27 Surprising Things You Don't Know About the Elf on the Shelf, Straight From the Creator

They allude to it in the Elf Story, the animated special, and it’s somewhat in the book but they have have never come out and said it before. Elves each match the personality of the families that adopt them. "While some elves are super creative and crazy, other elves can be very subdued or just play hide-and-seek with the family," Chanda said. "Or, in my family, our elf brings notes back to my daughter when she writes to her elf. So I think it’s important that people understand their elf is going to match the personality of the family, which speaks to that family moment."