Ella Bella Ballerina finds herself slipping magically into the story of The Nutcracker in this entry in British author/illustrator James Mayhew's series devoted to her adventures. Dancing along to the music from her instructor Madame Rosa's music box, suddenly Ella Bella encounters the famous Clara, from the ballet. Together the two girls aid the Nutcracker in his battle against the Mouse King, and travel to the magical Land of Sweets. When our heroine returns to the everyday world, she finds many of the same treats at her ballet class's Christmas party...

There are six picture-books (thus far) in Mayhew's Ella Bella series, but Ella Bella Ballerina and The Nutcracker is the first that I have happened to read. It pairs an engaging story, one in which the eponymous heroine gets to experience the magic of a famous ballet firsthand, with lovely artwork. Although I think the Tallulah series - Tallulah's Tutu, Tallulah's Solo, etc. - is a better choice, when it comes to stories about children actually learning to be ballet dancers, this one and its companions strike me as good selections for children interested in famous ballets. I'm glad to have a new series to recommend at work, when asked for ballet picture-books, and look forward to reading other stories about Ella Bella. ( )

I nice story for those kids who are fans of both ballet and the nutcracker story. It was well received and enjoyed by O. Mom and Dad were happy it wasn't just another Nutcracker retelling as doesn't everyone have a couple different versions already? ( )