(4) K-3 Adapted by Kate Davies. 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 into six pages. The crisp black silhouette illustrations with colorful background embellishments are pretty, if somewhat static.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Niroot Puttapipat. Just six spreads illustrate the first verse and chorus of the classic Christmas song. Black silhouettes against clean white backgrounds portray Victorian-era villagers delivering an enormous Christmas tree by sleigh. Touches of gold, green, and red on the thick die-cut pages complete the elegant look. The final spread opens into a delicate pop-up. Handsome, but light on content.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Niroot Puttapipat. Any new edition of this poem is all about the illustrations. The neat, sharp silhouettes of this one prove an elegant contrast to more sumptuous renditions. Color and occasional die-cuts are used sparingly so as to not pull focus from the flourish-filled, meticulous line work. A final pop-up spread of the reindeer in flight would make a handsome table display.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2007