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ngreader's review
3.0
I feel like the book derailed in the middle from the story of Charlotte dancing in the Nutcracker to the story of Charlotte's Christmas and the traditions around it. The illustrations were great but the text was just okay and the derailing in the middle to a whole other plot really confused me.
msgabbythelibrarian's review
2.0
I was confused. The book was half about being in the Nutcracker. The second half was about the Christmas traditions. This book desperately needed to pick a lane.
The illustrations were lovely but it wasn't enough to redeem.
The illustrations were lovely but it wasn't enough to redeem.
kimmj's review
4.0
cute! but definitely took a turn narrative-wise away from her experiences with the ballet, which left me a bit confused
panda_incognito's review
3.0
2.5 stars, rounded up for the true story element.
This picture book shares about the author's experience dancing as Marie in a New York City Ballet production of The Nutcracker. The illustrations are nice, but the story and text are subpar, especially since the author merely reports events instead of telling a story. There is no external or internal conflict driving the narrative, and the lack of a plot makes the book vastly less interesting. The book describes her interest in dance, her audition, her hard work, the performance, and her Christmas traditions at home with her family, but never gels together as a story.
This will appeal to children and adults who love ballet or diverse books, but I found it disappointing and will not read it again. I also wish that the author's note had included an explanation about the character of Marie / Clara and how she is presented differently in different versions of the Nutcracker. This lack of explanation will be distracting for parents and kids who are confused about the name difference and don't have context for it.
This picture book shares about the author's experience dancing as Marie in a New York City Ballet production of The Nutcracker. The illustrations are nice, but the story and text are subpar, especially since the author merely reports events instead of telling a story. There is no external or internal conflict driving the narrative, and the lack of a plot makes the book vastly less interesting. The book describes her interest in dance, her audition, her hard work, the performance, and her Christmas traditions at home with her family, but never gels together as a story.
This will appeal to children and adults who love ballet or diverse books, but I found it disappointing and will not read it again. I also wish that the author's note had included an explanation about the character of Marie / Clara and how she is presented differently in different versions of the Nutcracker. This lack of explanation will be distracting for parents and kids who are confused about the name difference and don't have context for it.
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