We're going on an elf chase by Martha Mumford

Illus. by Laura Hughes. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781526606303.
Recommended. We're going on an elf chase is a cute little board book that encompasses a 'life the flap' on most pages.
It is the perfect size to read on the couch/bed with your little ones but also great to pop into your bag for a day out (it has a nice and sturdy cover so I think it will hold up well with lots of use). The story follows 4 lovely little rabbits who are going on an elf chase through the snow, where they come across winter animals like penguins, birds, polar bears and even some festive reindeer!
As the reader lifts the flaps and find the elves, they can identify the number they are up to (under each flap the numbers are written- a great numeracy link!), and practice counting to 10.
The story also following a repetitive style with every second page being the same text, allowing the reader to learn and join in with the 'reading' of the book. My newly 5-year-old is just starting to be interested in actual reading and this helped her begin to identify words as she could predict what they were based on the repetition of the book. I also liked how the author used some sounds and noises associated with the animals they were creeping around. This added interest and definitely increased engagement in the story. We pretended to be reindeer who went cloppy, cloppy, clip and birds who went chirpy, chirpy, cheep!
I really liked this book, as although it is a fairly simple story, I was able to stretch that into the worlds of numeracy, literacy and even some drama. Both my daughter and I enjoyed the illustrations too, they are whimsical and free flowing and you can almost see the freezing wind blowing across the landscape behind the rabbits!
I give We're going on an elf chase by Martha Mumford 4 out 5, a great Christmas book for children aged up to 6 years.
Lauren Fountain