Tales of the Elf Storekeeper

When the last customer leaves and the lights go down, the department store wakes up. The goods start to talk — and they all have a problem.

A shirt on the rack is crying because nobody wants to take her home. A guitar string is hopelessly out of tune. A box of matches has grown far too vain. A doll that was built to wink simply can't. A toy car can only turn left.

Luckily, someone is listening. The Elf Storekeeper is a small, kind-hearted sprite who knows the department store better than its manager and would give you the shirt off his back. He solves every problem with wit, patience and a great deal of love — and never with a lecture.

Written by Vladimír Mráz — Czech director of the feature-length animated film Wonderful Show and creator of beloved children's television programmes Draci v hrnci and Tý Brďo! — these tales carry the warm, playful humour of the Jan Werich storytelling tradition: funny on the surface, quietly wise underneath. Twenty-six short stories, each about four minutes long and each ending with a gentle lesson, narrated in English by David Livingstone — who speaks directly to the children listening.

Perfect bedtime listening for children aged 5 to 9, and for the grown-ups listening with them.

More about the author and all language editions: www.vladimirmraz.cz/elf