Book Review of Runaway Elf
The Children’s Book Review
Runaway Elf
Written by Valerie L. Egar
Illustrated by Tamara Campeau
Ages 4-8 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Whistle Oak (2026) | ISBN-13: 978-1733593373
What to Expect: Christmas, Elves, Running Away, Hollywood, Homesickness, Finding Your Purpose, Humor.
A restless North Pole elf trades snow for sunshine and learns the adventure he craved might have been waiting at home all along.
Magnus has had it with the North Pole. Toy-making has lost its sparkle, and somewhere out there, he’s sure, life is a lot more exciting. So he packs up and heads for Hollywood, land of beaches, bright lights, and big dreams. But California doesn’t roll out the red carpet quite the way Magnus pictured, and the farther he gets from home, the more he starts to wonder what he’s left behind.
Valerie L. Egar’s writing is lively and well-paced, with a comic, slightly grumpy edge that gives Magnus real personality. His mounting frustrations will feel familiar to any child who has ever had one of those days, and readers who loved Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day will find a kindred spirit here. The humor keeps things light, while the story’s quieter thread about belonging and purpose gives it heart. A playful author’s note at the end, pointing out that Santa has somehow never been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is a clever bonus that’s sure to spark conversation.
Tamara Campeau’s full-color spreads move nimbly between two very different worlds. The North Pole scenes are snowy and cozy, while the California pages burst with warm, beachy color, and the contrast does a lot of the storytelling work, letting young readers feel Magnus’s journey as much as read it.
Runaway Elf is a fun, fresh twist on the holiday elf story best suited to children who enjoy a little mischief with their Christmas reading—a great pick for families looking for a seasonal read-aloud that offers laughs along with a gentle reminder that home is often where we’re most ourselves.
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About the Author
Valerie L. Egar started writing stories in fifth grade with a series she called “The Unearthly Cry,” a supernatural scream that saved people and animals from harm. When she realized she didn’t know enough to make the stories sound authentic, she decided she needed to learn more and studied harder.
In sixth grade, she mailed a story about her dog, Greta, to a magazine, convinced they would publish it. They didn’t. Her persistence in submitting to magazines was finally rewarded when she was 15, when a national magazine published an anecdote and paid her $100.
She continued writing poems and stories, with poems published in literary journals and newspapers. Her blog, Snickertales, is named after a dog she rescued and is popular around the world. Her first children’s book, Oh No! Reindeer Flu! debuted in 2019 and was a finalist in the 2020 Wishing Shelf Awards.
She lives in Maine with her partner, Bo, and their fur companions — a rescued husky. Phoenix, and a feisty foundling Maine Coon cat, Lucca Lu. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys quilting, embroidery, and hunting for treasures at local auctions.
