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My First Nutcracker
E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale The Nutcracker has charmed generations of balletgoers, but in book form its plot can seem complicated. This picture book was created specifically for parents who want to introduce their youngest children to the basics of the story. The text is as engaging as it is accessible, and Linda Bronson’s lush, candy-colored illustrations capture each magical scene, from the Nutcracker’s triumphant battle with the Mouse King to Clara’s transformation into a princess. Also included is an author’s note about the history of the Nutcracker ballet. This holiday treat is the perfect way to set the stage for the enjoyment of a performance.
- GenresPicture BooksChristmas
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 13, 2007
12 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie True Peters
126 books9 followers“By all appearances, I am a typical suburban mother,” reports Stephanie True Peters. “I’m forty-three, have two children, Jackson, age 11, and Chloe, age 9, and a husband, Dan, who to me seems ageless. I live in a nice neighborhood in a town just far enough south of Boston to be considered the boonies. I do the grocery shopping, the cleaning (well, sometimes), go to the gym, and operate the ride-on lawnmower with some regularity. Yes, I fit the role of typical suburban mother to a T.
“Perhaps this explains the surprised reactions I receive when I tell people that I write children’s books. ‘You do? Really?’ their raised eyebrows and open mouths seem to say. Then come the usual questions: ‘Have you ever been published? Would I know anything you’ve done?’
“I have, and I certainly hope you recognize the titles of some of my books. (If not, feel free to pick one up sometime—or two, or three . . .)
“That I am able to spend my days at such work is, on the whole, wonderful. I lose myself for hours in imagined scenarios, made-up people, or buried in research into a fascinating topic. I’m here when my kids and husband need me and can take a day off when I need some ‘me’ time. Sometimes I miss the office life I had years ago, when I was an editor at Little, Brown Children’s Books. Then I compare my commute then (a long ride on public transportation) versus now (a short climb up a flight of stairs) and realize just how lucky I am.
“Yet if it hadn’t been for those years with Little, Brown, I wouldn’t have been part of this amazing White House book. It was my old colleague and friend, Hilary Van Dusen, who contacted me about the project. She wanted to include a piece on sports and the presidency. She knew I was tapped into the sports scene because I had edited many of Matt Christopher’s sports books while at Little, Brown—and more recently, had been ghostwriting them.
“In the course of my research for the piece, I learned that many U.S. presidents had ties to the baseball, starting as far back as George Washington. But the story that stuck with me was the one that now appears in the book – the first World Series game to take place after the tragic events of 9/11, and George W. Bush’s throwing of the game’s first pitch.
“Perhaps this explains the surprised reactions I receive when I tell people that I write children’s books. ‘You do? Really?’ their raised eyebrows and open mouths seem to say. Then come the usual questions: ‘Have you ever been published? Would I know anything you’ve done?’
“I have, and I certainly hope you recognize the titles of some of my books. (If not, feel free to pick one up sometime—or two, or three . . .)
“That I am able to spend my days at such work is, on the whole, wonderful. I lose myself for hours in imagined scenarios, made-up people, or buried in research into a fascinating topic. I’m here when my kids and husband need me and can take a day off when I need some ‘me’ time. Sometimes I miss the office life I had years ago, when I was an editor at Little, Brown Children’s Books. Then I compare my commute then (a long ride on public transportation) versus now (a short climb up a flight of stairs) and realize just how lucky I am.
“Yet if it hadn’t been for those years with Little, Brown, I wouldn’t have been part of this amazing White House book. It was my old colleague and friend, Hilary Van Dusen, who contacted me about the project. She wanted to include a piece on sports and the presidency. She knew I was tapped into the sports scene because I had edited many of Matt Christopher’s sports books while at Little, Brown—and more recently, had been ghostwriting them.
“In the course of my research for the piece, I learned that many U.S. presidents had ties to the baseball, starting as far back as George Washington. But the story that stuck with me was the one that now appears in the book – the first World Series game to take place after the tragic events of 9/11, and George W. Bush’s throwing of the game’s first pitch.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 2, 2010
Looking for a version of "The Nutcracker" story to share with my little ones in ballet class. I quite liked the prose here--it's lyrical and magical and captures the gist of Hoffman's complicated story quickly and effortlessly. I was less enthusiastic about the illustrations; they are fun and certainly bring about a toys-and-candy feeling, but I guess I just wanted something either more traditional (for Hoffman's story) or more balletic. Still, I will be sharing this with my students.
December 3, 2017
Good adaptation for young children. My 4-year old enjoyed it and asked for it to be read again at story time the next evening. Great way of introducing the story before going to a Nutcracker performance. The story is stripped down to its basic elements and is nicely retold. Illustrations are colorful although not my preferred style, my daughter liked them.
December 5, 2016
My First Nutcracker is about the classic tale of Clara and her Nutcracker. This is the perfect story to read close to Christmas time. I especially loved this book because the nutcracker is one of my favorite ballets. I feel like the wording could have been better in this book though. I did not like the authors way with words. I would certainly read this in my classroom around Christmas time. The illustrations in this book are very interesting. I cannot find the right word to describe them but the colors are so vibrant and bright.
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December 10, 2009"Christmas, ballet, nutcracker, excellent adaption of the Nutcracker ballet, great sense of movement in illustrations"
September 30, 2013
My daughter liked this one, but she wasn't ecstatic about it. It's one of those worth a one time read, but not one that I was begged to read again.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews