it be?! Elliot, who has been extra-good this year, guesses that it must be a Special Delivery from Santa – an early present just for him! Elliot is so excited! But wait… none of the other stuffed animals in the nursery have Special Deliveries. What if Elliot’s friends feel left out and sad? Elliot gets out his craft supplies and makes an extra gift for each of his friends, so that everyone will have a Special Delivery to open. But when the little moose finally opens his own Special Delivery, he finds the box is empty! Poor Elliot! Now he’s the only one without an extra gift. At first Elliot is terribly disappointed, but then something magical happens: each of Elliot’s delighted friends comes running to say “thank you” for their thoughtful gifts, and with each friend’s arrival Elliot feels better and better. Together the animals discover that the empty big red box is a present after all – Lionel gave it to Elliot to use for crafts. Now completely recovered from his disappointment, Elliot shows everyone how to make the box into a pretend sleigh, and they all spend the day happily playing Santa and Reindeer. This delightful holiday story is just right for preschoolers – Elliot’s feelings of excitement, concern for his friends, and disappointment are very realistic for a young child, and the gentle message about the joy of giving and the importance of gratitude makes a great antidote to the holiday “gimmes.” You can read more about Elliot in the other “Elliot Moose Stories.” See these books listed in our catalog