The Nutcracker

by Rita Balducci (adapted by)

On Christmas Eve, Clara receives from her godfather a large wooden nutcracker, and during the night the nutcracker magically turns into a handsome prince. This is the charming story of a beautiful girl who is whisked away to the Land of Sweets to dance beside colorful fairies and blooming flowers. The Nutcracker is a timeless story for children of all ages.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Childrens, Holiday, Classics, Fantasy, Fiction

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Coralie]

Oh my gosh! This is one of my all-time favorite children's books!! The illustrations are breathtaking and I completely blame this book for my obsession with the Nutcracker story!!! An absolutely stunning rendition.

A little piece of home, every time I read it. Stunning illustrations and a classic story!

Just read this one again right before my sister and I went to see The Nutcracker ballet live! The illustrations get me every time. A classic story. <3

Re-read: 11.21.18
Re-read: 12.14.19

[Allison Tebo]

If I read this once when I was little, I read it a hundred times. Because of this beautiful book, The Nutcracker was one of the first "fairy tales" that I attempted to retell as a wee little writer, and I still find elements of this story in some of my current work.

Definitely one of the most enchanting Little Golden Books out there full of marvelous illustrations.

[Lisa D]

Loved it!

[Bethany Meadows]

This is such a sweet little holiday book. The illustrations are adorable.

[Georgia ✧.*]

The illustrations in this book are just amazing 😭♥️

[J]

This has always been one of my favorite versions of "The Nutcracker" since not only the pictures are beautifully done mostly in light airy colors but also since of the realistic values of them as well. Although it is based on the ballet and the same grace cannot be conveyed through the written word, the actual core of the story is beautifully captured.

The reading is good enough for young readers who are on a competent reading level although with Herr Drosselmeyer's name they made some help with pronunciation. The other thing is that if there is an adult with ample knowledge of "The Nutcracker" they may also want to add more parts and/or remove others.

My only complaint with this particular book is to fit the needs of children it does cut out a bunch of important event so all in all it is a beginner book. As for the Sugar Plum Fairy or the Dew Drop Fairy I am not quite sure which is shown while I know the Sugar Plum has more influence in the ballet so it makes it a bit sadder to se her left out.

If you are looking to add culture to your Christmas reading list that is child-friendly I would strongly support this book. Its beauty and main components are a story that can be repeated over and over again no matter the age or format.

[Becky]

First sentence: Once there was a little girl named Clara whose family was having a wonderful party on Christmas Eve.

Premise/plot: Rita Balducci adapts the story of the Nutcracker for a Little Golden Book. The illustrations are by Barbara Lanza.

My thoughts: This one avoids being text heavy. The adaptation is just right. It isn't too simple. It isn't too complicated. There are enough illustrations to balance the text. And the pacing seems really well done perhaps because there are just a handful of sentences on each page. The illustrations really seem to sweep you away into a magical dreamland.

This is a great way to introduce younger children to the ballet, perhaps before they attend their first performance of it!

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10

[Kimberly Karalius]

I read this version a million times since I was a kid. Magical and nostalgic!

[Hannah Ford]

Balducchi offers a simplified retelling of The Nutcracker for younger readers. The illustrations are the standout--beautifully light and airy, they perfectly represent the magic of the tale. I was not overly impressed by the text, though. Perhaps understandably, it does leave out a lot of the story, and the parts that are included seem very rushed and overly simplified/factual. I would love to see the beauty and care of the artwork echoed in the prose. But I also don't know if a better version exists for this age range!

[James Erickson]

I love the Nutcracker story. I've seen some other copies that were for older kids, but I wanted a copy for my nephew as his parents go to the play every year (except this one because well 2020). The Barnes and Noble staff had a huge leather bound version and then 1 of the Little Golden Books version and she looked all over before finally finding this. Given how much time she spent looking for me, I had to buy it.

It is a beautiful book with vreat colorful pictures that tells the story in a way that children can understand. Great copy of this classic.

[Suzie]

This was as good of a simplification of a ballet as you can expect in a children's book. It wasn't the kids' favorite story. I had never thought about the plot of The Nutcracker too much before, but it is a little strange how the nutcracker comes to life as a handsome prince (who seems adult-like to me) and wants to run off with a girl who is still young enough to play with dolls...

[♥♣Mary♦♠ If She So Pleases]

Book is from 1991. The illustrations remind me of Janet Grahame-Johnstone and Anne Grahame-Johnstone's. Reading level 3-4. There's some ballet in the story. It reminds me of when I played a nutcracker and sugar plum faerie at the Nutcracker ballet. It's a nice one time read and it's not going into my permanent collection.

[Ketutar Jensen]

The pictures are very pretty, and if one's relation with the Nutcracker is based on the ballet, then one might think this is a nice book. My relation is through E.T.A. Hoffmann's fairy tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.

[Jen]

I remember loving this as a kid. I think it came with an tape that would tell the story with music 🎶 Pretty artwork.
One objection is that Clara doesn't really look like a little girl. then again the prince looks much older as well so that might be intentional to be not creepy.

[Elizabeth Coleman]

Such beautiful artwork!

[Emma]

It has always been a tradition that we see this play and/or watch the movie with family. I used to go with my Grandfather who passed away last year.

[Stacey]

I have two versions. Different covers and illustrations

[Hannah Avery]

I think this might be Naomi's favorite book!

[Kimberly Souza]

Love the Nutcracker story

[Meghan]

Charming illustrations.

[Gina House]

Simple and enjoyable book based on the Nutcracker story. It’s a really nice vintage Little Golden Book.

[Emily Prior]

4.5/5 stars

I really just read this actually little golden books because it's the real story of the nutcracker! Got to read at Christmas time!!

[Daniel]

A summary that seems to lose the thread of the original.

[Patrick]

Possibly the first time I ever heard the story. Weird story.

[Lokita]

This was my favorite Nutcracker book as a child. Lovely, classical artwork that does justice to every character.

[Christine]

This is what I think of when I think of "The Nutcracker." I loved this book growing up. Clara was like a Christmas princess, the story is magical, & the art is sumptuous.

[Quinn]

Weird retelling with the most abrupt ending

[spookybelle]

A nice, basic version of this story to help kiddo understand what's happening in the ballet. It's a Golden Book, so not like, a literary masterpiece, but it does the trick for our purposes right now.

[Elizabeth]

Anther wonderful book that helps to teach setting. The varied settings throughout the book help take students on a fantastic journey. The settings take place in something of a real world as well as a fantasy world and helps students with the concept that the setting of a story can change according to what the writer wants to happen. The illustrations help the students to understand a shift from reality to fantasy.

[Melissa]

Disclaimer: I usually review children's book based more on what my children think of the book and less on what I think of the book...

Why do four boys love the Nutcracker? Your guess is as good as mine but they do!