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Summary
Summary
A young mouse must save her production of The Nutcracker in a charming holiday tale from the author of The Gingerbread Pirates and the illustrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Hidden in Saint Petersburg's famed Mariinsky Theater are the world's tiniest ballet fans: the Mariinsky mice, including Esmeralda, a rising dancer in the Russian Mouse Ballet Company. Despite being unable to control her tail, Esmeralda has just been assigned the lead role of Clara in a ballet debuting at Christmas: The Nutcracker. But when she learns that the new ballet features mice as villains, her excitement turns to horror: the mice of Saint Petersburg will never come to see such a production. Meanwhile, nine-year-old Irina is convinced that the mice she's seen in the Mariinsky -- the mice her father, the custodian, is supposed to exterminate -- are not only fans of the ballet, but dancers themselves. No one will believe her, so it falls to Irina to help save the mice everyone else considers vermin . . . and perhaps to help Esmeralda ensure the future of the mouse company. Sweet and inventive, Kristin Kladstrup's ballet fantasy features artwork by beloved illustrator Brett Helquist, old-fashioned drama, and just a touch of holiday magic.
Author Notes
Kristin Kladstrup is the author of the middle-grade novels The Book of Story Beginnings and Garden Princess, as well as the picture book The Gingerbread Pirates. She lives in Watertown, Massachusetts.
Brett Helquist has illustrated numerous books for children, including Chasing Vermeer and its sequels by Blue Balliett and Martina & Chrissie: The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports by Phil Bildner. Brett Helquist lives in New York.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-A warm and fuzzy seasonal tale. It's 1892 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. In the famed Mariinsky Theater, the ballet practices for their newest program, The Nutcracker, while the secret Russian Mice Ballet Company is training for their very own performance below the stage. Esmerelda is a young adult mouse who wants nothing more than to be Clara in their performance, but she can't seem to get her tail in proper ballet position. When food shortages, audience skepticism, and a prima ballerina's broken foot threaten to ruin the show, Esmerelda saves the day. This is a well-written, steadily paced book that begs to be read by candlelight during the first snows of winter. Readers familiar with the classic ballet will hear the music as they read, and dance enthusiasts will appreciate the jargon, though prior knowledge of either one is not necessary. There is even a light romance between Esmerelda and a Maksim, a mouse from outside the Mariinsky who helps Esmerelda find her strength and courage. Helquist's jubilant illustrations greatly enhance the book's appeal. The human cast is homogenous, though the mice are described with differences in appearance and nationality. VERDICT Not revolutionary, but a very sweet and enjoyable Christmas read; recommended as a general purchase.-Taylor Worley, Springfield Public Library, OR © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
In 1892 Saint Petersburg, Irinas father is chief custodian for the Mariinsky Theatre, tasked with solving the theaters mouse problem before the Nutcrackers Christmastime debut. While her mother sews costumes, Irina makes clothes in miniature for her doll. Meanwhile, under the stage, the Mariinsky mouse corps de ballet members, including plucky Esmeralda, are rehearsing their own Nutcracker. At Esmeraldas urging, the show has been reworked without all the mouse-bashing, and for the first time will include costumes (remember Irinas doll clothes?). Irinas and Esmeraldas story lines are individually engaging, and their overlapping moments are warmhearted. Copious illustrations (seen only as sketches) enhance both mouse and human worlds. elissa gershowitz (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Ballet is beautiful for a mouse ballerina.Irina, a white, Russian girl whose parents work backstage at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, loves ballet. Esmeralda, a Russian mouse who lives in the Mariinsky, also loves ballet. It's 1892, and The Nutcracker: A Ballet in Two Acts with music by Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky is set to premier. The mice also have a company, the Russian Mouse Ballet Company, and are planning their own production to the same music. But Esmeralda faces a terrible conflict. Can a mouse troupe dance to a scenario that features evil mice who are defeated in battle? Kladstrup has crafted a dual tale filled with charm, humor, conflict, and danger. The humans (most of them, at least) are out to exterminate the mice; Tchaikovsky is especially rodentophobic, while Irina is especially sympathetic and helpful. Esmeralda emerges as the perfect main character. She faces trials as a dancermanaging her tail properly is difficult. She displays courage and know-how in obtaining costumes from Irina's doll, crafts an appropriate mouse version of the story, and best of all, she finds her dance muse in the gloriously enchanting score. The synopses for both ballets are included. Helquist's full-page panels in shades of black are delightfully expressive and are filled with charming details. Dance, drama, and a star turn make this a page-turning tale. (author's note) (Animal fantasy. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In 1892, St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre is home to spectacular ballet and the location (under the stage) of the Russian Mouse Ballet Company, in which young Esmeralda dreams of becoming a prima ballerina. The upcoming premiere, Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, is cause for concern, however, since a rodent audience won't appreciate villainous mice and a lack of romance. Esmeralda concocts an alternate story that fits Tchaikovsky's music, contrives to procure scenery and costumes for the mouse production, and takes the lead after the star ends up in a mouse trap. Kladstrup's imaginative story features high adventure, plenty of theater and ballet details, and mostly short chapters that will aid readers new to chapter books. Brett Helquist's black-and-white drawings (usually one per chapter) bring the mice and their activities to life, and a subplot involving nine-year-old human child Irina adds to the book's appeal. With a forward summarizing the original Nutcracker and an afterword recapping Esmeralda's mouse-centric version, this is perfect for balletomanes and mice fans alike.--Weisman, Kay Copyright 2017 Booklist
