The Elf Chloe's Surprise Book Rescue
Did you get a rescue copy of Elf Chloe's Surprise?! Thank you so much – treat it gently because the first print run turnd out to be a little delicate. But, a book about reducing waste, can't go straight in the bin! Here's your guide to caring for your book, fixing or repurposing it.
Be gentle with the spine
Avoid pressing the spine flat when you read this version of the book. The glue is cracking under the pressure (can we blame the heatwave?!) and we’ve had reports of pages coming out.
Which copies are affected? If you purchased the paperback printed on the recycled coffee cup paper, your book may be impacted. These have been sold on Amazon and direct from me.
Fix it:
If you notice any pages coming loose, pop some tape on to hold them in place. You can get book repair or washi tape, or just use the sellotape you already have at home.
Crafty ideas
If pages do come out, and you decide not to mend them, here’s some inspiration for craft activities you could do with your children.
Cards
Create your own Christmas cards. Cut out the pictures and scenes from the book and stick them onto card.
puppet show
Cut out the characters from Elf Chloe's Surprise, and stick them to lolly sticks, pencils or twigs from the garden. Retell the story in your own puppet theatre.
Puzzle
Turn full pages into a puzzle for your little ones. You can make this more complicated for older children. If you want this to last longer, you could even laminate the pieces.
Gift tags
Raid the recycling for clean cardboard, cut it into tag shapes and stick on pictures from the book to make your own gift tags.
Decorations
Cut out stars or baubles, add eco-friendly glitter, rescued ribbons and voila - your own decorations.
Bunting or chains
Cut the pages into triangles and make your own bunting, or strips for paper chains. These would make a lovely decoration for your child's bedroom that could be used every year.
Artwork
Frame a full page from the book as a piece of art for your child's bedroom wall – and a regular reminder of the messages in the book.
Decoupage
Get busy with some PVA and decorate a shoebox, a photo frame or whatever you can think of. These would make a lovely keepsake or homemade gift.
Want a more robust copy?
If you purchased an original copy at full price
If you purchased from me or Amazon at full price and pages have come loose, I’ll send you a replacement as soon as I have re-stocked with well-bound books. Email me@charlottecurl.com to request this.
Re-printing my stock
I am in the process of reprinting my own stock to sell direct and via Amazon, with a stronger binding solution. These will be available by early September at the latest.
Want to buy a strong copy now as a gift?
Strong copies are currently available from Ingram Sparks print on demand service – both paperback and hardback. These are not experiencing the same issue as the stock I printed to sell direct.
Thank you for helping
I’m gutted that Elf Chloe’s Surprise has hit this challenge – and I’m so grateful to my community for stepping up to help. Let’s turn this from a disaster into a happy ever after!
How you can help:
- Buy a strong copy as a gift for someone
- Tell your friends and family about the book
- Help share the book on social media.
- Follow me on Instagram @charlottes_goodbooks
- Write a positive review about the story