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A Guinea Pig Nutcracker
The universally beloved ballet about Clara and her nutcracker gets the Guinea Pig Classics treatment!
As the curtain rises, Clara is opening her presents under the Christmas tree. She falls in love with a present from her godfather Drosselmeyer: a wooden Nutcracker. When Clara falls asleep that night, she is swept up in a battle between the Nutcracker (who has become a handsome prince) and the terrible Mouse King. This leads to a magical trip into the realms of fantasy, a sweet-filled wonderland where the beautiful Sugarplum Fairy dances...
This is the world-famous ballet, as you've never seen it before.
As the curtain rises, Clara is opening her presents under the Christmas tree. She falls in love with a present from her godfather Drosselmeyer: a wooden Nutcracker. When Clara falls asleep that night, she is swept up in a battle between the Nutcracker (who has become a handsome prince) and the terrible Mouse King. This leads to a magical trip into the realms of fantasy, a sweet-filled wonderland where the beautiful Sugarplum Fairy dances...
This is the world-famous ballet, as you've never seen it before.
56 pages, Hardcover
Published October 8, 2019
1 person is currently reading
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 19, 2019
What can I say? This was, frankly, adorable.
WHAT I LIKED:
- Guinea pigs in the cutest costumes enacting the Nutcracker story.
- I have actually never read the original story and I love the music for the ballet, which I listen to often. I want to see the play, but until then, this was a fun way to read the story and get familiar with it.
- It's creative, and I am always for creative picture books accessible to both adults and especially, understandable for children.
- Short, sweet and fun.
WHAT I LIKED:
- Guinea pigs in the cutest costumes enacting the Nutcracker story.
- I have actually never read the original story and I love the music for the ballet, which I listen to often. I want to see the play, but until then, this was a fun way to read the story and get familiar with it.
- It's creative, and I am always for creative picture books accessible to both adults and especially, understandable for children.
- Short, sweet and fun.
November 19, 2022
Back in 2013, Christmas shoppers may have noticed a cute little book in bookshop windows called “A Guinea Pig Nativity”. Evidently it must have sold quite well as there are now about half a dozen of these books, based on classic or well known stories, for example: “A Guinea Pig Pride & Prejudice”, “A Guinea Pig Romeo & Juliet” and so on.
Here then we have the equally charming A Guinea Pig Nutcracker from 2019, with graceful guinea pigs in the starring roles. It is a retelling of the beloved ballet, brought to you by the same cute ’n cuddly stars. The books are the brainchild of Tess Newall and Alex Goodwin, and look as though they must have required quite a bit of patience and organisation, but been a lot of fun to make! The left hand page has a couple of short sentences in smallish print, telling the story, and the right hand page has a carefully posed photograph to illustrate the scene.
The books are sturdy hardbacks, 6 and a half inches by 5 in landscape format, so look and feel like children’s books. The sense of humour and style of writing is more adult though, for example: “All at once some beautiful snowflakes prance into the glade. “Allegro!” They perform effortless pirouettes, their feet barely touching the ground.” The three guinea pigs, attired in lacy tutus are of course sitting motionless as they gaze at the camera (probably wondering where their greens are, and can I eat this frothy thing around my middle … )
At the back is a list of “performers”, their publicity photographs and their names (Doris, Mouse, Teddie and so on), plus an assurance that their owners were there the whole time and that they were never under any stress, a note about abandoned pets and rescue shelters, and amazingly a review of the book from the prestigious newspaper “The Times”: “These guinea pigs really know how to act”. Also “huge glittery thanks” from the publishers, and equally jokey notes about the authors:
“Tess Newall was born in 1987 and when she is not making guinea-pig-sized spectacles or sprinkling snow on the streets of Victorian London she works as a freelance set designer, specialising in fashion shoots, window displays and decorative interiors. She lives in London.
Alex Goodwin was born in 1985 and he has an M.A. in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Some people have noticed that much of his writing comes to the length of a medium-sized shopping list; this is explained by the fact that a picture of a guinea pig says a thousand words. He lives in London.
“Philip Beresford is a graphic designer and photographer. He used patience and skill to capture each scene on camera, and it is thanks to his excellent typographical instincts that the front cover features a font called ‘Sugar Plum.’”
The entire project is, of course, tongue in cheek, based on the fact that guinea pigs are largely expressionless, with their feelings ascertained by their movements, and the sounds they make. They are often quite docile, and would not object to being placed and photographed in this way. I’m not into dressing up animals in costumes myself, but have to admit that this series is quite witty (and there is no such thing as an unattractive guinea pig!) If you like guinea pigs you will think this is adorable! If you don’t know any guinea pigs you may still think it cute and funny. It’s a great family book to share.
