Author Creates New Christmas Tradition

Contoocook, NH: Even when it’s not Christmas Eve, author Dorothea Jensen always has visions of things dancing in her head. In her case it’s not sugarplums, however, but what she calls “Santa’s Izzy Elves”. So far, Jensen has written about four of these little characters: Tizzy, the Christmas Shelf Elf; Blizzy, the Worrywart Elf; Dizzy, the Stowaway Elf and Frizzy, the S.A.D. Elf. Although she modeled these stories on the 19th century poem, “A Visit From Saint Nicholas”, her Izzies are definitely 21st century elves. “They even have their own twitter and blog accounts,” says Jensen.

Jensen wrote these illustrated story poems for families to read aloud together during the holidays, but unlike many picture books, these are aimed at children aged four and up. “Older kids who enjoy word play and rhythmical verse really love them,” Jensen says. Moreover, as one Amazon reviewer observed, “It’s not only the children who love this book...Grandparents who share this story will become one of the best memories of childhood Christmas.”

All four books have garnered excellent reviews, honors and awards.The latest story, Frizzy, the S.A.D. Elf, recently won a coveted Santa Choice Award, and also won first prize in the Young Adult/Children’s category of the first ever Red City Review Book Awards. The latter website described it as “a highly original and wonderfully developed children’s book”.

The Izzy Elf stories are all available as paperbacks, Kindle books, Nook books, and as both downloadable and CD audiobooks. Jensen recorded the audiobooks herself. “I have done a lot of acting and singing, so I wasn’t afraid to talk to a microphone in a professional recording studio,” she said. “I pretended I was reading to my six grandsons: it was easy!”

Before what she calls her “elf infestation”, Jensen already was a established author. Her historical novel for young readers, The Riddle of Penncroft Farm, was named an International Reading Association Teachers’ Choice Selection soon after its release and is read in schools throughout the United States. It has sold upwards of 120,000 copies over the years. Recently, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt released an e-book edition. Riddle also won a first prize in the 2014 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards.

Jensen recently completed a new historical novel for young readers, called A Buss From Lafayette, set in New Hampshire in 1825. Now she plans to start writing stories for Quizzy, Fizzy, Bizzy, and Whizzy, mostly to stop them from dancing in her head.

Further information about the author, her award-winning books, and her Izzy Elves can be found at izzyelves.com, dorotheajensen.com and izzyelfblog.blogspot.com.