The Nutcracker Hardcover - 2005

Media reviews

“A magnificent addition to any family, school, or community library Christmas picture book collection, The Nutcracker is a classic Christmas story that is beautifully retold by internationally renowned ballerina Karen Kain and marvelously illustrated by the museum quality artwork of Rajka Kupesic.”
—The Midwest Book Review

“Kupesic’s full-page illustrations … are intense with luminous colors, their rich details making up for their lack of movement. Particularly impressive are the renderings of textured fabrics, draped, folded, and pleated, which seem almost touchable… What this version offers, along with visual elegance, is a simplified, straightforward telling that parents wanting to brief children before a performance will especially appreciate.”
— Booklist

“Kain’s prose dances…and Kupesic’s vibrant paintings glow.“
— Today’s Parent Toronto

“.... Rich in texture, detail, and glowing color, Rajka Kupesic’s illustrations...create a world of romance, beauty, and magic...The doll-like faces of Kupesic’s characters...encourage us to enter with them into this strange and splendid land, glowing with deep blue skies and golden stars.” 
— Quill & Quire

“Kupesic’s ornately detailed oil paintings have an Eastern European feel, with rich hues and gilded pages. A distinctly different presentation of a familiar story – a handsome [purchase].”
— School Library Journal