Here then we have the equally charming A Guinea Pig Nutcracker from 2019, with graceful guinea pigs in the starring roles. It is a retelling of the beloved ballet, brought to you by the same cute ’n cuddly stars. The books are the brainchild of Tess Newall and Alex Goodwin, and look as though they must have required quite a bit of patience and organisation, but been a lot of fun to make! The left hand page has a couple of short sentences in smallish print, telling the story, and the right hand page has a carefully posed photograph to illustrate the scene.
The books are sturdy hardbacks, 6 and a half inches by 5 in landscape format, so look and feel like children’s books. The sense of humour and style of writing is more adult though, for example: “All at once some beautiful snowflakes prance into the glade. “Allegro!” They perform effortless pirouettes, their feet barely touching the ground.” The three guinea pigs, attired in lacy tutus are of course sitting motionless as they gaze at the camera (probably wondering where their greens are, and can I eat this frothy thing around my middle … )
At the back is a list of “performers”, their publicity photographs and their names (Doris, Mouse, Teddie and so on), plus an assurance that their owners were there the whole time and that they were never under any stress, a note about abandoned pets and rescue shelters, and amazingly a review of the book from the prestigious newspaper “The Times”: “These guinea pigs really know how to act”. Also “huge glittery thanks” from the publishers, and equally jokey notes about the authors:
“Tess Newall was born in 1987 and when she is not making guinea-pig-sized spectacles or sprinkling snow on the streets of Victorian London she works as a freelance set designer, specialising in fashion shoots, window displays and decorative interiors. She lives in London.
Alex Goodwin was born in 1985 and he has an M.A. in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Some people have noticed that much of his writing comes to the length of a medium-sized shopping list; this is explained by the fact that a picture of a guinea pig says a thousand words. He lives in London.
“Philip Beresford is a graphic designer and photographer. He used patience and skill to capture each scene on camera, and it is thanks to his excellent typographical instincts that the front cover features a font called ‘Sugar Plum.’”
The entire project is, of course, tongue in cheek, based on the fact that guinea pigs are largely expressionless, with their feelings ascertained by their movements, and the sounds they make. They are often quite docile, and would not object to being placed and photographed in this way. I’m not into dressing up animals in costumes myself, but have to admit that this series is quite witty (and there is no such thing as an unattractive guinea pig!) If you like guinea pigs you will think this is adorable! If you don’t know any guinea pigs you may still think it cute and funny. It’s a great family book to share.
December 14, 2019
That was just the cutest reimagining of a classic story, such a sweet Festive Read! Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing for sending me a copy of this book to read and review, full review to come.
December 21, 2019
Thrilling read, such a complex and influential novel. Will give it to the Grandkids one day. Excellent. 6 stars if I could.
January 29, 2024
Picked this up for the cuteness. Read it out loud to my boyfriend and Guinea pigs. Neither enjoyed it that much but I had a grand time. 5/5 from me
August 14, 2025
Although I appreciate finally learning what happens in The Nutcracker, the ballet seems to lack an adequately exciting plot to shine in this textual abridgement.
The set designer, Tess Newall, has my greatest admiration: she ‘carefully handcrafted all the miniature costumes and theatre sets’ pictured!
The set designer, Tess Newall, has my greatest admiration: she ‘carefully handcrafted all the miniature costumes and theatre sets’ pictured!
August 25, 2025
A literary work of art.
The masterful prose and dense allegories regarding the plight of the modern proletariat reward only the most discerning minds, offering revelations inaccessible to the casual reader.
As I finished it, I literally fell to my knees in Greggs and begun to cry.
To finish it is triumph of the mind and soul, but one that will stay with you forever.
The masterful prose and dense allegories regarding the plight of the modern proletariat reward only the most discerning minds, offering revelations inaccessible to the casual reader.
As I finished it, I literally fell to my knees in Greggs and begun to cry.
To finish it is triumph of the mind and soul, but one that will stay with you forever.
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November 22, 2019
As adorable as there rest of them.
November 25, 2019
So. Stinkin'. Cute.
December 30, 2019
A very entertaining Christmas present!
January 11, 2020
Another excellent guinea pig book! Wonderful pictures and a funny take on a Christmas classic.
May 26, 2025
This is a photo storybooks where rescue guinea pigs are dressed in costumes and photographed in classic scenes. It's lovely.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews