Jan Brett's The NutcrackerJan Brett's The Nutcracker

Set in wintry Russia, this classic Christmas fantasy features young Marie experiencing the magic of toys and animals and the Snow Princess coming to life.
"With E.T.A. Hoffmann's 1816 story the Nutcracker and the Mouse King and memories of the Nutcracker ballet as her guide, this book is Jan Brett's visualization of Tchaikovsky's music. From the 'Overture in Miniature' during the Christmas Eve party, the 'March' that leads to the battle against the wicked Mouse King, the string of dances through the Land of Sweets, and all the way to the 'Waltz of the Flowers' at the end, the music's ebbs and flows inspired fanciful scenes for the characters that Marie and the Nutcracker meet throughout their journey. The music also reminds the author of trips to Saint Petersburg, so she gave the book a Russian setting. The boarders star animals playing the instruments you'll hear in the ballet." --