Donutrina in The Nutcracker Sweet
Age 4+
Ballet, Dance
Mouse is sure of one thing: She is destined to dance someday with the Sugar Plum Fairy. But the other animal ballerinas don’t agree. “You’re too small to be a ballerina,” they say. “You’re too tiny to wear a tutu.” But what’s to stop Mouse from becoming . . . a donut-rina? Head to the nearest bakery and step into the confection of your choice as a townful of “too big”s, “too tall”s, and “too porcupine”s take to the streets in a twirling, plié-ing, jeté-ing flurry of happiness that even the Sugar Plum Fairy herself could not resist. Funny and full of affection, this offbeat, humor- and heart-filled tribute to the Nutcracker will delight both fans and newcomers to the beloved holiday tradition.
Creators
Helen Yoon is a professional illustrator, a freelance concept designer, and a former chemist. She attended ArtCenter College of Design and the University of California, Irvine. She is the author of many super funny books for children, including Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur?, I’m a Unicorn, Off-Limits, and Sheepish (Wolf Under Cover) as well as Is This . . . Easter? and Is This . . . Winter? Helen Yoon lives in the Los Angeles area.
Reviews
Young readers may not know the phrase “body positivity,” but they won’t miss this jubilant tale’s underlying anti-sizeist message, not to mention the story’s suggestion that anything can be (wearable) art. Yoon’s flouncy-woozy mixed-media illustrations, which are dusted with confectionery colors, keep the spotlight on the book’s swirling, twirling star, who has the grace of a prima donutrina.
Kirkus Reviews
Yummy on every level. . . . Yoon wields a particular angular style in her illustrations that’s so uniquely stylized (yet recognizable) that every time she works on something I cannot help but be drawn to it. Here she does a nice little empowerment tale and fills it to the brim with delicious sweets
Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production
