As visions of December come dancing ever so closely now, my little ballerina gets excited for our visit to see the SF Ballet's Nutcracker in a matter of weeks. She is obsessed with the lovely story thanks to this gorgeous book, The Nutcracker: A Magic Theater Book ($14.76 on Amazon) by Geraldine McCaughrean, illustrated by Kristina Swarner (published by Chronicle Books).
The pages of this book come to life with beautiful paper animations that cleverly stay in their own "windows" so there's no fear of ripping as things don't pop out. McCaughrean is my hero because her prose is sophisticated and poetic for kids, making it a joy to read aloud to Chloe. Also keep in mind the book has the young heroine as the original "Marie" and not "Clara" which it was later changed to by Alexandre Dumas.
Watch the video of The Nutcracker above to see the pages move!
Also available from Chronicle Books is a personalized version of the Night Before Christmas. Only $34.99, this book puts your child into the magical tale. Order it now so it arrives in time for the holidays!
Disclaimer: Review book was provided by Chronicle Books.
