The Nutcracker Mice

by Kristin Kladstrup, Brett Helquist (Illustrations)

A young mouse must save her production of The Nutcracker in a charming holiday tale from the author of The Gingerbread Pirates and the illustrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Hidden in Saint Petersburg's famed Mariinsky Theater are the world's tiniest ballet fans: the Mariinsky mice, including Esmeralda, a rising dancer in the Russian Mouse Ballet Company. Despite being unable to control her tail, Esmeralda has just been assigned the lead role of Clara in a ballet debuting at Christmas: The Nutcracker. But when she learns that the new ballet features mice as villains, her excitement turns to horror: the mice of Saint Petersburg will never come to see such a production. Meanwhile, nine-year-old Irina is convinced that the mice she's seen in the Mariinsky -- the mice her father, the custodian, is supposed to exterminate -- are not only fans of the ballet, but dancers themselves. No one will believe her, so it falls to Irina to help save the mice everyone else considers vermin . . . and perhaps to help Esmeralda ensure the future of the mouse company. Sweet and inventive, Kristin Kladstrup's ballet fantasy features artwork by beloved illustrator Brett Helquist, old-fashioned drama, and just a touch of holiday magic.

Genres: Middle Grade, Christmas, Fantasy, Russia, Fiction, Childrens, Holiday

336 pages, Hardcover

First published October 24, 2017

About the author

Kristin Kladstrup is the author of the middle-grade novel THE BOOK OF STORY BEGINNINGS and the picture book THE GINGERBREAD PIRATES. She lives near Boston, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Alysha (For The Love of Christian Fiction) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute middle grade book told from the perspective of the Russian ballet mice during the first showing of the Nutcracker.

Irina’s protection of the mice was cute, and her relationship with her dad was sweet.

It was a fun, action packed story with a fun twist on the ballet side of the Nutcracker story.

It got to be a little “young” for me a few times personally, but I would definitely recommend for young readers!

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

a truly delightful reimagining of the Nutcracker Ballet, performed by the mice who have their own ballet company beneath the stage of Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. The original ballet is about to have its first performance by the human dancers, and the Russian Mouse Ballet will be staging their own performance at the same time. The mouse ballet must succeed, or else the mouse company will be short of food (received from their audience) and they might have to close their curtains. But the plot of the Nutcracker is not a mouse friendly one, and more and more mice have chosen to watch the human dancers instead.

Esmeralda is a rising mouse star...but can she successfully lead her company to a reworking of the Nutcracker that is both mouse friendly and not a mere imitation of human dance but a reimagining of ballet that celebrates all that is graceful about mice? With the help of a human girl, who has shown she is a friend to mice, the answer is a resounding Yes!

[Madeleine (Top Shelf Text) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: Top Shelf Text was provided with a copy of this text by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

This middle grade novel features Esmeralda, an aspiring prima ballerina in the Russian Mouse Ballet, and an empathetic little girl named Irina. The two characters form and unlikely bond as Irina helps Esmeralda to save the Russian Mouse Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker and protect the mice from a custodian bent on eradicating them. I loved the message of this story and would recommend it to readers who once adored Angelina Ballerina. (My warning would be to HSP readers, as there’s some descriptions of mouse traps that had even me worried for the characters’ safety.) Perfect for readers who adore the classic ballet and for those who love animal fantasy, and with the added bonus of beautiful illustrations!

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so happy we chanced upon The Nutcracker Mice at a small bookstore. The clerk was so enthusiastic in recommending it that my daughter and I bought it.

This is a delightful and captivating story of a mouse ballet company trying to co-exist with the grand ballet company of the Mariinsky Theater at the time of the premiere of the Nutcracker.

Esmeralda is a mouse and aspiring prima ballerina whose challenge is keeping her tail in check. The mouse ballet company has been struggling to keep its audiences captivated. Esmeralda, with the help of friends, works to make their upcoming premiere of the Nutcracker more mouse-friendly in hopes of saving the ballet company.

