Have you ever loved a toy so much you wished it came to life? With his polished black boots, red trousers, and general's coat, the shiny wooden Nutcracker under the Christmas tree seems more real to Maria than any of her other dolls. And when he comes to life and saves her from the horrible Mouse King, Maria realizes that her Nutcracker is truly magical. This telling of E.T.A. Hoffmann's enduring fantasy is illustrated with the realistic and meticulously detailed paintings of Don Daily, in a board book edition for listeners of all ages (and Godfather Drosselmeyer here bears a striking resemblance to Father Christmas).