The Nutcracker - Hardcover

Schulman, Janet; Hoffmann, E. T. A.; Graef, Renee

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060278145 ISBN 13: 9780060278144

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1999

Synopsis

Each December, generations of children delight in the ballet version of the quintessential Christmas story The Nutcracker. But few have had the opportunity to revel in the richly detailed original tale. Now, in this glorious new edition, acclaimed children's book author and editor Janet Schulman returns to the source'E.T.A. Hoffmann's “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice.” Here we meet Marie, her Nutcracker, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and all the other delightful characters, and we discover the answers to questions left unanswered by the ballet, like why the Nutcracker and the King of Mice were enemies.

Artist Renée Graef adds her own enchantment with stunning, jewellike paintings that bring the story thrillingly to life. As an added bonus, this must-have Christmas gift also includes a free audio CD with Tchaikovsky's inimitable musical score and a reading of the complete story by actress Claire Bloom.

About this title

Review:

Many, many children know and love the Nutcracker story. Every year, in every city, countless ballet troupes, accompanied by Tchaikovsky's thrilling music, perform this Christmas classic about a girl who helps a wooden nutcracker man defeat a nasty army of mice and winds up in the magical dreamworld of the Land of Toys. But the ballet leaves a few questions unanswered. How did the Nutcracker and the King of Mice become such mortal enemies? And how did the Nutcracker turn into a handsome prince? Acclaimed children's author and editor Janet Schulman (The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury) adapts E.T.A Hoffman's 1816 original, faintly sinister, tale and helps answer these questions. The lines between good and evil are drawn less sharply than in the familiar ballet, and more attention is paid to all that happens before the ultimate battle between the toys and the mice. The King of Mice, by the way, is a nightmare-inducing seven-headed fiend. Renée Graef's warm, old-fashioned artwork softens the scarier aspects of this exciting edition of The Nutcracker, which includes a full-length CD featuring Tchaikovsky's music and a narration of the story by celebrated actress Claire Bloom. Schulman's version is bound to become a happy holiday tradition for the entire family. (Ages 5 and older) -- Emilie Coulter

About the Author:

Janet Schulman has worked in children's book publishing for nearly forty years and is currently Editor-at-Large and Division Vice President of Random House and Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers. She is the author of many books for children and is the editor of The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury: Celebrated Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud. Ms. Schulman lives in New York City.

Renée Graef received her bachelor's degree in art from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She is the illustrator of numerous titles in the Little House publishing program, as well as Rodgers and Hammerstein's My Favorite Things and E.T.A Hoffman's The Nutcracker, adapted by Janet Schulman. She lives in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, with her husband and two children.

Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776–1822) was a German author, artist, and composer who is best remembered for his story “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice.”

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0060278145
• ISBN 13: 9780060278144
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40