When Dorothea Jensen wrote the children’s holiday book Tizzy, the Christmas Shelf Elf, it was a departure from her usual fare. Her first ventures were three Jane Austen-esque romantic comedies published in the 1980s. Then came Jensen’s award-winning young-adult historical novel, The Riddle of Penncroft Farm. Recently, however, the author has turned her talents to illustrated books with rhyming prose for the wee ones. The inspiration? Her six grandsons. With richly colored pictures and an old-fashioned feel, Tizzy stars two of Jensen’s Goleta kin — Alex and Owen — and has garnered five-star reviews and a Mom’s Choice Award. Conceived as a series called Santa’s Izzy Elves, Jensen has already written two other volumes: Blizzy, the Worrywart Elf and Dizzy, the Stowaway Elf, with more elf adventures to come. Books are available at area bookshops and Amazon.com.