As in past years, hints of the holiday season seem to pop up earlier and earlier—sometimes as soon as September! One minute I’m grabbing pencils and folders, and the next… Santa is already peeking out at me. It makes me pause and wonder what exactly is happening—and why it all seems to come at once. Still, I’m glad for the few things that really belong in December: Christmas trees in homes, twinkling lights, and of course, the Elf on the Shelf. Or, in this case… the Elf on the Bookshelf!

To be honest, despite being tempted when my kids were littler, I never actually brought the elf home. I admired those who did, saved posts, and maybe—just maybe—this year I’ll finally try it in my classroom, if time, energy, and circumstances all decide to cooperate.

Any which way, it’s all kind of fun. And if your elf hasn’t arrived yet—or if you’re starting late—don’t worry. These twenty picture books pair perfectly with simple, low-pressure elf setups, so you can start this weekend or any day you’re ready. Prop the book next to the elf, leave a page open, or even tuck in a tiny note or read-aloud link.

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Elf on the Bookshelf

So this week’s post was actually last week’s Top Ten Tuesday freebie (with ten bonus picks!); and it was a joy to put together! Each book pairs with simple Elf on the Shelf setups—just a little whimsy (one of my favorite words), a little wonder, and lots of bookish magic. And this week’s theme is books set in snowy places (I have a few right here, I think), so this should work for this week too.

(though I do have a few older posts with snowy books – linked in the section below)

No matter when your elf decides to show up, these picture books make the perfect partners for that mischievous little visitor. For each pairing, I focused on an iconic scene from the book—or sometimes just the cover—featuring the elf. You can even make the book itself part of the scene whenever possible.

1. Waiting – Kevin Henkes

• A gentle, quiet story about patience, anticipation, and noticing small changes.
• Ages: 3–7
• Elf Setup: Elf sitting beside a toy elephant, pig, and bear, “waiting” in line on a shelf or windowsill.

2. Little Red Sleigh – Erin Guendelsberger (Author), Elizaveta Tretyakova (Illustrator)

• An underdog sleigh proves that even the smallest can do big, brave things.
• Ages: 4–8
• Elf Setup: Elf in a toy sleigh, maybe stuck in cotton “snow,” with a tiny note: Even little sleighs can do big things!

3. Bear Snores On – Karma Wilson (Author), Jane Chapman (Illustrator)

• A cozy woodland tale of friendship while one very sleepy bear snores through it all.
• Ages: 1–4 years
• Elf Setup: Elf tucked under a napkin or tissue blanket near stuffed animals “hibernating.”

4. The Mitten – Jan Brett

• A classic cumulative folktale where woodland animals squeeze into one warm mitten.
• Ages: 1–5 years
• Elf Setup: A mitten stuffed with small classroom toys or mini animals, with the elf peeking out.

5. The Snowy Day – Ezra Jack Keats

• A quiet, classic winter walk through fresh snow from a child’s point of view.
• Ages: 2–7
• Elf Setup: Cotton snow footprints leading from the elf to the book, or to anything else you choose.

6. How to Catch an Elf – Adam Wallace (Author), Andy Elkerton (Illustrator)

• A playful, interactive story full of imaginative elf-catching traps.
• Ages: 4–8
• Elf Setup: Elf “escaped” from a small paper trap placed beside the book.

7. Stick Man – Julia Donaldson (Author), Axel Scheffler (Illustrator)

• A stick figure’s adventurous journey to get home again—full of heart and humor.
• Ages: 4–8
• Elf Setup: Elf holding a bundle of craft sticks as if building a – well, a stick man for a friend!

8. If You Take a Mouse to the Movies – Laura Numeroff (Author), Felicia Bond (Illustrator)

• The familiar mouse returns for a cozy, chaotic winter movie night adventure.
• Ages: 3–7
• Elf Setup: Elf with a tiny popcorn cup and paper movie screen backdrop.

9. Dream Snow – Eric Carle

• Farm animals dream of falling snow in this gently festive, beautifully textured book.
• Ages: 2–6
• Elf Setup: Elf helping cotton “snow” fall onto toy animals taped to the wall or shelf.

10. The Great Santa Stakeout – Betsy Bird (Author), Gus Gordon (Illustrator)

• A humorous mystery as kids try to finally catch Santa in action.
• Ages: 4–8
• Elf Setup: Elf with binoculars watching a mini Santa cutout.

11. Snowballs – Lois Ehlert

• A bright, collage-style celebration of building snowmen with imagination.
• Ages: 3–7
• Elf Setup: Mini paper snowman “parts” laid out like a build-your-own kit next to the elf.

12. Pete the Cat Saves Christmas – Eric Litwin (Author), James Dean (Illustrator)

• Pete steps in to save Christmas with his signature calm and cool attitude.
• Ages: 3–7
• Elf Setup: Elf next to a small stack of gift-wrapped cubes, “helping” a cat with deliveries.

13. We Are in a Book! – Mo Willems

• Elephant and Piggie realize they’re being read—and try not to make the book end.
• Ages: 4–8
• Elf Setup: Elf peeking out of this book or other book like he just discovered he’s in a book too.

14. The Day It Snowed Tortillas – Joe Hayes

• Story: A joyful, snowy folktale filled with food raining from the sky and cultural flavor.
• Ages: 4–8
• Elf Setup: Paper tortillas “snowing” off a shelf with the elf caught underneath.

15. Snowmen All Year – Caralyn Buehner (Author), Mark Buehner (Illustrator)

• Story: What if snowmen didn’t melt and stuck around for every season?
• Ages: 3–7
• Elf Setup: Elf sunbathing next to a paper snowman in sunglasses.

16. The Little Snowflake – IglooBooks

• Story: A simple, gentle story about a snowflake finding its special place.
• Ages: 2–6
• Elf Setup: Paper snowflakes taped above and below the elf like he made it snow overnight.

17. Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats by Nina Simonds and Leslie Swartz with art by Meilo So

• Story: A lively look at Chinese festivals, traditions, and foods.
• Ages: 4–8
• Elf Setup: Elf holding a tiny paper lantern or sitting by a mini dragon boat with a mooncake cut-out nearby.

18. Seven Spools of Thread – Angela Shelf Medearis, illustrated by Daniel Minter

• Story: The story of Kwanzaa in a beautiful read.
• Ages: 4–8
• Elf Setup: Elf “weaving” tiny colorful threads around small objects or a mini loom, celebrating creativity and festive tradition.

19. Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution – Pat Miller

• Story: Squirrel discovers the excitement of New Year’s resolutions and fresh starts.
• Ages: 4–8
• Elf Setup: Elf holding a tiny notepad or scroll with “resolutions” written on it, standing next to small winter props like mini pinecones or cotton snow.

20. Hanukkah Bear – Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka

• Story: A curious bear learns about Hanukkah traditions and joins in the festive fun.
• Ages: 3–7
• Elf Setup: Elf peeking out of a small gift bag with a tiny menorah (toy or paper), or hiding among gelt coins, ready for a playful surprise.

Snowy Reads and Such

• Books for Santa that We Will Love Too
• A Wonderful Medley of Festive Nonfiction Reads
• Top Ten Tuesdays of Christmas Stories and Happy Holidays
• Festive Reads and More: It is the Season After All

And Now, the End of This Post

Whether your elf arrived right on December 1st or is still thinking about making an appearance, it’s never too late to add a little bookish magic to the season. Pairing your elf with a picture book is, in my opinion, pure fun, and requires just a little setup – simple magic that fits into our lives easily! (Note: the images I have are AI generated after all using prompts I used, but the idea is to at the very basic use the book and the elf together, and tie in any other elements you have available).