[Kimberly Souza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sweet story full of adorable mice. It's nice to see mice and rats as sweet characters in a book. I don't see them as pests, so I really enjoyed this take on the nutcracker for that reason. It's a great read aloud for kids as well.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this to my 6 year old. It was the right story for his age, but long and with difficult language, even as an adult. I appreciate the Russian references for authenticity, but it was a laborious read. We both enjoyed the story. Nate gave it 3 Stars.

[Abigail Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I read it in just a few sittings and couldn’t get enough. The characters were enchanting, the story endearing, and it was simply wholesome and enjoyable in every way. I highly recommend it!!

[Mary Putrasahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a simple woman. Give me sentient mice and I’ll be pleased. Plus the nutcracker just makes it even better. God, I want so badly to be a sentient mouse ballerina in Russia.

[Susam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8 stars

[Ashley Hare 🐇 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little spin on The Nutcracker 🐭 🎄

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

super cute, easy read. a fun perspective on the nutcracker ;)

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: There were mice at the Mariinsky.



Premise/plot: The Nutcracker Mice is set in Saint Petersburg, Russia in 1892. It takes place mostly in the theatre. A new ballet is about to premiere, The Nutcracker. The humans and the mice are hard at work on their productions. The mice face a more difficult challenge. They fear mice will not come to see--pay to see--a play where mice are the villains and are killed. They also fear that mice that are interested in seeing the new ballet, would choose to see the humans--with their elaborate costumes and sets--perform for free. And then there's the challenge of staying alive in the first place--finding enough food and avoiding mouse traps.



The heroine of The Nutcracker Mice is a young mouse named Esmerelda. She befriends a young girl, Irina, the daughter of a janitor and costume maker. Esmerelda's quick-thinking may just save the day.



My thoughts: I really LOVED this one. I loved, loved, loved that Esmerelda and the mice decided to rewrite the Nutcracker, to adapt it to suit their audience. This one was just satisfying to read. I loved every minute of it. Much like I love every minute of the Nutcracker Suite.

[Engel Dreizehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good Christmas tale (that can hold it's weight without the Christmas tag) and a re-telling of the Nutcracker only it's from the POV of those putting on the ballet itself...namely the mice! I liked how Esmeralda the mouse re-imagine the Nutcracker tale to make it both mouse-friendly and a pure exercise of her own creative imagination. Plus you have the historical context of the 1890's in St Petersburg. The illustrations are also good and matches the feel of the narrative.

[Jaina Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.

This is the sort of cozy book I would have devoured as a little girl. There's something so appealing about a story set in a far-off country (in this case Russia) during a far-away time (1892) that features anthropomorphic creatures (bal let-dancing talking mice!). Add all the dancing and ballet details to that, plus the one human girl who suspects the truth about the mice, and it's even more absorbing. In addition to all that, the scenario of mice preparing to perform The Nutcracker during its first human performance adds a delicious familiarity and Christmas feeling to the story because I attended performances of The Nutcracker almost every year when I was small.

Thus, before I even try to analyze The Nutcracker Mice objectively, I have to just say that I fell in love with the simple magic the story offers. After so many YA novels and adult nonfiction books, I needed to reading something so simple and pure as The Nutcracker Mice. It felt like a breath of fresh air.

Now, as for the story itself. First you have to get past the implausibility of the idea that mice are not only intelligent, human-like creatures who put on elaborate productions using the music played during the human performances, but also that all the theater mice are trained to read and understand both Russian and French. For some, I suppose that could be a pretty big hurdle; as for me, I counted it as part of the story's charm. I thought it was interesting that Esmerelda is an adult in the story because normally children's books feature protagonists who are in middle school. It made the (pretty slight) romance much stronger, in my opinion, and also made Esmerelda's adventures much more above-board and legit–she wasn't lying to any parents or sneaking out after hours, for example. It was also a little disconcerting, though, because I kept forgetting she was older until random moments when something would remind me.

