The Nutcracker and the Mouse King the Graphic Novel by Natalie Andrewson

Summary from Goodreads:

Natalie Andrewson brings E.T.A. Hoffmann’s surreal and fantastical story to life like never before in this vibrant graphic novel adaptation of the beloved Christmas classic, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.

Of all the gifts under the tree on Christmas Eve, only one captures Marie Stahlbaum’s heart: a humble nutcracker.

He’s a curious little man, with kind eyes, sweet red cheeks, and a friendly appearance.

And as midnight nears, he comes to life, revealing a fairy-tale world of magic and wonder, wicked princesses and fierce battles . . . and an ancient curse that can only be broken with the help of a true friend.

With the evil Mouse King looming and her dream world threatened, Marie will have to find the strength to stand up for her nutcracker—no matter what it takes.

Review:

I love the story of the Nutcracker. I love the ballet. When I was a little girl I loved Christmas time when all the cartoons did Nutcracker episodes and I could see different versions of the story. I pretty much jump at the chance to read whatever version of it can. I’m not familiar with many graphic novel versions so I was happy to see one.

That being said, I didn’t super love the art style of this. It did remind me too much of little kid cartoons. It had a very “Rugrats” or Nickelodeon feel. It is a kids graphic novel. So, I guess it is meant for a kids audience…And I do think kids would like the illustrations more than me. For some reason though for me personally, I just didn’t love it. And it was hard for me to get into the style. By about the halfway point I finally kind of “forced” myself to adjust the style.

I did like this interpretation of the story. It read more like a retold folktale or fairytale than a Christmas story. And I’m okay with that. In fact, I think part of my disconnect with the art is that it just didn’t read fairytale or folk tale. It read so juvenile and cartoon. I wanted something more fantastical or folksy. I did like how Marie kept going back and forth between the worlds of the nutcracker and and her own. I loved the side-by-side stories. It reminded me a little of the Princess Bride in this effect. I also loved the characters. The parents and the brother seemed believable.

All in all, I still read this super quickly. And art is definitely subjective. I think it’s just my personal view of it that threw me off. I definitely think kids would love this version of the Nutcracker and I can see it being an excellent holiday gift when that season comes along again. I give it a 7/10.