The Elves And The Shoemaker (Ladybird Tales) is a children’s book that is part of Penguin’s Ladybird Tales series of fairy tales for little children. This book, which is accompanied by a lot of colourful illustrations, is the story of a poor shoemaker whose kindness towards needy strangers earns him the respect and help of magic elves, who help him make shoes by the night. This gradually multiplies his fortune as well as his philanthropy, so that the kindness and business acumen of the shoemaker, coupled with the help of the elves, transform his fate from a penniless worker to the proprietor of a thriving business. This story, appearing in many different versions over the years, is one of the few that extols the virtues of charity, hard work and a good, compassionate heart as the basis for one’s success and happiness in life. It also imparts some crucial life lessons like how to be thrifty and manage one’s money so as to reap the most out of it, while remembering to help other people in need too. One of the most realistic of the fairy tales to have ever been written for children, this story provides them with an exciting and wholesome framework on which certain essential ethics of life are propped up. The Elves And The Shoemaker (Ladybird Tales) was published by Penguin UK in 2012 and is available in hardcover. Key Features: This is a story of hope, hard work, one’s good nature and gratitude, which gives a poor old couple the prosperity they deserve. The Ladybird Tales series carries a number of other popular children’s stories too, that would help generate their interest in storytelling and reading.