Outside Reading: The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker picture book by Susan Jeffers is a great version of the story, I found I liked it better than some other wordy versions. Her drawings portray a beautiful version of the ballet. I have always loved Christmas time and I think ballet is beautiful art, so I really enjoyed this picture book. There is a magic story to the illustrations that almost says more than the text. The pictures put the sound of the ballet into my head with the detail and enchanting colors. The book captures the plot of the story to where it makes it easy for children to understand and follow the ballet. Marie is the name of the young girl who dreams of meeting a nutcracker prince and a fierce battle with a seven headed mouse king. I love the Land of Snow and the Land of Sweets illustrations, it really depicts the beauty of the fairytale land and Christmas. I highly recommend this book for chidlren, especially for young girls who love the fantasy story or young children that are having trouble understanding the play.