On Christmas Eve, Fritz and Marie await the arrival of Godfather Drosselmeier and the marvelous gifts he brings for them every year. Among the presents Marie discovers a curious Nutcracker doll and is transported into a magical world of sugar-frosted castles and chocolate kings where her favourite toy battles the nefarious Mouse King in a battle that takes the reader on an adventure into a magical land of dolls & toys.

The tale of The Nutcracker was written by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816 and has fascinated and inspired artists, composers, and audiences for almost two hundred years.

It's probably most famous for the ballet with music composed by Tchaikovsky which has now become a staple of theatres and concert halls all around the world at Christmas.

But before the ballet was born, there was the book!