When a boy is turned into an ugly nutcracker, Marie is his only key to freedom. He, in turn, holds the key to her heart. Margrete Lamond’s retelling of Hoffman’s classic tale reduces the rambling original to its essentials, while satisfying the modern taste for strong emotion-based storylines. Ritva Voutila’s paintings bring the magic, wonder and terror of childhood imagination to life, and set the action against a lavish Victorian backdrop that both enthralls and reassures the reader. | The Nutcracker by Ritva Voutila, Picture Books | Indigo Chapters