The Nutcracker in Harlem

An intriguing integration of The Nutcracker’s magic into a new setting and a welcome addition to the shelf of Nutcracker-themed picture books. (Picture book. 4-8)

First-time author McMorrow sets this romantic reimagining of Hoffmann's holiday ballet in 1920s Harlem, streamlining the plot while tapping into the cultural, musical, and social resonance of the Harlem Renaissance. Looking on warily as her parents host the revelers, an African-American girl named Marie is reluctant to join in the singing or dancing, despite the reassurance of a woman named Miss Addie (inspired by singer Adelaide Hall). "Music lives inside everyone," she tells Marie. "You just have to let it out." This proves true when Marie falls asleep and helps her nutcracker (a gift from her Cab Calloway-inspired Uncle Cab) defeat an invading mouse army with the "dum-diddy-dum" of a drum she plays. Filled with motion, emotion, and period detail, Ransome's vivid watercolors celebrate the magic of both the fairy-tale world Marie dreams herself into and the vibrant real-life community that is eager to help her find her voice. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

K-Gr 3--Marie, an African American child, gets a drummer nutcracker figure from her Uncle Cab for Christmas and dreams about toy soldiers coming to life and their battle with the army of mice. Set in Harlem in the 1920s, this version of the classic tale features black characters, and the music is jazz, not Tchaikovsky. Ransome's watercolor illustrations enhance the story handsomely, and the author's end note gives a brief background on the Harlem Renaissance. VERDICT This is a fine addition to the canon of retellings of the E.T.A. Hoffmann tale and the perennially favorite holiday ballet.--Virginia Walter, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies