Zach’s Journey from Selfish to Elfish by Collette Ryan tells the story of a young boy named Zach, who is really rather selfish. Each morning when he wakes all he thinks about is what new toys he wants from the mall. Even when his dog, Alice, greets him one morning and asks him to play, he is not interested in her needs, thinking only of his own. That is when the Elf appears, stating that it is time Zach learned how to be Elfish, not Selfish. Being Elfish means being eager to help, being a good friend, and most importantly being nice to others and putting their needs before your own. So Zach begins to look at things differently, and with the help of the Elf learns to be a caring little person and even earns his Elfhood. The illustrations are simple yet appropriate and accompany the story well. The story is told in rhyme.

The author, Collette Ryan, has created a lovely rhyming story for young readers who, as they follow Zach’s journey, are shown how much more rewarding it is to be considerate of others first. Zach’s story is simple yet appealing and would be ideal for a parent to discuss with a child about the importance of thinking of others. It doesn’t happen all at once, it takes Zach time to understand the needs of others, and how to be a good friend not only to his classmates, but to his pets. The Elf takes him on the journey in a steady way which culminates in Zach receiving his Elfhood, which is a nice touch. A pleasing story to show children from a young age that those around them have needs too.

Zach’s Journey from Selfish to Elfish by Collette Ryan is a children’s novella. Zach does not seem to care about helping others and isn’t interested in playing with his dog, Alice. He spends a lot of time playing with his toys and only thinks about getting new ones. Elf, his friend, visits and tells Zack that he has become too grumpy for a little boy and shouldn’t be selfish. He should play with Alice. Zach is reluctant to do as he is told, but knows the elves watch little girls and boys. He decides to take Elf’s advice to play with Alice. Later on, he notices how sad Angela looks and cheers her up. Other events occur that make Zack realize that being nice to others is important, but will his fondness for new toys make him remain selfish?

Collette Ryan’s novella is a fun, educational story for children in kindergarten to third grade. It has great rhyming flow accompanied by impressive illustrations of the characters. Zach’s Journey from Selfish to Elfish makes a perfect learning tool for teachers and parents to inspire and motivate young children to think of others and perform acts of kindness. There are more events taking place in the story that Zack participates in, which is very nice. I believe the author has written a wonderful novella catering to small children. Alice has a Ways I Can Be Elfish Checklist at the back of the book that children can imitate. This lovely novella is recommended.