31st December The Nutcracker

As the year ends and I now have time to reflect on year's end in the library and just how many Christmas books we have, I still have trouble discarding favourites and those by favourite authors or illustrators. This year we contemplated culling the large number of versions of The Nutcracker we have, yet as we agonised over which ones to let go we realised that every single version we owned had been borrowed during 2015, so ultimately none went. I have a diehard group of girls who will borrow anything that has to do with ballet, so James Mayhew's Ella Bella Ballerina and Marilyn Singer's Talulah versions had been borrowed several times. That is due too, to the power of a series. Tallulah stories are borrowed frequently. James' ballet series is even more popular at the moment than his Katie and artist series.

The story of the Nutcracker has two sources...a story by German author E.T.A. Hoffman called The Nutcracker and the King of Mice and the ballet The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky which was also based on this story and was first performed in 1872. At Christmas many ballet companies perform this ballet so many children know the story of Clara, the Land of Sweets and the Sugarplum Fairy. It's plot is very appropriate for young children as it is about overcoming obstacles and of course good triumphs over evil.

Some very well known illustrators have done picture book versions, even Maurice Sendak who was involved in designing the sets for a production. If your library doesn't have a version look at these four:
• Jane Ray
• Susan Jeffers
• Alison Jay, and
• Ian Beck (author Berlie Doherty)
From these you will be able to select the 'right' amount of text and still have a 'traditional' version of the story.

The other titles above are for more specific audiences. Bea in the Nutcracker  is an ideal introduction for a very young ballerina. Whatever you choose from above you will get exquisite artwork and a good read. Happy New Year.

4th January Jacob Grimm (1785 - 1863)

It is the famous German philologist and folklorist, Jacob Grimm's birthday. He is half of the Brothers Grimm who are responsible for collecting fairytales together and publishing Grimm's Fairy Tales. I have written about him and his brother, Wilhelm on 24th February, which is Wilhelm's birthday and I said there which anthologies of Grimm I prefer. There I also said that I wanted more Grimm versions of Cinderella and since I wrote that, Berlie Doherty's wonderful fairytale anthology has been reissued as individual tales in picture book editions illustrated by Jane Ray and the Cinderella is a Grimm version. It is perfect for my clientele. I have also found some websites that are good places to explore Grimm's fairytales: 1. The National Geographic Grimm and 2. Kids Fun Canada's Grimm Fairytales.

6th November Berlie Doherty (1943) Michelle Magorian (1947) Craig Smith (1955)

British author, Berlie Doherty writes for all ages, from picture books through short stories to novels, two of which have won the Carnegie Award. Here though I want to highlight several picture books that are perfect for the children in my library. A few days ago I walked into the bookshop where I do most of my shopping for school to find ten individual fairy tales by Berlie Doherty with illustrations by Jane Ray. They look stunning. Perusing them I realised I had seen them before and that they were from their anthology Fairy Tales. They are better this way for young children to borrow, carry home, and feel success at reading. Parents can borrow the collection, but I purchased the ten for the children. Two of her picture books that are also popular are The Magical Bicycle illustrated by Christian Birmingham and Jinny Ghost which is also illustrated by Jane Ray.

Michelle Magorian is also a British author and best known for her novels, but she too has some picture books, albeit not as many as Berlie. The one I use the most is Jump! a story, illustrated by Jan Ormerod about a boy who goes to ballet lessons with his sister and has to watch while he waits for her, when he really would rather be doing the dancing. he practises the moves and finally joins the classes. Given that the school I teach at, teaches ballet and boys attend classes I like to have books such as this to provide positive role models and address the boys who scoff.

Read tomorrow's entry for Craig Smith.