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Summary
Summary
The original stories behind everyones favorite Christmas ballet It wasnt until the 1950s that seeing The Nutcracker at Christmastime became an American tradition. But the story itself is much older and its original intent more complex. This eye-opening new volume presents two of the tales earliest versions, both in new translations: E.T.A. Hoffmanns Nutcracker and Mouse King (1816), in which a young girl is whisked away to the Land of Toys to help her animated nutcracker defeat the Mouse King, and Alexandre Dumass 1845 adaptation, The Tale of the Nutcracker, based on Hoffmanns popular work. Irresistible tales of magic, mystery, and childhood adventure, these timeless delights and fresh interpretations about the importance of imagination will captivate readers of all ages.
Author Notes
German writer, composer, and painter ErnstTheodor Amadeus Hoffman was born in Konigsberg, Prussia in 1776. After beginning a career in the law, Hoffman turned to music, working as a conductor, music director, and critic, and later composing a ballet, an opera, and other works. He established himself as a writer with the four-volume story collection Phatasiestucke in Callier Manier (Fantasy Stories in the Manner of Callot), which was published in 1814-1815.
Even though he published several novels and story collections, including Nachtstucke (Hoffman's Strange Stories, 1817) and Die Serapionsbruder (The Serapion Brethren, 1819-1821), Hoffman continued to support himself as a legal official in Berlin. This struggle between artistry and bureaucracy is played out in many of his works.
Hoffman died of progressive paralysis in 1822.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4-This lavishly illustrated book features sweeping, theatrical watercolor spreads and elaborate borders that help to draw connections between the real-life action, Marie¿s dream, and the ballet itself. A brief introduction gives the background of the story's publication and its connection to the Tchaikovsky ballet. In comparison to the polished and stylish Nutcracker retold by John Cech (HarperBlessings, 2009), this lengthy version features more dialogue-occasionally stilted-and busier, larger illustrations.-Virginia Walter, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Discerning use of full-page spreads and decorative border art allays Maysen's substantial text in this glowing interpretation. De Marcken's detail-rich watercolors are marked by a vibrant palette (the Nutcracker wears purple and gold, Marie a pink sash-tied dress), while the attention paid to the mechanisms of toys and to dolls' facial expressions (Marie takes the form of a doll) further emphasizes the fantastical nature of the story. This is a loyal and energetic version, best for read-aloud in multiple sittings, given the length of the text. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Hoffman's original 1816 story serves as the text for this version, and readers familiar with the tale through the ballet will find some aspects of the plot are different. DeMarcken's detailed illustrations fill the large-format pages with a charming Nutcracker in a purple uniform, as well as a huge cast of characters from the various fantasy locations visited by Marie and her friend. Illustration placement is varied throughout, with images of different sizes interspersed on each spread, often serving as borders; this clever design keeps the lengthy text from appearing overwhelming. Though the pictures are lovely to look at, this version is really too long for most children and thus will be appropriate only for large collections needing an illustrated edition of the original story. (foreword) (Picture book. 6-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Grand in design and aglow with light and color, this picture-book adaptation of Hoffman's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King has plenty of child appeal in the watercolor-and-ink artwork. First published in 1816, this fairy tale owes its longevity to Tchaikovsky's ballet, though Hoffman's tale differs from the libretto in some respects. Longer than most picture-book texts, the story has some potentially confusing elements, such as the elaborate backstory regarding the mice and the incongruity (for a twenty-first-century audience) that a child who plays with dolls can be old enough to accept a proposal and marry a year later. De Marcken makes good use of the book's large format (nearly a foot square) in the illustrations, which are imaginative, dramatic, and richly detailed. A handsome edition of the story.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist