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The Nutcracker

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

New York Times bestselling artist and Caldecott Honor winner Susan Jeffers has created a Nutcracker as only she can—with lavish illustrations, magnificent detail, a glitter-brushed cover, and enchanting holiday scenes on every page. This is The Nutcracker as you've never seen it before! Makes a lovely keepsake and gift.

Join Marie, Fritz, and the intriguing Nutcracker himself on a magical Christmas Eve adventure. Behold the frightful Mouse King, the elegant Sugar Plum fairies, and the entire Land of Sweets in this dazzling, gorgeously illustrated holiday classic. With spare text based on the story in the ballet, this book offers a front-row seat to the enthralling tale that is a perennial favorite of adults and children alike.

And for Susan Jeffers fans looking for extra content, an author's note is included at the end of the book, in which she explains what inspired her to turn this holiday tradition into a show-stopping picture book.

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  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      October 22, 2007
      Jeffers (Brother Eagle, Sister Sky
      ) raises the curtain on an energetic and child-friendly distillation of the Nutcracker
      ballet (as opposed to the full-length E.T.A. Hoffman fairy tale). Here ballerinas in an array of tutus pirouette and waltz through the magical elements of that tale, familiar to many young dance students. Jeffers's soft watercolors, adopting a range of perspectives, capture both the drama of the classic story and the elegance of choreography, in a volume likely to leave youngsters longing to attend a live performance. Ages 3-8.

    • School Library Journal

      October 1, 2007
      K-Gr 3-Children who love the traditional Christmas ballet will enjoy this romantic illustrated edition. Jeffers sets the story in the Victorian period and keeps the familiar elements, yet only the Sugar Plum Fairies literally dance in this version. As a story, the cursory text is rather ho-hum, but the illustrations communicate the beauty and the emotional quality of the ballet."Virginia Walter, University of California, Los Angeles"

      Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      September 15, 2007
      In her authors note, Jeffers rightly points out thatmanyNutcrackerstorybooksomit the dancingthe very element that draws most children to the tale in the first place. In contrast, Jeffers lush watercolors closely match what children might see on the stage, moving through the acts and scenesto provide a gracefulpictorial synopsis. Costumed and in pointe shoes, dancers appear throughout, with most of the named roles, such as Mother Ginger and her Polichinelles, specifically identified in the brief, smoothly written text. Jeffers corps de ballet could have been more diverse, and readers may have questions about the ending, which wont matchmost performances.Even so, this will wholly satisfy families wanting to prepare for annual Nutcracker rituals, and the oversize dimensions and glitter-dusted jacket lend the book a suitable special-occasion feel.Children curious about the bizarre, lengthy E. T. A. Hoffman story, upon which the ballet is loosely based, canturn to Maurice Sendaks unabridged 1984 version; for most purposes, though, thistreatment will earn curtain calls galore.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)

    • The Horn Book

      January 1, 2008
      Jeffers's romantic, detail-rich illustrations are based on the Balanchine ballet, all the way down to the costumes, sets, and even some staging. Her calm, introspective tone brings out the characters' emotional struggles. This is a satisfying extension for an audience already under the spell of the ballet.

      (Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:3.4
  • Interest Level:K-3(LG)
  • Text Difficulty:2

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