The Nutcracker (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Translator), (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This classic Christmas story has delighted children and adults since it was first published in 1816. For this lavish new edition, translator Aliana Brodman brings Hoffman's words and ideas into modern English, retaining all the luster and magic of their original form, while artist Gennady Spirin magnificently illuminates the tale with four-color images and decorative borders on every page.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 99 pages
• Publisher: Stewart Tabori & Chang; illustrated edition edition (November 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556705301
• ISBN-13: 978-1556705304
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #564,442 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spirin's Nutcracker is one of the best!, November 12, 2006

By	John Aardema "inkyboy" (Woodridge, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am something of a collector of Hoffmann's Nutcracker stories, especially the illustrated children's picture books. I have two criteria. One: The full Hoffmann text must be used in the text--no abridgements! Two: The illustrations must be fantastic--in every sense of the word.

The three very best, in no particular order:
1. Maurice Sendak's version. Sendak designed the costumes and sets for the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker Suite. The designs were also used for Nutcracker:The Movie (which, sadly, is not available on DVD. hint!). It is filled with endless color sketches that communicate the strange atmosphere of Hoffmann's text--and Tchaikovsky's music.

2. Carter Goodrich's version. Most notably known for his whimsical New Yorker cartoons, Goodrich's soft, yet dream-like images give his imagination free-reign. The world of the Nutcracker has never been so accessible to young and old alike.

3. Of course, Gennady Spirin's version. Jewel-like, yet with an old-world patina, each painting glitters with the magic of Christmas. Every image can (and should) be poured over to examine the breathless detail of Spirin's baroque dollhouse universe.

There are too many uninspired or bowdlerized versions of this tale littering the market. If I may, I'd like to make some suggestions of others who would be worthy to take a "crack" at this Christmastime masterpiece:

Edward Sorel, of "The Saturday Kid" fame.
David Wiesner of "Sector 7".
Peter Malone, who did an excellent job with "The Magic Flute".
Brian Selznick of "The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins".
Peter Sis, who created the haunting "The Three Golden Keys".
and Marc Sutherland, who made the deliriously animistic "MacMurtrey's Wall".

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Collector's Must Have, October 12, 2002

By	Esther Schoenwandt (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews

This book belongs in any serious Christmas book collection. The story may be well known, but the illustrations are of extraordinary beauty! Russian born artist Gennady Spirin won several awards for his work on this book. It is like leafing through a book from times gone by. It also makes a great gift for a Christmas enthusiast.