The Nutcracker and the Four Realms- The Dance of the Realms – Book Review

“The world is made of stories…all of them beautiful in their own ways.” Author Calliope Glass and illustrator Marco Bucci’s new book, The  Nutcracker and the Four Realms  is just that; beautiful!

The book traces the same story as the Disney feature film.   Clara is given a small and intricate gift that leads her on an extraordinary journey. It unlocks the magical world of the Four Realms where she embarks on a mission to save the day and find a happy ending to her story.

Overview

The book begins with a Foreword written by the renowned ballerina, Misty Copeland. While I really enjoyed reading how “The Nutcracker” has impacted her life, my five-year-daughter was not interested; she wanted to get straight to the story!

The writing was easy to follow and did a great job of explaining the essence of the movie. I have been a little hesitant to take my daughter to see the movie because of how dark it seems, but reading this book has caused me to re-evaluate that. My daughter and I were both enthralled with the illustrations!

I looked up the official trailer to check for similarities and Marco Bucci’s artwork is whimsically SPOT ON!!  (Editors Note: For more on the feature film here is Maggie’s Review of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms)

My daughter is in the perfect age range for this book; I would highly recommend it for kids age 5-10.  The illustrations bring “The Nutcracker & the Four Realms” to life in a new way.