In one of those weird coincidence, just as soon as I bought The Nutcracker (illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger) from Amazon, I stumbled upon an earlier version, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, at a local library sale for a dollar!
In this version the story is a fuller version of the original story from E.T.A. Hoffman (retold by Anthea Bell) and the illustrations are a little more in the traditional mode-more true illustrations of events in the story rather than art inspired and informed by the story.
Having read the story, I have to say it is the same slightly odd, humorous and yet charming story. And as usual, I find Zwerger’s soft, earth tones and style beautiful and comforting. This volume gives you a glimpse into the story and the characters in a less abstract way than the former volume.
I plan to read the full E.T.A. Hoffman version, with illustrations by Mauric Sendak, next so then I can compare the adapted versions to the full story. But to be honest, this volume is really just for the art of Zwerger and only secondarily for the story.
It’s always neat to see what happens when an avid reader finds an author or illustrator he likes and commits to chasing down all of his or her work! (I wonder if it’s relevant, or just kind of amusing, that “Zwerg” is German for “dwarf,” or that in some areas of the German-speaking world, a “Zwergerl” is a munchkin-like magic creature?)
It’s always neat to see what happens when an avid reader finds an author or illustrator he likes and commits to chasing down all of his or her work! (I wonder if it’s relevant, or just kind of amusing, that “Zwerg” is German for “dwarf,” or that in some areas of the German-speaking world, a “Zwergerl” is a munchkin-like magic creature?)