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The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker
by Susan Jeffers

Not just another "Nutcracker," this version depicts just the ballet, instead of the extended fairy tale that Jeffers felt was too long for a young child. Lovely spare text and exquisite art make this a perfect holiday gift.

Age: 4 Year-olds | Title: The Nutcracker  |  Author: Susan Jeffers  |  Publisher: HarperCollins

Not just another "Nutcracker," this version depicts just the ballet, instead of the extended fairy tale that Jeffers felt was too long for a young child. Lovely spare text and exquisite art make this a perfect holiday gift.

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

This is unlike any version I have ever read. I love that this version is very easy to read-not too wordy for young children. Don't let that fool you into thinking you will get through the book quickly though, there is so much to see of every page - if your children are anything like mine, they will want to observe every detail!

My 5 year old is drawn to the cover of the book. Marie's hair is covered in glitter making the texture pop out and scream to be touched. My daughter rubs her hand over the cover and says "Mommy, I like touching her hair just like you like to touch my hair".

--Jody Arsenault, Mommy Moment


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