The Story Orchestra: A Nutcracker Musical Adventure

The Story Orchestra: A Nutcracker Musical Adventure

It is Christmas Eve at Clara’s house, filled with the scents of ginger, chocolate, and peppermint. Clara’s parents are hosting a party, and her brother Fritz is decorating the Christmas tree. Her godfather, a toymaker, arrives with gifts, including a special nutcracker for Clara. After it’s broken, the children are sent to bed.

The story follows Clara’s dream, where she battles a mouse king and journeys with her nutcracker-turned-prince to the Land of Sweets. As you explore these scenes with your little one, press the buttons to hear 10 excerpts from the ballet, including “The Waltz of the Flowers,” “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” “The Russian Dance,” and the “Finale.”

Press firmly on the pages to activate the sound board, encouraging interactive learning and introducing children to this beautiful music.

At the back of the book, discover a short biography of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and details about his composition of The Nutcracker. You can also replay the musical excerpts and read about the instruments, rhythms, and musical techniques that make them so powerful. A glossary defines musical terms.

The Story Orchestra series brings classical music to life for children through illustrated retellings of classic ballet, opera, and program music stories paired with 10-second sound clips of orchestras playing from their musical scores.