The Nutcracker
K-Gr 3–Jay bases the illustrations for this classic tale on the Balanchine ballet. The smooth and somewhat abbreviated retelling is suitable for reading aloud, and the art created using oil paint on paper with crackling varnish evokes the ballet without being literal restagings. The cover depicts a snow globe with Clara and the prince being pulled in a sleigh through the Land of Snow, but that motif is not reflected in the interior illustrations. Most libraries have many versions of The Nutcracker in their collections; this one is handsome and acceptable if more editions are needed.Virginia Walter, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies© Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.