The Little Guide to Elf

Book excerpt: A modern Christmas classic, Elf burst onto cinema screens over 20 years ago and has been charming people ever since. In 2003, Buddy the Elf went on a journey to find his father, and ultimately help Santa save Christmas, and since then the world has gone Elf mad. There are only a few modern Christmas films that everyone agrees are instant classics, but Elf is definitely one. A wholesome and deeply funny film, it captures everything important about Christmas: family, acceptance, fun and - most importantly - Santa. Regularly cited as one of the best Christmas films of all time, for many people, Christmas hasn't started until they've watched Elf. Stuffed with more classic quotes, quips and wisecracks from Buddy, his human family and North Pole colleagues, as well as a cast of cynical New Yorkers whom Buddy befriends and with more treats than you'll find under the Christmas tree, the Little Book of Elf is the perfect gift for the Elf-mad member of your family, which, last time we looked, was everyone! "I just like to smile. Smiling's my favorite." Buddy. "Why don't you just say it? I'm the worst toy maker in the world. I'm a cotton-headed ninny-muggins." Buddy, to Ming Ming. "Then I traveled through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, past the sea of twirly-swirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel." Buddy. 44 per cent The percentage of British people* who re-watch Elf every single year, according to OnBuy study, 2020. * Britons will spend around 14 days of their lifetime re-watching Elf.