Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Nutcracker and girl are drummers in jazzy holiday update.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
THE NUTCRACKER IN HARLEM begins like the traditional Nutcracker ballet, with a big family Christmas Eve party where young Marie is too shy to sing with the others. She opens a gift brought by Uncle Cab and finds a toy soldier nutcracker. After she falls asleep by the Christmas tree, it grows super tall, as do the mouse army and toy soldiers, and the nutcracker here is armed with a drum, not a sword. In a nod to the Land of Sweets in the original, the mouse general commands, "Candy canes! Marzipan and chocolate! Charge!" When the mouse general knocks the drum out of the nutcracker's hands, Marie picks it up and drums till the now small mouse army flees through the mouse hole. Marie and the handsome nutcracker share a special dance, then she closes her eyes and wakes up in her bed on Christmas morning. Under the tree, she finds a real-life drum, picks up the drumsticks, and plays and sings with confidence, along with Miss Addie, Uncle Cab, Momma, and Poppy.
Is It Any Good?
This strikingly illustrated update of the traditional nutcracker story benefits from a fresh approach and edited story arc. The ballet version with all its characters can be confusing and hard to follow. The Nutcracker in Harlem tightens the focus to the opening mouse-toy soldier battle and Marie's intimate connection to the nutcracker. And mysterious/creepy Drosselmeyer is replaced by cool, joyful Uncle Cab, an allusion to singer and band leader Cab Calloway.
Vibrant watercolors by James Ransome (My Name Is Truth: The Life of Sojourner Truth) draws readers in to feel part of the action, whether it's a lively dance party, an intense battle, or a sweet romantic moment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the role of music in The Nutcracker in Harlem. How does the nutcracker being a drummer boy change the story? How does Marie being a drummer change it?
This version of the classic story we know from the Nutcracker ballet leaves off the part about traveling to the Land of Sweets, where Marie and the nutcracker watch a series of colorful figures dance. Is it OK to trim traditional stories?
What elements in the art capture the role of music in the story?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : James Ransome
- Genre : Holiday
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Arts , Animals , History , Holidays
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperCollins Publishers
- Publication date : September 26, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 32
- Available on : Hardback
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate