Background to the Story

On the island of Ibiza there are small, strange magical creatures that hide away from people and are rarely ever seen. These are elves of Santa Eulalia. If you are clever enough to catch one, an elf will work extremely hard to help with all your jobs. However, you must be really careful because elves are very mischievous and can cause a lot of trouble! This is the story of one girl and her grandmother who lived on their farm with an elf for a while.

Brought to life with beautiful illustrations, this story follows a young girl’s enchanted summer, where mishaps and adventures help her to discover inner strength, self belief and resilience.

The Legend

The Fiesta of San Juan is celebrated in Spain every year on June 23rd and 24th. It is a Chrisian festival, which is dedicated to St John the Baptist. Its origin may have roots in pagan celebrations of the summer solstice.

The festival is celebrated all over Spain with each area having its own customs and traditions. Most of these involve fire and water, the two elements that are believed to drive out evil and purify the spirit.

In some parts of the country, the Fiesta of San Juan is associated with the appearance of magical beings. In Cantabria, for instance, a good fairy called la anjana is said to come down from the mountains. In Teulada, an area of Valencia, the fairy is called la janaina and she grants wishes to those lucky enough to see her. In Santa Eulalia des Riu in Ibiza, ancient local stories tell of a fameliar, who is a helpful but mischievous elf. A number of small elf statues can be found around the town and in the old underground air raid shelter on the Passeig de S'Alamera.

The Author

While living in Ibiza, the author, Jean Jackson, and the children in her family were captivated by the discovery of little statues and images of elves who, according to local legend, lived there long ago. Would it have been fun to grow up on an island in those magical days and to have an elf in your home?

After teaching in schools with children from diverse international backgrounds, Jean was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to travel abroad to undertake research. She collected traditional stories and legends from India and China, transforming them into engaging resources for schools.  One of these works, The Legend of Chang E and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, was distributed through the Times Educational Supplement.