The Best Telling of The Nutcracker

The Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker
Written by Katy Flint & Illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle
Age Level: 3-8 Years
Published October 5, 2017

‘Tis the season.

Of all the Christmas traditions, attending The Nutcracker is one of the most well established and cherished. I was an excited member of the audience every year as a child, dressed up in Christmas velvet with a peppermint candy cane in my pocket for intermission. The fact is, there is no Nutcracker without Tchaikovsky’s iconic musical score. The music is its magic. And that’s why I’m in awe of this telling, produced by The Story Orchestra book series, which incorporates sound clips lasting nearly 10 seconds into every single page of the book.

“Clara gasps as the Sugar Plum Fairy spins and spins, as if she were on top of a music box.”

The story of The Nutcracker is simply and succinctly told over the course of ten lushly illustrated, full bleed spreads. Each spread features a “Press Here” button, which floods the scene with Tchaikovsky’s signature compositions. You’ll be amazed by the sound quality, and delighted that the clips are of actual orchestras playing the music rather than the typical tinny renditions of your children’s other soundbooks. Another detail I enjoy is that several of the pages are drawn to show the action taking place on a stage, with audience members or musicians in the foreground. This helpfully reminds readers that The Nutcracker isn’t just a story, it’s a play, meant to be experienced live, in three dimensions. I promptly purchased tickets to an upcoming performance, and will soon be dusting off my children’s own Christmas velvet.