The Nutcracker

New York Times bestselling artist and Caldecott Honor winner Susan Jeffers has created a Nutcracker as only she can—with lavish illustrations, magnificent detail, a glitter-brushed cover, and enchanting holiday scenes on every page. This is The Nutcracker as you’ve never seen it before! Makes a lovely keepsake and gift.

Join Marie, Fritz, and the intriguing Nutcracker himself on a magical Christmas Eve adventure. Behold the frightful Mouse King, the elegant Sugar Plum fairies, and the entire Land of Sweets in this dazzling, gorgeously illustrated holiday classic. With spare text based on the story in the ballet, this book offers a front-row seat to the enthralling tale that is a perennial favorite of adults and children alike.

And for Susan Jeffers fans looking for extra content, an author’s note is included at the end of the book, in which she explains what inspired her to turn this holiday tradition into a show-stopping picture book.

Critical Praise 

“Skillfully retold with just a few lines of text per page...an excellent introduction to the ballet for younger children.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Jeffers’ lush watercolors...will wholly satisfy families...this treatment will earn curtain calls galore.” — ALA Booklist

“Energetic and child-friendly...Jeffers’s soft watercolors...capture both the drama of the classic story and the elegance of choreography.” — Publishers Weekly

“{Jeffers’s] romantic, detail-rich illustrations are based on the Balanchine ballet...Jeffers offers a satisfying extension” — The Horn Book