Chanda Bell

Chanda A. Bell was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the best-selling author of several books, including those within The Elf on the Shelf and Elf Pets franchise. Additionally, she is an Executive Producer, Writer and Director for the animated stories being churned out by her family owned production company, Scout Elf Productions; But her day-to-day responsibilities include serving as Co-CEO and Chief Creative Officer of a global IP and entertainment company: CCA and B, LLC (Creatively Classic Activities and Books). In 2004, she convinced her mother, Carol Aebersold, to co-author a book about their family tradition of a Scout Elf who listens to kids' wishes and dreams during the day and reports their adventures to Santa at night. They completed the story in six months. Determined to get their book into print, Bell and Aebersold sent proposals to agents. Literary agent Jennifer DeChiara took notice and shopped the manuscript. However, publishers turned down the unknown writing team. Bell and her mother dove into self-publishing research and enlisted the talents of local water-colorist Coë Steinwart to illustrate the story. Christa Pitts, Chanda's twin sister, left her position as an on-air host at QVC and the trio formed CCA and B, LLC to market and publish the book. Strapped for start-up cash, they tapped Bell's personal credit cards, and Pitts used the proceeds from the sale of her house to fund the initial startup. By the end of 2005, they sold 5,000 units of The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition®. By 2008, Bell and her partners had progressed from selling books out of car trunks and at gift shows and specialty shops to placing products in major retailers, toy stores and bookstore chains. The keepsake box featuring a charming tale and a magical Scout Elf from the North Pole became a timeless Christmas tradition, with the storybook topping best-seller lists year after year. Bell first began to explore the idea of using entertainment to tell her stories from the North Pole when she started Big Canoe Entertainment along with partners Catherine Scorcese, Kenneth Waddell, Tara Burtchaell, Chad Eikhoff, Christa Pitts and her mom Carol Aebersold. The entertainment company's sole purpose was to write and produce An Elf's Story. The first animated tale based on The Elf on the Shelf property. An Elf's Story debuted on CBS and is now considered a modern day Christmas classic viewed year after year on Turner Networks: TBS and Cartoon Network. To date, the special has been viewed by a combined audience of over 30 million people. The special has also aired to warm receptions in Canada and in the UK. Bell served as an executive producer and writer and also put pen to paper composing lyrics. In 2017, Bell co-founded Scout Elf Productions(TM) with Christa Pitts and Carol V. Aebersold to, "Imaginatively tell the stories of Santa's North Pole and answer the age-old questions about his fantastical universe through the power of animation." A subsidiary of CCA and B, LLC, the production company released Elf Pets: Santa's St. Bernards Save Christmas, in the Fall of 2018. Bell served as the executive producer, director and screenwriter of the 2018 animated special. In 2019, she wrote and directed Elf Pets: A Fox Cub's Christmas Tale. Common Sense media called it full of, "Endearing characters, buoyant animation, joyous original tunes, and a simple plot that delivers messages about hope and faith that's sure to please families..."