FICTION

Bea in The Nutcracker

by Rachel ISADORA

illus. by Rachel Isadora. 32p. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Bks. Oct. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780399252310.

COPY ISBN

PreS-K—This companion to Bea at Ballet tells the story of The Nutcracker for the youngest audience. Readers share in the excitement as little Bea and her friends (a refreshingly multiracial cast) put on a delightful performance of the ballet. There is just enough information for preschool age children to understand the story, and the illustrations—line drawings with splashes of color—add to the charm and age-appropriate presentation.

VERDICT This is a standout in the crowded field of Nutcracker picture books.

Reviewed by Virginia Walter Graduate School of Education and Information Studies

"Here is Bea. She is excited because her ballet class is going to perform The Nutcracker. She will be Clara!" Bea (Bea at Ballet, rev. 7/12) and her diverse group of classmates put on an all-little-kid rendition of the famous Christmas ballet, gently introducing listeners to a simplified version of its story while providing a warmly humorous glimpse of life on the stage (Bea to a mouse-costumed classmate: "You forgot to put on your tail!"). The main text follows the action; word balloons allow the kids to interject their enthusiasm. Textured oil-painted paper collage adds traditional Christmas reds and greens as well as the production's candy-hued pastels to the friendly black-and-white line art. Katie Bircher

Bea (Bea at Ballet) and her diverse group of classmates put on a little-kid rendition of The Nutcracker, introducing listeners to a simplified version of its story while providing a humorous glimpse of life on stage. Along with the production's candy-hued pastels, textured oil-painted paper collage adds traditional Christmas reds and greens to the friendly black-and-white line art.

, Oct 01, 2015

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:

Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.