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Nutquacker
When one little duck becomes too eager to wait for the Christmas surprise, she sets off on her own into the wood to find out the secret, yet after a grand adventure, she returns home just in time for the Christmas party.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1999
1 person is currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Mary Jane Auch
48 books70 followersMary Jane Auch also writes as MJ Auch.
The thought of becoming a writer never occurred to MJ Auch as a child. Her only literary efforts in those days were the plays which she and her girlfriend, Noreen, wrote for their marionettes. They produced these extravaganzas in Noreen’s garage and organized the neighborhood boys into a sales force to sell tickets and refreshments.
Summer visits to both of MJ’s grandmothers led to her fascination with chickens. One grandmother had a small backyard flock and the other grandmother and two bachelor uncles had a large farm that supplied eggs to half of Long Island. MJ learned that a flock of chickens had almost the same range of personalities that could be found in a classroom, from the quiet, shy chicken to the big bully.
MJ loved books and read constantly. She wrote stories, drawn in comic book style with speech balloons for the dialog. Her interest in drawing continued through high school, and she went on to become an art major at Skidmore College. After graduation, MJ headed for New York City to seek fame and fortune, but after a year of designing prints for men's pajamas, she decided she wanted to do something more meaningful with her life. She enrolled in the Occupational Therapy program at Columbia University, which led to some wonderful years of working in a children's hospital near Hartford, Connecticut.
On a brief stop home to visit her parents before transferring to a new job in Denver, she met Herm Auch, a graphic artist and editorial cartoonist for the Rochester newspaper. It was love at first sight, and MJ never made it to Denver. They were married in 1967 and within a few years had produced a daughter, Katrin and a son, Ian. They moved from the city to a small farm, complete with chickens, ducks, and geese. Armed with a huge collection of Mother Earth News and absolutely no practical experience, they tackled farm life with gusto, gaining much comedy material for books MJ’s future books.
As the children grew older, MJ began to look for work in her original field of art. Like Jenna's mother in Mom Is Dating Weird Wayne, she had a brief stint as a “zit zapper” at a school picture factory. Then she started illustrating for Pennywhistle Press, a national children's newspaper, and this sparked her interest in illustrating children’s books.
In the summer of 1984, MJ took a week-long children's writing conference on Cape Cod. She tried to write a picture book manuscript to take to the conference, but instead found herself writing a middle-grade novel. When her instructor, Natalie Babbitt, told of starting out as an artist and finding she could paint better pictures with words, something clicked. MJ finally knew that she wanted to a writer.
She started sending manuscripts to publishers, writing four full-length novels before she sold the first one. Then she sold a second book to another publisher that same week. It had taken two years and thirteen rejections, but MJ had finally reached her goal!mShe continued writing books for older kids and abandoned her dream of illustrating for a while. Then, after nine books, she wrote and illustrated The Easter Egg Farm. This set in motion a series of picture books featuring poultry involved in the arts.
The Auchs have now become a family of artists. Their children are grown and pursuing art careers of their own. Kat, a graphic artist, is now working as Associate Art Director for Scrapbook Answers Magazine in San Francisco. Ian has been a graphic artist and 3-D animator and is now Assistant New Media Editor for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspaper. Ian is also a metal artist and created the chicken-sized beauty parlor chair for [b:Beauty and the Beaks|1918127|Beaut
The thought of becoming a writer never occurred to MJ Auch as a child. Her only literary efforts in those days were the plays which she and her girlfriend, Noreen, wrote for their marionettes. They produced these extravaganzas in Noreen’s garage and organized the neighborhood boys into a sales force to sell tickets and refreshments.
Summer visits to both of MJ’s grandmothers led to her fascination with chickens. One grandmother had a small backyard flock and the other grandmother and two bachelor uncles had a large farm that supplied eggs to half of Long Island. MJ learned that a flock of chickens had almost the same range of personalities that could be found in a classroom, from the quiet, shy chicken to the big bully.
MJ loved books and read constantly. She wrote stories, drawn in comic book style with speech balloons for the dialog. Her interest in drawing continued through high school, and she went on to become an art major at Skidmore College. After graduation, MJ headed for New York City to seek fame and fortune, but after a year of designing prints for men's pajamas, she decided she wanted to do something more meaningful with her life. She enrolled in the Occupational Therapy program at Columbia University, which led to some wonderful years of working in a children's hospital near Hartford, Connecticut.
On a brief stop home to visit her parents before transferring to a new job in Denver, she met Herm Auch, a graphic artist and editorial cartoonist for the Rochester newspaper. It was love at first sight, and MJ never made it to Denver. They were married in 1967 and within a few years had produced a daughter, Katrin and a son, Ian. They moved from the city to a small farm, complete with chickens, ducks, and geese. Armed with a huge collection of Mother Earth News and absolutely no practical experience, they tackled farm life with gusto, gaining much comedy material for books MJ’s future books.
As the children grew older, MJ began to look for work in her original field of art. Like Jenna's mother in Mom Is Dating Weird Wayne, she had a brief stint as a “zit zapper” at a school picture factory. Then she started illustrating for Pennywhistle Press, a national children's newspaper, and this sparked her interest in illustrating children’s books.
In the summer of 1984, MJ took a week-long children's writing conference on Cape Cod. She tried to write a picture book manuscript to take to the conference, but instead found herself writing a middle-grade novel. When her instructor, Natalie Babbitt, told of starting out as an artist and finding she could paint better pictures with words, something clicked. MJ finally knew that she wanted to a writer.
