English artist Alison Jay retells the classic Christmas fairy-tale of The Nutcracker in this lovely holiday picture-book, using the story from the ballet as a starting point, rather than the original tale from E.T.A. Hoffmann. All the incidents that are so well-known and loved from the ballet - the gift of the wooden Nutcracker to Clara, from her Godfather Drosselmeyer; the battle between the Nutcracker and the Mouse King; the journey to the Land of Sweets; the dances of the various national characters; the Sugar Plum Fairy's solo - are described here. The story concludes as Clara wakes the next day, keeping her adventure to herself, but hoping that every Christmas will be as magical as this one...

This iteration of The Nutcracker is a lovely one, boasting Jay's signature artwork, created in oil paint and finished with a crackle varnish that gives it its distinctive "cracked" appearance. The narrative is pleasant, and (as mentioned) covers all the usual incidents, but it is the artwork here that is the star. I enjoyed perusing these paintings, and appreciated the golden tone of Jay's palette. I found her plump cat, seen in many of the domestic scenes at Clara's house, particularly droll for some reason. It probably helps that I have a weakness for chubby kitties. There's plenty of sparkle to this picture-book (and glitter on the cover), and an overall "glowing" feeling to the artwork that suites the narrative quite well. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-book presentations of the story of the ballet, The Nutcracker. ( )

The illustrations are beautiful, and this is a wonderful version of the classic tale. A great book fo the classroom. ( )