The Story of a Nutcracker, originally written by Alexandre Dumas but recently translated and adapted by Sarah Ardizzone, really made me feel a little more magical. Especially reading it by the fire in one sitting on Christmas Eve!

What I absolutely loved about this tale was simply the magic and warmth of it. A family story that everyone can enjoy, it made me feel quite nostalgic I guess. As a kid I was absolutely convinced that every time I’d leave the room my toys would take on a life of their own, my littlest petshops (they were my favourites) going about the little towns I built them finding their social group and having a chat.

Who doesn’t think at one stage you’re room becomes I guess a real life Toy Story. I’d still love to think imaginations still run wild like this, if they don’t read this to a little boy or girl and they will!

To be quite honest I’ve always been aware of the story as a ballet and I know there’s a film adaptation but had never seen the book. This is one I’ll definitely be reading every Christmas, the beauty of it is the fact the intricate details and description of the toys Godfather Drosselmayer gives to little Marie and Fritz. The enchanting Christmas tree left me in awe, picturing the scene in my head with a crackling fire on Christmas eve with such rich, elaborate colours. Oh, it was just fantastical.

Just the concept of a fantasy that things like this could happen if you happen to be a dreamer like me or if you just believe; why not of there’s no proof it doesn’t happen? It definitely has a fairy-tale aspect too, at the point when the Queen lives in harmony and is happy to share food with Dame Mousey! It’s a book that hits home so much and make you yearn to have you’re childhood back.

What I also loved is the way that all the sudden changes that young Marie sees occur after midnight which ties into the supernatural and the witching hour but twists it in a sense because it’s a family story and made me question so what else happens during these hours? Do my pop vinyl figures run around like crazy or do my Disney teddies get together and talk about their adventures? It brings out the child in everyone, just like Christmas.

The settings that you get to delve into whilst reading this are so spine tingling it’s almost too much to handle. One of my favourite was the Spun Sugar Palace; I’ve witnessed spun sugar being made and just looking at it makes me gasp but the fact the Dumas goes about having a palace how intricately decorated and fragile.

You can see how this so easily became the inspiration for a ballet, the costume seem simple yet complex and the movements even in battle vicious or seemingly violent for what we think of as tiny creature but somehow transformed into tender rhythmic moves.

Strangely enough there are points such as the battles and especially, for me personally, the description of Princess Pirlipeta was so horrid but was written in a way that you couldn’t quite be scared it just made you gasp. The language and words, like ‘shrivelled’, made me imagine a prune like baby mouse or rat but never once did I feel terrified. It’s truly a gift for reader the way Dumas was able to write in such a way.

For me this novel stood out as actually one of the best novels I’ve read this year. Why? Basically because it made me feel like a child again and realise that no matter how old I am or ever will be I want to be a child at heart, I want to forever be able to let my imagination run wild with my mad ideas and believe in the Shire, in Hogwarts, in Shadowhunters and in Royal mouse armies and Nutcracker’s coming alive on Christmas eve after the stroke of a clock. Toys running round on adventures, I want it to be true!

All my fantasies I’ve always believed in, who said they aren’t true?

Like Walt Disney makes me sing all the time one day my prince will come or all it takes is faith, trust and pixie dust! No one should ever listen to other people or let them be put down to assume that all these magical, wonderful things can’t happen! I want everyone to always be able to continually be swept away into enchanted realms without having a care in the world.

To wrap up, I’m going to finish with my thought that this fabulous tale is one of those memorable stories that makes me feel so grateful that I love reading and have the opportunity to have books around me and readily available all the time. It’s work of pure genius like this that seem so simple...a story of a toy coming alive yet it draws you in and feel apart of it.

Close you’re eyes and you can see these unbelievable sites all around you. It defines and highlights the importance of reading and makes me want to spread the joy I gain so that others can feel it to!