What a special Christmas gift this will be: the beloved holiday fantasy, beautifully retold by John Cech (author of our "Classic Fairy Tale" series) and illustrated by Eric Puybaret, whose imaginative art helped turn "Puff, the Magic Dragon" into a blockbuster. Cech bases his version on E.T.A. Hoffman's original, which features not only the story familiar to all ballet lovers, but other wondrous adventures--including the tale of Princess Pirlipat and an explanation of the origins of the Nutcracker himself. Lavishly and elegantly packaged, this belongs under every child's tree.