View source for The Nutcracker by Jane Ray

{{infobox2
|title=The Nutcracker
|sort=Nutcracker
|author=Jane Ray
|reviewer=Ruth Ng
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Beautiful and richly diverse illustrations that compliment the magical Christmas story.
|rating=4.5
|buy=yes
|borrow=yes
|pages=32
|publisher=Orchard Books
|date=November 2015
|isbn=9781408336410
|website=http://www.janeray.com/
|aznuk=1408336413
|aznus=1408336413
|cover=1408336413
}}

There's something rather magical about Jane Ray's stories.  [[The Dolls' House Fairy by Jane Ray|The Doll's House Fairy]] continues to be one of my daughter's favourite stories, even though she's now a rather grown up nine year old, so we opened up this new story with a great deal of anticipation.  It remains close to the traditional Nutcracker story, and there is a wonderful feel of Christmas throughout.  I'm sure you can read it quite happily all year round (I know we will!) but it's particularly special in the run up to Christmas.

Clara is waiting for her Uncle to arrive on Christmas Eve as he always gives her the most lovely gifts.  She's surprised when she sees the strange looking doll, but then delighted when she is shown how he can crack nuts!  Unfortunately, her naughty brother manhandles the poor nut-cracking doll, and his arm is broken off!  It's probably due to this trauma that Clara finds herself awake at midnight, worrying about the poor soldier doll, and she creeps downstairs to go and see him.  This, of course, is when she becomes embroiled in the magical battle with the naughty mice, led by the Mouse King, and then she goes on a journey with the Nutcracker to a magical, sweet-filled land where she meets the Sugar Plum Fairy.

I think that, by itself, the story would be merely okay, but with the beautiful, detailed illustrations the book finds its magic.  Everything is very colourful, with illustrations ranging from sugary pink delights to deep, dark night time colours.  In ''The Doll's House Fairy'' I was pleased to find a mixed race family, and in this story the characters are culturally diverse again.  This relates not just to the families who are celebrating Christmas Eve together, but also to the various dancers that Clara gets to meet, with various different nationalities and costumes depicted.

I think my only complaint would be that for the pages about the Sugar Plum Fairy, and all her dancing friends, all of the illustrations are face on.  It is a small quibble, but those pages, although they have the wonderful range of characters, just didn't seem to work quite as well.  The rest of the book is so beautifully done, with lots of different ideas and designs and viewpoints.  But that is a grown up niggling issue only, and in no way spoils what is a delightful book.  It is a little bit long for wriggly toddlers, but perfect for slightly older budding ballerinas, or for filling a little girl's stocking, or just for a nice, magical bedtime story!

Further reading suggestion: You should definitely take a look at the wonderful [[The Dolls' House Fairy by Jane Ray|The Dolls' House Fairy]] and there are more delights to be found in [[The Apple-pip Princess by Jane Ray|The Apple-pip Princess]].  We also loved [[The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories) by Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey]].

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