The Nutcracker by Sarah L. Thompson, illustrated by Michael Hague ages 5-10 56 pages Chronicle Books November 2005 Hardcover     On Christmas Eve, Marie and her brother Fritz sit waiting for their parents to prepare their family celebration. They are visited by their godfather, who tells them a story about a princess put under a spell by rats. The children’s Christmas is spectacular - Fritz receives some toy soldiers from their godfather, and Marie receives a funny-looking nutcracker. The nutcracker is accidentally broken and placed in the toy cupboard for the night. Marie feels sorry for him, and after everyone is asleep, she goes down to visit. He magically comes alive and Marie is swept into a world filled with evil rats, living toys, and a beautiful world of fairies and candy. When she wakes up, Marie is surprised to find her nutcracker has disappeared. Michael Hague’s intricate illustrations bring this familiar story to life. Although it’s recommended for children as young as four, the storyline is a little complicated and some of the situations, especially involving the seven-headed rat king, are quite scary. My five-year-old daughter was entranced, however, and the story makes a perfect lead-in for the traditional ballet performance of The Nutcracker during the holiday season. The only drawback is the small size of the book. It doesn’t give the illustrations justice as it’s difficult to see the fine detail on small pages. For an introduction to this classic story first written in 1816 or for timeless review, this version of The Nutcracker is beautiful and would make a perfect small gift for both children and adults.       web reviews   Melissa Parcel/2005 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)