The Nutcracker Mice [Paperback]

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.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.
—Kirkus Reviews

Helquist’s jubilant illustrations greatly enhance the book’s appeal...a very sweet and enjoyable Christmas read.
—School Library Journal

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 tlsF