Children - Holidays & Festivals, Children - Fiction & Literature, Children - Fairy Tales, Myths & Fables

Nutcracker

Name: Nutcracker
Author: Susan Jeffers
ISBN: 9780060743864

by Susan Jeffers

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Overview

New York Times bestselling artist Susan Jeffers has created a Nutcracker unlike any that has gone before, with a lovely spare text based on the ballet.

This is the perfect gift to share with children before they see The Nutcracker. Everyone who has seen the ballet will cherish it—as will anyone who enjoys stories where love triumphs.

Come, take a front-row seat. The world's most beloved holiday fairy tale is about to begin.

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling artist Susan Jeffers has created a Nutcracker unlike any that has gone before, with a lovely spare text based on the ballet.

This is the perfect gift to share with children before they see The Nutcracker. Everyone who has seen the ballet will cherish it--as will anyone who enjoys stories where love triumphs.

Come, take a front-row seat. The world's most beloved holiday fairy tale is about to begin.

The Washington Post - Abby McGanney Nolan

Susan Jeffers's version of The Nutcracker is not a full translation of the original, but its precise and pretty watercolors, semi-traditional treatment and spare text make it a wonderful introduction for young children.

About the Author, Susan Jeffers

Susan Jeffers is one of only a few illustrators to have been on the adult New York Times bestseller list. She has won the ABBY from the American Booksellers Association, a Caldecott Honor from the American Library Association, and the Pomme d'Or de Bratislava. Her work has been exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the Norman Rockwell Museum of Art. Her books, including Brother Eagle, Sister Sky, have sold millions of copies and have been published around the world. Susan Jeffers lives in Westchester County, New York.

Reviews

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Editorials

ALA Booklist

"Jeffers’ lush watercolors...will wholly satisfy families...this treatment will earn curtain calls galore."

The Horn Book

"{Jeffers’s] romantic, detail-rich illustrations are based on the Balanchine ballet...Jeffers offers a satisfying extension"

Abby McGanney Nolan

Publishers Weekly

Jeffers (Brother Eagle, Sister Sky) raises the curtain on an energetic and child-friendly distillation of the Nutcrackerballet (as opposed to the full-length E.T.A. Hoffman fairy tale). Here ballerinas in an array of tutus pirouette and waltz through the magical elements of that tale, familiar to many young dance students. Jeffers's soft watercolors, adopting a range of perspectives, capture both the drama of the classic story and the elegance of choreography, in a volume likely to leave youngsters longing to attend a live performance. Ages 3-8. (Oct.)

Children's Literature - Meredith Kiger

This retelling of the famous folktale/ballet is designed to interest young children. With the ballet as a backdrop, the author has edited the original version to a length appropriate for picture book readers. The traditional illustrations bring the story of Marie, Herr Drosselmeier, The Nutcracker, and the Mouse king alive, featuring scenes from the ballet. All the grandeur and excitement of this 19th century tale is included, with a bit of an elaboration to the ending, which makes it even more of a fairy tale. Parents will want to play the score by Tchaikovsky to expand the experience and bring it further to life. Reviewer: Meredith Kiger, Ph.D.

Children's Literature - Ken and Sylvia Marantz

Jeffers has chosen to retell only the ballet part of the original Nutcracker fairy tale in a version for young children. On Christmas Eve at the party at their parents' home, Marie and Fritz Stahlbaum gladly greet Herr Drosselmeier, the toy-maker and Marie's godfather. Among the presents he brings are toy soldiers for Fritz and a wooden Nutcracker for Marie. Fritz breaks the Nutcracker, Marie tends it, Herr Drosselmeier casts "a bit of magic," and Marie finds herself attacked by an army of mice and defended by the soldiers commanded by the Nutcracker. After Marie saves him, the Nutcracker turns into a prince. They go to the Land of Sweets for a celebration. Years later there is the traditional happy ending. Jeffers visualizes a theatrical setting beginning on the front endpapers, where angels watch as horse-drawn carriages arrive at the party. As the story begins we see scenes of the inside of the Stahlbaum mansion, from the busy basement kitchen to the ballroom to the empty bedrooms. The painted illustrations are detailed and naturalistic, almost too pretty for the undergirding magic. Even the mice, except for the King, are more cuddly than evil. The dance scenes are particularly joyous. In a note, Jeffers explains her reasons for her version of the story. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

School Library Journal

Kirkus Reviews

Jeffers puts her immediately recognizable style to fine use in her illustrations of the story from the beloved holiday ballet. The oversized cover of this beautifully designed edition is filled with a compelling, close-up portrait of Marie as she holds her Nutcracker close, with the title in metallic gold letters partially covered by Marie's flowing golden tresses. The illustrations closely follow the plot of the ballet, with the familiar progression of the party scene full of swirling skirts and the appearance of the Nutcracker, the battle scene with the defeat of the Mouse King and the journey to the magical Land of Sweets, filled with scenes of dancers in minty pastels and jeweled accents. An author's note offers information about the history of the ballet and the approach Jeffers followed in designing this lovely interpretation. The story is skillfully retold with just a few lines of text per page, making this an excellent introduction to the ballet for younger children. This will likely be the new standard choice for reading to little ones prior to attending a holiday performance. (Picture book. 3-8)