(3) 4-6 Adapted by Natalie Andrewson. Illustrated by Natalie Andrewson. This telling follows Hoffmann's original story, which is a lot more involved--and trippy--than the popular ballet adaptation. The graphic novel format works well to convey and contain that weirdness; Andrewson's accessible cartoon illustrations help mitigate the tale's scarier moments (Drosselmeier on the clock, the Mouse King). In an author's note, Andrewson discusses her approach to the oft-told story: "I was completely sucked into this dark, bizarre story with a girl's imagination at its core... I connected deeply with Marie in the moments when she was forced to hide her dream world within herself."

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Roberto Innocenti. In an elegant, oversize edition of Hoffmann's Christmas story, Marie's nutcracker doll comes to life and she helps to transform him into a handsome prince. The flowery prose of the original text is much more complex than will be expected by children used to the ballet. Innocenti's surreal paintings emphasize the nightmarish aspects of the fantasy.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(2) K-3 Retold by Susanne Koppe. Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. Devotees of the ballet version may be surprised by the layers of fantasy and reality in this skillful distillation of the much longer original story. Zwerger's elegant full-page watercolors capture the tone of the story, and her uncluttered compositions focus on specific characters and objects, rewarding the careful observer with details that foreshadow and illuminate the multifaceted story.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2004

(3) K-3 Retold by Renate Raecke. Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by Yana Sedova. On Christmas Eve, young Marie and the Nutcracker Prince journey to "Candytown" in a dream--or was it? Simple but vivid language retells the classic tale. Sedova's stylized, jewel-toned illustrations are rich with texture and detail, including clockwork (in homage to Drosselmeier's toy-making) and Christmas tree–ornament motifs throughout. An afterword gives some background on Hoffmann's story and its many adaptations.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(4) YA After Lindsey's brother dies, her psychiatrist father pigeonholes her as "the good girl." Burdened by expectations and her own grief, Lindsey begins to steal. Though her passive-aggressive behavior is seemingly (and frustratingly) endless, Lindsey finally breaks out of her shell to fall for a bad boy and tell off a manipulative friend, having learned that honesty is a better way to cope.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(2) K-3 Adapted by Stephanie True Peters. Illustrated by Linda Bronson. Peters supplies an accessible introduction to The Nutcracker, using an assured storyteller's voice to emphasize drama and excitement. Bronson's accompanying illustrations are bold and jazzy with lots of turquoise, pink, and purple; energetic, swooping lines are held under control by page borders showing snow, stars, or candy.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2007

(2) K-3 Retold by Susanne Koppe. Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. Devotees of the ballet version may be surprised by the layers of fantasy and reality in this skillful distillation of the much longer original story. Zwerger's elegant full-page watercolors capture the tone of the story, and her uncluttered compositions focus on specific characters and objects, rewarding the careful observer with details that foreshadow and illuminate the multifaceted story.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2004

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Don Daily & Don Daily. This cloth bound edition of the classic story about a young girl who receives an extraordinary nutcracker for Christmas features pages bordered by ample margins and large, handsome illustrations. The art ably captures the story's setting, and its varied perspectives add drama to the tale. A toy soldier dangles from the end of the ribbon page marker.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Julie Paschkis. Following an introduction that explains the story's genesis and its conversion into a ballet, the book presents a traditional version of the holiday tale. Although the patterned backgrounds add a further dimension to the artwork, the pictures themselves are not appealing: both the characters' features and the palette are unattractive. Nevertheless, the book and its accompanying CD provide a faithful introduction.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(2) 4-6 Translated by Ralph Manheim. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Familiar in part because it forms the basis of the famous ballet, Hoffmann's tale "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" is actually quite different from the ballet. The original story is a mysterious, powerful, and slightly grotesque tale. Some of the illustrations, spectacular and remarkably effective, are taken from Sendak's stage settings for the ballet.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 1985

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Renee Graef. This picture book retelling of the classic Christmas tale is illustrated with numerous small vignettes, as well as larger pictures showing Marie, her beloved Nutcracker, and their adventures. An accompanying CD contains a complete reading of the text, set to music from Tchaikovsky's ballet. Schulman's adaptation has an appropriately old-fashioned tone.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) 4-6 Eyewitness Classics series. Illustrated by James Mayhew. Although the background information offered in sidebars and a few double-page spreads--in the series style, with many captioned photographs and pictures--helps establish a context for the classic story, the unattractive artwork detracts from the presentation. The garish colors will not draw children to the fantastic tale about Marie's adventures with the Christmas Nutcracker.

Reviewer: Anne St. John