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(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
James Ransome.
McMorrow's atmospheric Nutcracker re-visioning is set during the Harlem Renaissance. Marie receives a drummer boy nutcracker at a Christmas party where she feels everyone else has musical talent; she finds her own voice through a dream (or is it?) in which her drumming halts a mouse battle. Ransome's watercolors, with rich dark blues and reds, ably transition from bustling party scenes to Marie's exciting dream world.
Reviewer: Shoshana Flax
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2017