The Littlest Christas Elf by Nancy Buss and illustrations by Terri Super

Allister is super excited to be going to the North Pole. That's every elf's dream! But when he gets there he discovers that he's littler than the other elves. He's too little to make toys, to paint doll houses - he's even too little to sweep up in the workshop! Allister is scared of what Santa will think. Maybe his new friend Nicholas will be able to help Allister to believe in himself.

I have a number of Little Golden Books Christmas stories, but this is one of my favourites. It's well-worn ground, particularly around Christmas stories: an elf who doesn't fit in, believing in yourself, (spoiler alert) an elf saving the day and/or going on Santa's big trip with him. That doesn't seem to matter, though, particularly for a child who might be reading this story for the first time. (I doubt that the 'Nicholas' reveal would be that big of a surprise to adults It has a timeless look to it, too; without checking the copyright page, there was little that tipped me off to it being published in 1987. It looks like it's out of print now, but it's likely able to found in second hand bookstores and book sales (which is where I picked up my copy).

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Little Bunny and the Magic Christmas Tree by David Martin
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Robert L. May
Santa's Toy Workshop by Al Dempster
The Little Christmas Elf by Nikki Shannon Smith