Monday, December 18, 2017

The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker: From The Story by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Illustrated by Valeria Docampo. 2016. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: It was Christmas Eve and the snow was gently falling. Clara and her brother Fritz were very excited. That night there would be a magnificent party with music and dancing, as well as lots of fantastic presents!

Premise/plots: This is a picture book adaptation of The Nutcracker.

My thoughts: I love, love, love the music of The Nutcracker. I would happily--do happily--listen to it throughout the year. It has never been just "holiday" music to me. This picture book puts into words the story of the Nutcracker ballet. I would definitely recommend sharing this story--or another like it--with little ones before taking them to see the ballet. I think knowing the story--how everything fits together and flows--is essential to enjoying the experience of seeing The Nutcracker live.

This picture book has wonderful illustrations. The illustrations alone make it worthy of checking out of the library.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

© 2017 Becky Laney of Young Readers

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