The Nutcracker

by Geraldine McCaughrean, Nicki Palin (Illustrator)

It is Christmas Eve, and Clara gets a very special gift--Captain Krak von Nuttenkopf of the Queen's Own Regiment. Captain Krak is a beautifully crafted nutcracker doll, carved out of wood and complete with a scarlet uniform, black boots, and a glittering sword. And then the most glorious
adventure begins. Attacked by a ragtag band of rats, the nutcracker comes alive and musters up his toy soldiers. Fighting bravely against the invading rodent hordes, and with some help from Clara's slippers, Captain Krak defeats the Rat King and captures his crown. To celebrate, he takes Clara on a
voyage to the magical Land of Sweets. For the Queen of the Land of Sweets is the nutcracker's mother. And lo and behold! Captain Krak is not a nutcracker anymore; he turns into the handsome Prince Krak, and takes Clara's hand, and...
Based on Tchaikovski's popular ballet, this is an enchanting retelling of the classic story. Nicki Palin's highly stylized illustrations, reminiscent of Norman Rockwell's art, create a wonderful, magical world. This is the ideal gift for the millions of children who see theatrical productions of
The Nutcracker every year at Christmastime.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Geraldine McCaughrean is a British children's novelist. She has written more than 170 books, including Peter Pan in Scarlet (2004), the official sequel to Peter Pan commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital, the holder of Peter Pan's copyright. Her work has been translated into 44 languages worldwide. She has received the Carnegie Medal twice and the Michael L. Printz Award among others.

Reviews

[Amara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dude. No.

1. Drosselmeyer is called "Drossy".
2. Hans/Eric (The Nutcracker) is named GUNTHER and Prince/Captain Krak. Um...no. He also has a BOWL cut. Should that be a separate number? Maybe. Moving on...

3. The illustrations in the Nicki Palin edition are terrible. Drosselmeyer has Medusa hair and a Cyrano de Bergerac nose.

4. The sentences are odd as hell for a kid's book. And "big" words for a kid. "Cockaded"?

5. The Mouse/Rat King is instead called King Rat. Pass.

This edition wins the award for the worst Nutcracker book I've ever read. Congratulations.

[Natasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

We got the German edition, "Der Nussknacker" from the library, but most of the moving parts were broken. My husband didn't care for this version of the ballet (we have an Usbourne version as well) and gave it a 1.5

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

An abridged adaptation of The Nutcracker. The mixed media illustrations with the moving die cuts work well to set the stage for Christmas magic. This is a good introduction to prepare little ones to see their first performance of the ballet.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this, but wished the magic theatre was throughout the book, and not just the beginning and the end.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this adaptation of the holiday classic, The Nutcracker, the author imagines that Marie finds romance in the form of a nutcracker who comes to life as the result of Marie's actions. He takes her to his royal home where she is celebrated for her heroic actions. When Marie awakens from her dream, she is sad that the prince is nowhere to be found until Professor Drosselmeier introduces her to his nephew. The lovely mixed media illustrations in this pop-up book are created from linoleum prints, watercolor, and colored pencils.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I bought this book for my daughter on the basis of the lush illustrations. This morning, we opened it, and I promised her it would be her own special story. Her name? Clara. The name of the protagonist of this version? Inexplicably, it's Marie. All the other names are the familiar ones from the classic Victorian Christmas fantasy. Who the h*ll is Marie?

[Mary Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This adaptation of the classic story will charm children with its moving paper pieces that form a magical theater at the center of many pages. Open the cover and characters such as Marie, the Nutcracker and the Mouse King slide into view, taking their place on the stage. This sense of motion and surprise will remind young children of the magic of the stage.

[Cws]

HC-Nut

[Donalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This retelling of the classic ballet includes intricate cutouts that move when you turn pages.