The Mouse King has shenanigans planned. Greater, more terrible shenanigans than ever before. Shenanigans that might stop Christmas. It is up to Clara – with the help of her little brother Fritz and a Nutcracker named Walter – to save Christmas. However, thanks to the Mouse King Fritz is turning into a mouse and only has until his final whisker appears before the transformation is permanent. Only the Sugar Plum Fairy can help and he has been imprisoned by the Mouse King. Clara, Fritz and Walter set off on a race through magical kingdoms of scrumptious treats to save both Fritz and Christmas itself.
This is The Nutcracker reworked for today’s young readers. Think excitement at every twist and turn, think kid humour and boisterousness and sweets and sparkles of magic. Most of all think engaging – the creator clearly knows how to grab a young audience’s attention and keep hold of it through a story.
The characters are wonderfully created and the minor characters are as memorable as the main ones. Every reader will have their favourite – mine is Brenda the snow chicken but Humphrey Walnut is a close second. Each new land the children and Walter travel through introduces new characters and new delicious treats – cake and biscuits come from Tea Town, for example, while marzipan is created by Squirrels in Scrumptious Valley. Reading this will leave your mouth watering, and I recommend having some sugary treats to hand. It would be fun to match the treats to the chapter(s) that are going to be read .
Written in 24 1/2 short chapters, this is designed to work as a bookish advent calendar, but it can be read at any pace. I raced through it in a sitting and it would make as lovely a gift on Christmas Day as it would in time for December 1st.
The illustrations are bold and eye-catching and I love how pastel pinks and icy blues and deep purples sit alongside primary colours. The colour combinations add to the magic of the adventure through the ice and snow and lands of every sweet thing. The characters’ facial expressions speak volumes about their personalities from nervous but brave Walter to the not-to-be-underestimated magical chicken Brenda. Sometimes, these facial expressions alone are enough to set the reader into giggles or to evoke feelings that draw them further into the story as they empathise with the characters.
Alex T. Smith has gained a reputation for his Christmas books and The Nutcracker And The Mouse King’s Christmas Shenanigans looks set to become a classic. This is perfect to read to a class, to read to a child at bedtime, or to nab and read with some stollen and gingerbread and a good handful of sweets. Wherever you read it, I hope you enjoy the magic and humour as much as I did.
- The Nutcracker And The Mouse King’s Christmas Shenanigans is available now from Macmillan Children’s Books (Provided for review)