She started sending manuscripts to publishers, writing four full-length novels before she sold the first one. Then she sold a second book to another publisher that same week. It had taken two years and thirteen rejections, but MJ had finally reached her goal!mShe continued writing books for older kids and abandoned her dream of illustrating for a while. Then, after nine books, she wrote and illustrated The Easter Egg Farm. This set in motion a series of picture books featuring poultry involved in the arts.
The Auchs have now become a family of artists. Their children are grown and pursuing art careers of their own. Kat, a graphic artist, is now working as Associate Art Director for Scrapbook Answers Magazine in San Francisco. Ian has been a graphic artist and 3-D animator and is now Assistant New Media Editor for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspaper. Ian is also a metal artist and created the chicken-sized beauty parlor chair for [b:Beauty and the Beaks|1918127|Beaut
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 4, 2012
I did not enjoy this book. I read aloud to my daughter, so while all the animal noises and stuttering was cute the first two pages... I soon started feeling like porky pig "th-th-th-that's all folks!" I also thought it would have been a re-telling of the nutcracker - which I LOVE! but it was not.
December 7, 2019
Some cute elements, and a message about perseverance, but not an adaptation of the Nutcracker story as much as a story that nods in the general direction of the Christmas ballet. While I can see having some fun with the various animal voices, a little goes a long way, but it could work as a fun read aloud with the right group and the right reader. Lots of idiom examples.
November 25, 2022
This is not an a retelling of the nutcracker story at all. It's about a little duck that goes on a journey to find Christmas. The illustrations are not appealing to me, not very Christmas-like or girly.
August 11, 2019
Clara, a young duck, overhears the horse, cow and pig whispering about Christmas. She has never had a Christmas before and is anxious to celebrate, but her friends say it’s too early. So she heads off in search of Christmas on her own — but almost misses the holiday due to a fox.
December 15, 2017
Has nothing at all to do with The Nutcracker despite the title and cover. The art isn’t very good, the story is kind of boring, and the animals’ talking is pretty annoying.
December 9, 2018
A fun book to read aloud!
October 4, 2014
MaryJane Auch's Nutquacker is Auch-some! A retelling of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite will have you doing the Sugar Duck Fairy sequence in no time! Clara the duck wants to know more about this new invention called Christmas, so she sets out to find the meaning of this holiday she knows nothing about. After a run-in with a tractor and being chased by a wily Drosselmeyer-esque fox she lands smack back into her home farm to find family and friends and the True meaning of the holiday. no Jesus, sadly, but the kids should get a quack out of this wonderful version of the classic holiday story.
January 1, 2012
In this story, Duck wants to find Christmas. Unfortunately, none of her fellow farm friends are willing to help her. She sets off by herself to find Christmas and almost becomes dinner for a fox. She ends up in a cave where all her 'friends' are having a Christmas party. Instead of being upset by the fact that she was nearly killed because her friends are not willing to extend a helping hand, she decides to join the festivities. Oh, and because they give her a nutcracker.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2016
I felt a bit deceived by the title of this book. I thought it was going to be a "duck-ish" retelling of the story of the Nutcracker, but it wasn't. It was about a duck named Clara who wanted to "find Christmas" but none of the other farm animals would help her, so she set off on her own and overcomes to some fears, and blah blah blah...
That's a little harsh, but still, it wasn't that good of a story.
The illustrations are kinda mediocre.
That's a little harsh, but still, it wasn't that good of a story.
The illustrations are kinda mediocre.
November 8, 2010
All the animals on the farm are keeping a secret from Duck. She snoops and she listens and she learns the name of the secret, Christmas.
Why I picked it up: I thought that this was a farmyard Nutcracker ballet. Instead I found an original story about Christmas.
Why I finished it: I wanted to make sure that Duck made it safely home from her adventure.
Why I picked it up: I thought that this was a farmyard Nutcracker ballet. Instead I found an original story about Christmas.
Why I finished it: I wanted to make sure that Duck made it safely home from her adventure.
December 16, 2015
Like so many other reviewers, I thought this would be a retelling of the Nutcracker, or at least a play on that. It wasn't.
My audience (4 yr old) asked me to "talk normal" when I read the animal's dialogue using the spellings provided (to sound like the animal). We made it about 1/2 way through before she asked if we could read something else.
My audience (4 yr old) asked me to "talk normal" when I read the animal's dialogue using the spellings provided (to sound like the animal). We made it about 1/2 way through before she asked if we could read something else.
January 4, 2012
Clara is spending her first year on the farm and all the animals seem to be hiding something from her. What is it? CHRISTMAS!!! Clara has never had Christmas before, so she doesn't know what it is. In order to find out, Clara leaves the farm and faces many dangers. Will she ever find Christmas? =)
November 11, 2012
A duck goes looking for Christmas. My only problem with the book is wondering why Clara the duckling didn't fly to the mountain or to escape the fox.
themes: animals, bravery, ducks, Christmas, farms, friends
themes: animals, bravery, ducks, Christmas, farms, friends
November 21, 2015
This is a very loose adaptation of the nutcracker. Do not except any sugar plum fairies. This book would be better for kids who like talking animals, rather than children who are interesting in ballet. Some of the animals dialogue might be trying.
April 20, 2011
The title and cover of this book are misleading. I thought it was going to be a story about The Nutcracker but it's a story about a goose searching for Christmas, and she's not blue!
January 1, 2012
The story was good, but Clara almost got eaten, because her friends would not help her find Christmas.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 18, 2015I think this book is really good and that it is fanasty but it is really general fiction!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 28, 2016
A duck who is new to the farm learns about Christmas. The illustrations were beautiful and captured by daughter's attention. Overall was a good story.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews