The Elf on The Shelf: A Christmas Tradition

The Elf on The Shelf: A Christmas Tradition

Christmas 2016 heralds the nationwide arrival of The Elf on the Shelf®, which brings something new, exciting and different to Christmas this year for Australian families. Official adoption centres will open in select locations throughout Australia, making the beloved scout elves available across the nation. This U.S. publishing phenomenon is set to capture Aussie hearts with its charming tale of Santa's helpers and their special role at Christmas time.

The Elf on The Shelf: A Christmas Tradition is a magical story that explains how Santa's scout elves help him manage his naughty or nice lists. Each illustrated, hardback book comes as part of a box set that also includes one of Santa's scout elves, whose job is to watch during the day and report to Santa every night.

When a family adopts a scout elf and gives it a name, the scout elf receives its Christmas magic and can fly to the North Pole each night to tell Santa Claus about all of the day's adventures. Each morning the scout elf returns to its family and perches in a different place to watch the festive fun, creating a unique family moment. Children love to race around the house and see where their scout elf has landed.

Select retail locations will also feature the book Elf Pets: A Reindeer Tradition and The Claus Couture Collection® which features cute clothes designed by Mrs. Claus that scout elves may wear to show off their unique personalities.

The Elf on the Shelf
This enchanting tale was written by mother-daughter duo Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell, and is based on their own family's Christmas tradition. After receiving countless rejections from publishing houses across the U.S., Carol, Chanda and her twin sister Christa Pitts decided to self-publish the book by creating their own company, Creatively Classic Activities and Books (CCA and B, LLC).

Pooling all of their resources, including the proceeds from the sale of a house and the contents of a retirement account, Carol, Chanda and Christa self-published The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition in early 2005, and successfully sold out of the first 5,000 copies. Eleven years later, the book has sold more than 10 million copies and continues to grace the top of multiple bestseller lists.

Carol Aebersold is the award-winning co-author of the bestselling book The Elf on The Shelf: A Christmas Tradition as well as several other titles. For several weeks each year, Aebersold serves as a spokeswoman for the North Pole traveling nationally " and sometimes internationally " in support of her books, providing children with a direct line to Santa. She is a co-founder of CCA and B, LLC and has been named a Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Chanda Bell is the true visionary behind her family's publishing company, having conceptualised, written and researched how to self-publish the company's flagship title. As CCA and B's co-CEO and creative force, Bell is credited with expanding the company's line by four titles in the past year. As the head of the company's product development team, Bell has encouraged the team to thrive outside the literary arena with strategy and vision for new products. Today the brand features a line of toys, games and gifts focused on creating family moments.

Christa Pitts is the co-CEO and business leader of CCA and B. As co-founder, Pitts provided the business plans that took The Elf on the Shelf® from an unknown self-published title to the top of the bestseller lists year after year. Prior to her career in publishing, Pitts was a host on the U.S. shopping channel QVC, where her warmth and enthusiasm made her a household name. Pitts guides the strategic business vision of the company and oversees the operational side of the business, which includes sourcing, production and sales strategy.