A Christmas Love Story: Nicholas Nutcracker & Brittany Ballerina | Dedicated Review

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The Children’s Book Review

A Christmas Love Story: Nicholas Nutcracker & Brittany Ballerina

Written by Maureen McCabe 

Illustrated by Anastasiia Khmelevska 

Age Range: 4-8 

Hardcover: 26 pages

Publisher: The Christmas Ornament Shop (July 1, 2020)

ISBN-13: 978-1-7347455-0-4

What to expect: Christmas, Holiday Spirit, and Love

Just as the title proclaims, this is a picture book about a Christmas love story featuring two ornaments: a nutcracker and a ballerina. Written by Maureen McCabe, this tale shines with Christmas spirit and the magic of love that will last all year long.

Thanksgiving Dinner has come to an end and now it’s time for Grandma Harmonie to prepare for Christmas, her favorite holiday. The scent of pine wafts through her home as anticipation grows for all the festivities, including baking with her grandkids. But first, the tree must be decorated. For most of the year ornament Nicholas Nutcracker lives in a sturdy box, while ornament Brittany Ballerina occupies the top of a festive red storage container. Each of the ornaments wonders when they will meet their true love. Brittany longs for a partner to dance the Pas de deux, a dance for two, but she’s never been placed on the tree within view of Nicholas. Bellamy, Grandma Harmonie’s dog, causes a mishap that may land the two ornaments in the tree together. Will they find the true love they are looking for?

Maureen McCabe’s writing sweetly and effortlessly captures a traditional tale of love between a sturdy, German soldier (Nicholas Nutcracker) and a pretty, brunette ballerina (Brittany Ballerina). The language, sprinkled with some humor, sets the holiday scene with stirring descriptions of classic holiday smells and activities. At the same time, the delightful watercolor illustrations capture the joy and magic of Christmas with a soft color palette and cheerful faces. The glossary of words and definitions of ballet terms in the end pages allow for further discussion.

If a tale of love at first sight is up your alley, then A Christmas Love Story: Nicholas Nutcracker & Brittany Ballerina is bound to fill the hearts of any who read it. It would be especially appealing for a storytime session between a grandmother and her grandchildren.

Buy the Book

Order a copy here: https://www.achristmaslovestory.com/

About the Author

After watching Hallmark Christmas movies more times than she cares to admit, Maureen McCabe reached maximum “Christmas Spirit” saturation by the end of December. Inspired by the cute Christmas art of a nutcracker and ballerina ornament hanging from a branch, McCabe decided to write her first children’s book about these two and give them a backstory. That is how “A Christmas Love Story: Nicholas Nutcracker and Brittany Ballerina” www.aChristmasLoveStory.com came to be.

In-the-works, McCabe teamed up with Clyde Adams to write the fascinating story of “Murray Korman’s Vintage Babes of Broadway” www.vintagebabesofbroadway.com. The book features many well-known entertainers from the 1930s to 1961, including short bios and gorgeous vintage photographs. The book scheduled for release in early 2021 should attract history and photography buffs. In 2011, McCabe published “Moon Over Vaudeville,”  which took a nostalgic look at her father’s show business career as a tap dancer.

Maureen and her husband, Rich, love living in beautiful Spokane, WA, with their spunky mini-Australian Shepard, Scout.

About the Illustrator

Anastasiia lives and works in Lviv, Ukraine. Her passion is illustrating children’s books (https://www.fiverr.com/anastasiakhm812). Anastasiia takes the writer’s concept for their masterpiece and completes sketches for them to review and give their feedback. From there, she executes her vision for the story primarily in watercolor and digital art, bringing the characters and story to life for all to enjoy.

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