Show your little one this ageless classic in an easy-to-understand story, so that they can learn the enchantment of The Nutcracker and graduate when they're ready to the longer versions and the ballet. Susan Jeffers has succeeding in simplifying the story so a child can truly follow along and understand. This book reads like a fairy tale where Marie is the 'princess', the Nutcracker is certainly the prince, and Fritz and the Rat King are the antagonists. Right away, your child will notice the texture on the cover, as Marie's hair is heavily sprinkled with glitter. The pictures inside are drawn and painted in a plentiful array of colors and shading, with Marie's eyes detailed to the point of seeming real. Each page is filled with activity and details, from the giant Christmas tree flushed with ornaments, to the delectable details of the Land of Sweets, so be prepared to read slow and allow your little one time to fully take in each page.
Readers' imaginations will be churning from the beginning when they can almost hear the vibrant music playing while everyone at the party twirls around joyfully, feel the sprinkle of magic Marie's godfather doles out to a sleeping Marie, experience the hectic and loud battle scene, and all the way through the sights, sounds, and smells of the Land of Sweets. They may relate to the sibling rivalry Fritz exhibits by busting the nutcracker's head, or the wistful feeling Marie gets when she longs for her prince to come back. You can emphasize to your child the main lesson Marie exemplifies; don't judge someone, or something, by the way it looks.
My four-year-old niece has adored this book since I started reading it to her this past Christmas. She gushed over all the girls and their poufy Victorian dresses, long curly hair, ribbons and jewelry. She is in a big dress up phase, so this gave her quite a few ideas. She was also enamored with the snowflake princesses and the Sugar Plum Fairy. When I told her this book is also performed as a long dance, called a ballet, she said she wanted to see it. My mom started taking me to the Nutcracker ballet every year when I was about seven years old, but I think we may start taking Emily next year and keep the tradition going.
--Audra
