The Nutcracker by New York City Ballet and illustrated by Valeria Docampo.

Title: The Nutcracker
Author: New York City Ballet
Illustrated by: Valeria Docampo
Publisher: Little Simon
Publication date: September 20, 2016
Pages: 40
Source/format: Hardcover // Purchased

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

The New York City Ballet presents a classic ballet tale for a modern ballet lover with George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, a holiday favorite.

The New York City Ballet is known for showcasing classic stories of the ballet with their trademark stylish and modern sensibility. For the first time, this beloved holiday story is told based on George Balanchine’s quintessential production. The storyline of this gorgeous picture book mimics the choreography of the famous ballet and the illustrations are inspired by the backdrops and scenery from the actual production.

The New York City Ballet’s production of the Nutcracker is considered to be “the” leading production in the world. A holiday tradition for many families, now readers who can’t travel to New York will be able to experience this colorful celebratory story. A must-have for every aspiring ballerina’s library and a holiday tradition for every family’s bookshelf.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

This wonderful picture book has stunning timeless illustrations depicting the famous The Nutcracker ballet. Not only is this story for all ages, but if you can't see the ballet live, reading this book is the perfect way to relive the magic of the Christmas holiday. This book is true to the The New York City Ballet George Balantine's version of The Nutcracker. I am hoping a book showcasing the Boston Ballet's version is written and illustrated soon because I am a huge fan of the Nutcracker bear! Everyone loves the Nutcracker bear!

Valeria Docampo's whimsy illustrations include delightful characters painted effortless and in beautiful dance positions. The main character is named Marie instead of Clara. She is gifted a nutcracker by her godfather but Fritz gets jealous and breaks the nutcracker. At night, the Christmas tree grows, the Nutcracker comes to life and a Mouse King starts a sword fight with the nutcracker. The nutcracker turns into a prince and takes Marie to the Land of Sweets. Of course, the Sugarplum Fairy makes an appearance along with the Spanish hot chocolate to the Chinese tea to the marzipan. In this version of The Nutcracker, Marie meets Herr Drosselmeier's nephew. The Prince in this version is closer to Marie's age and has an uncanny resemblance to Herr Drosselmeier's nephew.

I love the addition of fun facts in the back of the book. These facts include information from the actual ballet in New York City. Some facts include how Mother Ginger's skirt weighs 85 pounds and is 9 feet wide and how the Christmas tree grows to an ultimate height of 41 feet and weighs 1 ton.

The Nutcracker picture book conjures nostalgia. It brings back memories of my childhood and it sparks the true spirit of Christmas. Christmas is not about the presents. It's about the magical experience during the holidays that you spend with your loved ones. The traditions, the snow and the festivities is what Christmas is truly about. Relive the magic anytime of the year with this splendid book!