(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Brett Helquist. In 1892 Saint Petersburg, Irina's father is chief custodian for the Mariinsky Theatre, tasked with solving the theater's mouse problem before the Nutcracker's Christmastime debut. Meanwhile, under the stage, the Mariinsky mouse corps de ballet members, including plucky Esmeralda, are rehearsing their own Nutcracker. Irina's and Esmeralda's story lines are individually engaging, and their overlapping moments are warmhearted. Copious illustrations enhance both worlds.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(4) 4-6 Adela, a princess more interested in horticulture than court culture, and Krazo, a boy-turned-magpie, defeat Krazo's enchantress Hortensia, whose garden is full of women she's turned into flowers. Though it feels rather old-fashioned, this magical fairy tale, written in language that invites slow reading, continues beyond the witch's defeat, thoughtfully examining the effects of elapsed time on her prisoners.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) K-3 A pirate captain gingerbread man refuses to accept his crew's fate on the plate of the season's most notorious cookie eater, Santa. In the end, Santa steps in to teach the pirates about the true nature of Christmas, graciously forgoing his snack. Tavares's vivid watercolor and gouache paintings dramatize Kladstrup's lively text with vigor in this imaginative adventure story.

Reviewer: Elizabeth Howard | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2009