The Nutcracker Hardcover – Big Book, January 1, 1984

Safely packed, arrived earlier than scheduled. Two of the pages had some damage, as well as the cover, but fairly minimal stuff. Otherwise the books does look like new, at least on the inside. I actually like the aged look of the cover, feels coze. I was a tad bit worried because of the super low price, but I took the step forward and now I'm super happy with the purchase. Love the artwork and the story! Super glad that Amazon has also been very reliable when shipping to Mexico.

I always wanted to read and have a nutcracker book, by E.t. Hoffmann. and fnnaly i found one. i bought this book last year, and i actually received it during the winter. when i unqrapped it. i could have sworn i saw the nutcrackers eyes glimmer. call me crazy but it happens the same way in the storry. the illstatios are amazing. this book is a must have for anyyoung reader. its a great choice to sit next to a war fire and read this book. so dont think twice. get it from an authorized sellar. and enjoy this beautiful eddition of e.t hoffmanns. and gennady spirins. art. you will love it.

Beautiful artwork. Love it.

I enjoy this story and the artwork. The book came to me with mold on the outside jacket. I had to throw the jacket away and clean up the book where the jacket stuck to it. I will not purchase from this "vendor" again.

love the illustrations

Excellent book. Thank you.

This is one of the most beautiful children's books I have ever seen; it is magical. And I love that it tells the complete story of The Nutcracker...the parts that most ballets completely miss & so botch the story. I highly recommend checking out other works by this illustrator, Gennady Spirin. Amazing. It is such a breath of fresh air to be able to show my children books with beauty as opposed to the current "No, David!" types of books flooding the children's market.

I am something of a collector of Hoffmann's Nutcracker stories, especially the illustrated children's picture books. I have two criteria. One: The full Hoffmann text must be used in the text--no abridgements! Two: The illustrations must be fantastic--in every sense of the word.The three very best, in no particular order:1. Maurice Sendak's version. Sendak designed the costumes and sets for the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker Suite. The designs were also used for Nutcracker:The Movie (which, sadly, is not available on DVD. hint!). It is filled with endless color sketches that communicate the strange atmosphere of Hoffmann's text--and Tchaikovsky's music.2. Carter Goodrich's version. Most notably known for his whimsical New Yorker cartoons, Goodrich's soft, yet dream-like images give his imagination free-reign. The world of the Nutcracker has never been so accessible to young and old alike.3. Of course, Gennady Spirin's version. Jewel-like, yet with an old-world patina, each painting glitters with the magic of Christmas. Every image can (and should) be poured over to examine the breathless detail of Spirin's baroque dollhouse universe.There are too many uninspired or bowdlerized versions of this tale littering the market. If I may, I'd like to make some suggestions of others who would be worthy to take a "crack" at this Christmastime masterpiece:Edward Sorel, of "The Saturday Kid" fame.David Wiesner of "Sector 7".Peter Malone, who did an excellent job with "The Magic Flute".Brian Selznick of "The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins".Peter Sis, who created the haunting "The Three Golden Keys".and Marc Sutherland, who made the deliriously animistic "MacMurtrey's Wall".

Can't put into words how beautiful this book is! Am a HUGE fan of The Nutcracker