Nutcracker and Mouse King: A Magical Adaptation for Children

by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Alexander Nemirov (Translator)

On Christmas Eve, when the last candle flickers low and the house grows still, the magic begins.
A brave Nutcracker stands guard, a wicked Mouse King plots his revenge, and a young girl named Maria discovers that courage can open the door to a kingdom where lakes glow rose-pink, forests grow of sugar and spice, and dreams last forever.

This gentle adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Nutcracker and Mouse King, brought to life with luminous watercolor illustrations, keeps the wonder, mystery, and warmth of the classic tale while making it perfect for children and families to share. A story to read aloud, to dream over, and to keep — year after year.

133 pages, Paperback

Published August 13, 2025

About the author

Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann, better known by his pen name E. T. A. Hoffmann (Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann), was a German Romantic author of fantasy and horror, a jurist, composer, music critic, draftsman and caricaturist. His stories form the basis of Jacques Offenbach's famous opera The Tales of Hoffmann, in which Hoffman appears (heavily fictionalized) as the hero. He is also the author of the novella The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, on which the famous ballet The Nutcracker is based. The ballet Coppélia is based on two other stories that Hoffmann wrote, while Schumann's Kreisleriana is based on Hoffmann's character Johannes Kreisler.

Hoffmann's stories were very influential during the 19th century, and he is one of the major authors of the Romantic movement.