this is a very funny and also sometimes quite touching story! Elf is a great strong-minded puppy, very individual. I sometimes felt sorry and at the same time a bit annoyed with Dan as he cannot stand up to his wife.
The dogshow-witches I'm afraid do exist in reality - animal-beauty-shows I always thought of being very horrible.
It is a really great read. ( )

From the cover art (ignoring the popular saying) and the title, Hunting Elf appears to be a children's book. Instead, it's the madcap story of a well-intentioned but ill-thought out Christmas gift - of a tiny terrier and the chaos he creates in the lives of his owners.

Hunting Elf makes for lighthearted holiday reading - one of those books that provides plenty of laughs, as well as an overwhelming sense of gratitude that Elf is someone else's problem.

The only (minor) problem with Hunting Elf is the inconsistent tone. Dan, the narrator, is at his best when he's not taking his story too seriously. When he lapses into earnestness, Hunting Elf becomes an absurd story. Luckily, these lapses are few and far between, and Elf can be enjoyed for the absurdist comedy it is. ( )

Sad to say, I found this book disappointing. The author kept repeating parts of the story as if he didn't think his readers could remember details. The story went on forever. The characters were not believable. How dumb could Dan be!! The plot was thin. There were lots of unnecessary details, as if the author had read a book on how to write fiction and then tried to follow the directions by giving lots of graphic information. Nothing was left to the imagination. ( )

Hunting Elf is a delightful tale about a silky terrier named Elf who is dog napped by breeders in a dog show. I can imagine the lead character, Dan McCoy, played by Ed Rooney, the principal in Ferris Buller Day Off. What would make the book even better would be some illustrations. This is a children's book, no doubt.....but one that can be enjoyed by all ages. The font is large enough for any child to read it. Elf isn't just a tiny, silky Terrier, though...he's the son of a famous Champion Show Dog . I enjoyed this book very much. This is a book to read at any age.

This is a light-hearted holiday read! ( )

I loved this book. Elf is like so many dogs, including one of my own. I enjoy reading books from a dogs point of view.

Even though there were murders throughout the book, you really don't know it. Elf is more than charming and I would own him in a heartbeat. ( )