01/24/2020
K-Gr 2—This story relates a trip by a girl and her father to see The Nutcracker from beginning to end, starting with the ride to the theater ('Beep! Beep! Goes our taxi."). We experience the arrival, orchestra tune-ups, the parting of the velvet curtains, main plot points, intermission, audience reactions, and more. Each sumptuous full-page spread contains the minimal amount of text necessary to set the scene. ("Chitter! Chatter! goes the crowd.") Key to the text are its dynamic placement and the use of onomatopoetic words and phrases that are set in their own big, bold, distinctive type ("Swish," "Pshhhh," "Swoosh," "Crrrick," "Aww," "Jingle-Jangle"). The painterly illustrations capture the excitement, energy, and lushness of it all with a bit of humor thrown in for good measure. The final page contains a short, child-friendly history of the Nutcracker and plot synopsis. VERDICT A great primer, reminder, or armchair visit for seeing The Nutcracker live. Great for reading aloud and individual sharing.—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH
2019-07-28
A sprightly introduction to the classic Christmas ballet.
The backmatter notes that "[The Nutcracker] is often the first ballet children attend," and Messier and Grimard's collaboration does an exceptional job of distilling the ballet's story into spare, accessible text and engaging art that could prepare children for attending the ballet, let them relive the experience, or simply give them the delight of the story in book form. The child pictured dancing on the front cover isn't one of the ballerinas in the performance but a girl attending the ballet with her father. They both appear Asian in the illustrations, and many other audience members also appear to be people of color. Unfortunately, in an otherwise outstanding package, a preponderance of the depicted dancers appears to be white, which seems like a missed opportunity for inclusive representation. The spare text makes no mention of race, instead delivering the story through a series of combinations of expertly chosen onomatopoeia and dialogue guiding readers from the anticipation of the ballet through its first act, intermission, the second act, the curtain call, and the child narrator's closing, appreciative "Smooch!" of thanks to her dad.
Sure to elicit the storytime equivalent of "encore" at Christmastime and beyond. (Picture book. 2-8)
Praise for Nutcracker Night
2019 Northern Lights Book Award: The Arts Winner
2020 CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens Spring Selection
“The painterly illustrations capture the excitement, energy, and lushness of it all with a bit of humor thrown in for good measure....A great primer, reminder, or armchair visit for seeing The Nutcracker live. Great for reading aloud and individual sharing.”—School Library Journal
"A sprightly introduction to the classic Christmas ballet....The spare text...[delivers] the story through a series of combinations of expertly chosen onomatopoeia and dialogue guiding readers from the anticipation of the ballet through its first act, intermission, the second act, the curtain call, and the child narrator's closing, appreciative 'Smooch!' of thanks to her dad. Sure to elicit the storytime equivalent of 'encore' at Christmastime and beyond."—Kirkus Reviews
"This vibrant tribute to a holiday tradition follows a sensory-filled adventure to a Nutcracker performance….A charming entrée for ballet-bound children."—Publishers Weekly
"A good primer to complement a child's first time seeing The Nutcracker and, for those familiar with it, a fresh take on a classic."—The Horn Book Magazine
"Experience Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker through the eyes of a young girl attending the ballet in this fresh rendition of the beloved classic...The sights and sounds of the theater are center stage; musicians, dancers, and a lively audience interact through the onomatopoetic text."—Foreword Reviews
“Rating: E...This is a beautiful Christmas story, with a sparkly cover (the snowflakes are glossy) but it can be read at any time of the year to introduce children to ballet, theatre, or words that are associated with fun to say sounds.”—Resource Links
“[Messier] focuses...on the child’s outing with an onomatopoeic series of words that capture the sensations surrounding the event.”—The Sudbury Star
“An unreservedly recommended addition to family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections.”—Midwest Book Review
"Nutcracker Night captures the magic of a young school-aged child's visit to the ballet with her father. The Nutcracker, a classic ballet, comes to life as a true auditory experience....The pen and ink with watercolour illustrations are both detailed and energetic....Highly Recommended."—CM Magazine
“Mireille Messier, through the clever and playful use of onomatopoeia, introduces young readers to The Nutcracker ballet in this beautiful book about a little girl’s first experience at the theatre….Sure to become a holiday classic, Nutcracker Night is a must-have for those who love the ballet. And, for those who have never had the chance to experience it, this book will serve as a lovely introduction.”—Canadian Children’s Book News
“The onomatopoeic sounds bring the excitement of the night to life along with the beautiful illustrations rendered in watercolor, gouache, oil, colored pencil and digital media....This is a wonderful introduction to the ballet for young readers and will be enjoyed by fans of the holiday classic.”—Youth Services Book Review
“Head to the ballet with Mireille Messier and Gabrielle Grimard’s Nutcracker Night for a different kind of audiovisual experience and one that is perfect for the holidays. Like the nutcracker itself, Nutcracker Night opens up a tale for the season.”—CanLit for LittleCanadians
“Nutcracker Night is a cozy, lively read that tells the much-loved and much-recited story with a sweet and fresh perspective....A great pick for the coming winter and Christmas season, Nutcracker Night’s noise-and-sound-based text in tandem with lush, cozy art makes for a joyful, perfect-for-reading-aloud experience.”—Fab Book Reviews
“[A] feast for the senses...What a delightful way to introduce young readers to the entirety of the experience.”—Sal’s Fiction Addiction
“This delightful picture book would make a lovely December gift for a young child....The pictures here are charming, bringing the characters, audience members, musicians, and dancers to life. We see the rosy cheeks, the children awed by the night and the ones eager for more. There are many children, as would be expected for this ballet, and lots of ages of adults. Fathers and mothers, diversity of people, and a range of festive attire....Beautifully done.”—Canadian Bookworm
“[T]his beautifully illustrated book...are all the sounds a little girl hears as she attends the ballet with her dad....I haven’t had the privilege to attend a performance of the Nutcracker, but based on this book, I can imagine how beautiful it is.”—Booktime