I also really liked the bits of the story about Irina, the girl who spots Esmerelda practicing her ballet moves one day. She's written very realistically, and the drama surrounding her father's job is very well done.

Honestly, I have a hard time being very objective about The Nutcracker Mouse. It may not be perfect, or unpredictable, but it's a good solid book that I enjoyed and that I know for a fact I would have been completely in love with even a few years ago. If you know a kid with a fanciful imagination, then The Nutcracker Mouse would be a wonderful present for them–especially now while we're close to Christmas time!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Toryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. I like that Esmeralda is very generous and pays Irina back by dancing for her.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Candlewick for the advanced copy of this book, out in October.
Young Esmeralda mouse, the main character in a new holiday story has quite an adventure while saving a production of The Nutcracker in a marvelous holiday tale from the author of The Gingerbread Pirates and the illustrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Imagine what mice really think when they learn the story of the new ballet titled The Nutcracker when mice are shown as villains. Hidden in Saint Petersburg’s famed Mariinsky Theater are the world’s tiniest ballet fans: the Mariinsky mice. Esmeralda is one of the troupe, a dancer aspiring to be a star in the Russian Mouse Ballet Company. Through a horrible accident with a trap, the lead has been injured and Esmeralda has just been assigned the lead role of Clara in a ballet debuting at Christmas: The Nutcracker. She knows that the mice of Saint Petersburg won’t support a production of this new ballet with mice as the enemy.
On the human side of the story, nine-year-old Irina is convinced that the mice she’s seen in the Mariinsky — the mice her father, the custodian, is supposed to exterminate — are not only fans of the ballet, but dancers themselves. No one will believe her, so Irina must help save the mice others want out of the way . . . and perhaps to help Esmeralda save the future of the mouse company. It is a tale for anyone who has seen and loved this holiday production. The dance descriptions and the new characters introduced, even rats as friends, created a new world that young readers will love Kristin Kladstrup’s ballet fantasy features artwork by illustrator Brett Helquist, tense drama in the mouse escapades especially, and a good bit of Christmas magic.

[Eve Costarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just in time for the holiday season, comes a soon-to-be classic retelling of the Nutcracker. In this version, the mice live their animated lives right along side the humans at the Marinsky Theater, the historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia, living in the walls, scavenging for food and dancing ballet. Author Kristin Kladstrup has created an enchanting version of the Nutcracker from the mice’s point of view, bringing the mice to the forefront, and switching around the roles within the story so that mice are the heroes of main characters.
Fun mouse facts are included: Mice do not like peppermint. Mice have fun names such as: Herr Drosselmouse, Esmerelda and Maksim– so much fun to say out loud, as they tickle your tongue and your ear with the sounds of foreign lands. The accompanying drawings by Brett Helquist are wonderfully expressive and reminiscent of other children’s classics such as Charlotte’s Webb and Harriet The Spy.
This is an instant holiday classic and with the included mouse-centric script at the back of the book, will be great for the young balletomane’s collection (I can imagine it being used by budding choreographers.)

Thank you to Candlewick Press for sending me a copy of this delightful book. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Priya Sridhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Nutcracker is a mainstay ballet. Disney has adapted the music for an animated fairy performance, we hear it around Christmas time, and seeing the dance was an elementary school tradition. In Russia, when the ballet first premieres in St. Petersburg, The Russian Mouse Ballet company decides to perform it. They like the music, and what the humans can do.

The mice just find one problem: the ballet shows the Mouse King as the villain, and is rather short on story substance. They need their show to sell, or they won't have enough food for the winter months. Esmeralda, who doesn't want the company to fold, decides to save the story, and the show. She just needs confidence, a few "borrowed" dolls clothes, and a human girl's help. Also the mice need to keep out of sight, or they'll face tougher traps and humans determined to kill them.

