‘Lily the Elf’ series: The Precious Ring and The Midnight Owl (Anna Branford, illus by Lisa Coutts, Walker Books)

Stand aside princesses and ballet dancers, elves could be the next big thing if the ‘Lily the Elf’ series is anything to go by. Anna Bradford, author of the ‘Violet Mackerel’ books, has created a loveable young elf who lives with her Dad and Granny under a bridge in a big city. Lily is adventuresome, and in The Precious Ring she finds a human’s ring that she uses as a paddling pool. However, when she realises it is important to someone else, she, her Dad and Granny devise an inventive plan to get it back to its owner. In The Midnight Owl, Lily is scared by an owl hooting at night, but works on being brave, and after hearing a story from Granny and some soul-searching, ends up meeting the owl and getting a ride on its back! Aimed at readers aged five and up, Lily’s endearing escapades, together with the easy flow of the stories, are sure to appeal to the preschool set, not forgetting the parents looking for a break from the same old fairy story.

Katie Haydon is a former assistant editor of Books+Publishing and a freelance reviewer