GIFT GUIDE: ‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms: A Center Stage Pop-Up Book’
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms recently debuted in movie theaters. The film, starring real-life ballerina Misty Copeland, Keira Knightley, Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren, did not exactly light up the box office, but a new pop-up book that details the adventures of Clara and the ballerina of the realms serve the story justice.
Much credit should be given to designer Kara Kenna, who has crafted a book in which the same ballerina dances on every page, and the setting and beautiful scenery change as readers (no doubt children) flip through the book. On either side of the imagery is an adaptation of the The Nutcracker tale thanks to scribe Courtney Acampora.
The story should be second nature for fans of holiday fare, but The Nutcracker and the Four Realms diverts from the original and expands upon the otherworldly locations of young Clara’s journeying. And the book, running only a few pages, takes no sidesteps or time for exposition. Literally by page two Clara is in the so-called Land of the Flowers. Page three? Land of the Snowflakes. Everything moves quite fast, which is perfectly suited for younger readers.
The illustrations by Marco Bucci and Brent Ford are stirring creations. The panels on either side of the central pop-up portion have a pastel look, coupling vivid colors with blurred-out lines. The final page, featuring Clara and her father, is perhaps the best of the bunch.
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms tried its best at the box office, but its memory may live on in other forms — ones that pop off the page.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms adapted by Courtney Acampora. Illustrated by Marco Bucci and Brent Ford. Designed by Kara Kenna. Studio Fun International. $12.99. Click here for more information.
