The Nutcracker

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Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Puttapipat follows The Night Before Christmas (2007) and Jingle Bells (2015) with another lushly illustrated interpretation of a holiday classic, this time painting the story of the Nutcracker in elegant black silhouettes in ornate landscapes, both realistic and fantastical. A conversational narrative keeps the story approachable, magical, and tense as Clara and the Nutcracker battle the Mouse King before traveling to the Land of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy takes them to a ball in a show-stopping pop-up that reveals a landscape of delicately cut-out trees, towering spires, and intricate vegetation. It's a captivating version of this beloved tale that will have readers poring over every detail of the art. Ages 3-7. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 3-The text is a readable adaptation of the E.T.A. Hoffmann story. The stunning illustrations by Puttapipat were inspired by sets from the original Marius Petipa production of the Tchaikovsky ballet. The familiar characters-Clara, Dr. Drosselmeyer, the mice, etc.-are presented as black silhouettes against sumptuously colored backgrounds. The final illustration is a double-page pop-up that suggests what a stage setting of the original ballet might have looked like. VERDICT There are many beautiful editions of The Nutcracker. This sophisticated version can take its place among them.-Virginia Walter, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

With a narrative based on the E. T. A. Hoffmann and Alexandre Dumas texts as well as the original Tchaikovsky-Petipa ballet production, this beautifully produced picture book offers a succinct introduction to The Nutcracker as a story (no tutus in sight), showcasing the artwork of Puttapipat. Born in Thailand and living in England, he illustrates the book in ink, gouache, and watercolor, using precise lines to create striking, graceful silhouettes that show up clearly and dramatically against the richly colored, textured backgrounds. The artist's use of intricate silhouettes recalls the illustrations of Arthur Rackham and Jan Pienkowski as well as the centuries-old tradition of Thai shadow-puppet theater. The first five double-page spreads include a column of text flanking a large illustration. One more turn of the page reveals an impressive, elaborate scene with five layers of pop-ups creating the ball scene at the prince's castle. While this scene is exquisite, it may be too fragile to withstand many library circulations. Still, this book would make an eye-catching display during the holiday season.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2016 Booklist

Horn Book Review

A simplified adaptation of Hoffman's traditional Christmas Eve tale relates the magical story of Clara and her nutcracker prince. The main feature here is a pop-up spread of the Sugar Plum Fairy's ball. Unfortunately, this version compresses the text onto six pages. The crisp black silhouette illustrations with colorful background embellishments are pretty, if somewhat static. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

Puttapipat continues his stellar series of illustrated Christmas classics with this fresh look at the beloved ballet story, using a design similar to his memorable versions of The Night Before Christmas (2007) and Jingle Bells (2015).The story from the ballet is skillfully summarized in lyrical text infused with sensory details. In this version, the little girl is called Clara, and the nutcracker toy is a gift from her godfather, Dr. Drosselmeyer. The exquisite illustrations done with ink and gouache use silhouetted figures in black set against jewel-toned backgrounds with touches of gold, red, and green. There are five main illustrations of key scenes, each spreading across three-quarters of a spread, with the accompanying text set off in the remaining quarter. In the last of these illustrations, Clara and her prince are welcomed to the Land of Sweets by the Sugar Plum Fairy. The following spread is the climax of the bookan astonishing pop-up construction showing Clara, the prince, and the fairy in front of the fantasy land. The pop-up scene includes towers with a connecting archway, four dancing couples, and imaginary trees with minute details. The intricately constructed scene has tiny, cutout details throughout, making the entire spread extremely fragile and in need of very careful handling (with adult guidance). An exquisite interpretation with its own magical transformation. (Pop-up picture book. 4 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.