The Cajun Nutcracker

Chara Dillon Mock
Pelican Publishing (2011)
ISBN 9781589809789
Reviewed by Zoey Crane (age 7) and Nana for Reader Views (11/11)

The author has written an excellent book on life in the Bayou during the Christmas holidays. There are new words in French and Cajun to learn and the author shows how family is more important than gifts. Merrae is celebrating with her family when she receives a nutcracker for a gift, but her jealous brother breaks the nutcracker. After everyone goes to bed, the toys come to life to help save Merrae from the nutria (large rats) and the Alligator King. The nutcracker is a hero.

Zoey:

This was very interesting as we have so many nutcrackers at my Nana and Papa’s house. I learned a lot of new words in different languages and that is good because we are learning new languages in our class at school. Now I can tell my class what I learned. Merrae is having fun with her family celebrating the holidays when her brother breaks her nutcracker. Merrae puts the nutcracker to bed wrapped up so he will heal. In the night the toys come to life to help save Merrae from large rats and the Alligator King. Then the nutcracker takes Merrae to a special place where there are sugarcane fairies and dancing flowers. I wonder if toys do come to life at night.

Nana:

Reading “The Cajun Nutcracker” was a great chance for Zoey to learn about new customs and new words. When she read this story, she had to take down all our nutcrackers and put them to bed so she could stay up and see if they really come to life.

Make comment on weblog

FTC Disclosure