I would like to see a ballet rendition of the mouse's take. From a narrative perspective it makes more sense than the Tchaikovsky ballet, which emphasizes the phenomenal dancing and melodies more than the story. For now, however, this charming story will suffice as a delightful holiday read.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE NUTCRACKER MICE is a very adorable retelling of the Russian Nutcracker, but from a smaller perspective. Esmeralda the mouse is a rising star and is putting on their version of The Nutcracker. They live under Mariinsky Theater in Saint Petersburg and they get to watch the humans perform their beautiful and entrancing dances.

Even though mice are considered to be vermin, Esmeralda meets Irina, a human nine-year-old who wants to help them. Irina is the daughter of the custodian and may be the only one who can help save their lives and the ballet. Esmeralda doesn't want to be seen as the enemy.

I do think that some names and words are complicated considering it's a middle grade novel, like Lyudmila and Balalaika for example. I absolutely loved the pictures. I feel like they brought the story to life and my daughter enjoyed them as well. I do appreciate how the author sticks to the history of it, but younger readers may not realize it.


Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of animals like mice, The Nutcracker, and ballet. It's a prefect story to share around Christmas when the traditional play is on tour.

[Melissa Rolli · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Nutcracker Mice" was an adorable retelling of the Nutcracker from the perspective of the young rising ballet dancing mouse, Esmerelda. Esmerelda and the other mice that live under Mariinsky Theater in Saint Petersburg in 1892 not only get to watch the humans perform the Nutcracker but they put on their own version of the ballet every year. This year the mice and ballet are in danger, which is the meat of this tale. The main plots includes lots of history, and in typical YA/MG fashion an unlikely friendship/partnership. Esmerelda meets Irina, a human nine-year-old child, and the two, albeit unlikely friends, especially since the mice were viewed as vermin, must work together to save the lives of the mice and their ballet.

My only real critique of this book is the difficult language. I have a BA in English and consider myself well read and had to look up a word or two myself. Also, the Russian names could be considered complicated for a YA/MG novel such as Lyudmila and Balalaika for example. Other than that this is a cute read that I would suggest to YA/MG readers, especially around Christmas/Nutcracker time.

[Maria Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristin's well-paced tale of an adventuresome, determined, inventive, courageous, and loyal group of mice (and two rats), combined with Brett's lively, full-page black ink illustrations (in each chapter), had me totally enthralled. Perhaps because it reminded me a bit of The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary, which I adored as a child. With a subtle message of discovering and staying true to oneself, The Nutcracker Mice is an action-packed tale that will appeal to ballet and mice fans alike.
I loved Kristin's premise that Russian mice living in the theater would also dance. Not only do they dance, but they dance in a mouse ballet troupe, complete with lessons and prima donnas. Unable to sell a mouse audience on a ballet with evil mice, they create a "mouse friendly" version of the Nutcracker, which adds the element of romance between Clara and the Mouse King. The book includes matching scenarios of these two Nutcracker ballets.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kladstrup brings to life the Russian ballet in the late nineteenth century, appealing to her audience by featuring child and mouse main characters and the ballet-in-miniature by the Russian Mouse Ballet Company. The characters are sweet, with big-hearted Irina seeking to help the mice and relatable Esmeralda who struggles to be the prima ballerina because of issues controlling her tail. The text flows nicely, making for an enjoyable and oftentimes exciting read, packed with action scenes that threaten death for the mice, from menacing rats and cats to human-made traps. Gorgeous black-and-white oil and acrylic illustrations by Brett Helquist are the icing on the cake, bringing to life and expanding on the text, be it the beauty of the ballet or a dramatic fight with a cat. Readers in grades 4-6 who enjoy animal stories with some excitement and a happy ending will find much to love in The Nutcracker Mice.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was charming!

The mice dancing with their tails and bringing that onstage definitely parallels some developments in human ballet, though the ones I'm thinking of didn't come as much from folk or social dancing.

I loved the mice recognizing that they didn't want to tell the same story as the humans and that they didn't need to. They could cast off a story that was demeaning to them, that didn't see them sympathetically, and write a new story. They could reclaim the bones of the story and reshape them into something new.

Irina's father losing his job is a big deal, and no one really seems to feel the consequences of that for long, especially because it gets fixed. The lack of consequences is maybe natural in that Irina and the mice can't interact very directly, but I was a little surprised that Irina wasn't angry at the mice at all?

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to my daughter, otherwise I might not have picked it up. At Christmas time, she was looking for something to read that was sort of comfortable and pleasant, and this is what I picked to give her as a gift. It was a good choice for that. It’s a simple story that ties together some real info about ballet history and The Nutcracker with a story about talking, dancing mice. It’s sweet and has some magical moments. It’s got a comfortable touch of mouse romance, a not too scary dose of adventure, and it encourages an appreciation of artistic, emotive expression through dance (and costuming, art, and storytelling). Overall it was exactly what I was hoping it was, and it worked well as a read aloud.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kladstrup, Kristin The Nutcracker Mice 316 pages. Candlewick Press, $17.99, Language: G(0 swears, 0 “F”); Mature Content: G; Violence: G

Esmerelda is a mouse who lives beneath the stage of the Saint Petersburg theater. She loves to dance ballet and is excited when she is casted to play the part of Clara in the nutcracker. Things take a wrong turn when Esmerelda finds out the mice are the villains in this ballet. As her debut performance, this dancing mouse want to make a good impression, but will this dance be her last?

This book was fun to read. It showed a part of ballet that is not what you normally see. The characters were rich and full of flavor.

EL - ESSENTIAL Student Reviewer: JM(9th grade)
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Russian Ballet Mice Company had grand plans for putting on the Nutcracker, but no mouse really warmed to the idea of portraying themselves as villains. With the help of a little girl, who is an excellent seamstress, Esmeralda and her fellow ballerinas are given the chance to reimagine the ballet with the mice as heroes. Esmeralda has always had trouble keeping her tail from moving during her dancing and for that, she could never be a principal dancer. Esmeralda works hard to do better and help the ballet company stay afloat.

The love story between Maxism and Esmeralda gets pretty spicy, for a young children's novel. However, I don't think it is anything a reader can't handle.

[R Waterfall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audrey would love to read this book in a few years. Set in Russia in the late 1800's, members of the Russian Mouse Ballet Company at the Mariinsky Theater are putting on a production of The Nutcracker. But, their recent performances have not been enjoyed by the mice of Saint Petersburg. So Esmeralda, a mouse ballerina, sets out to save the production. Esmeralda is helped by Irina, the custodian's daughter, and Maksim, a new friend, but can they save the day? I enjoyed reading this middle-grade chapter book.

[Cecily Rehner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good! I love reading this book every year at Christmas time. It is about mice who live in a theater. But these mice have their own ballet company. This story is about a girl mouse that is part of the ballet. The ballet is putting The nutcracker and king of mice. It is about a girl mouse named Esmeralda and she is playing Clare from The nutcracker and king of mice. But nobody wants to watch the play because mice are bad in the play. Will she be able to fix everything before the play starts?

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful retelling of the Nutcracker featuring a the Russian Mouse Ballet Company. They live and perform in the historic Marinsky Theater in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

While this is sure to be a hit with any fan of the original story, it is also a fun peek at the world from a much smaller point of view.

Even readers who are unsure about the whole ballet bit will enjoy the story which is brimming with adventure wonderful illustrations by Brett Helquist.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finishing read this aloud to Ellie and I think I enjoyed it just as much as she did. We liked learning about the history behind the first performances of The Nutcracker (in Russia) and also had a lot of fun imagining what mice would do if they were going to perform it. It was a bit too intense from Marko (he kind of listened from the other room but didn't want to really listening) but was great for Ellie (at age 7).