The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker is one of my favorite Christmastime stories.  Most are familiar with the ballet, first performed in 1892 with famous music by Tchaikovsky.  What I didn't realize until recently (shame on me) is that, like many things, the book came first.  Written in 1816 by E.T.A. Hoffman in Germany, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King tells the tale of toys that come to life and do battle with the evil mouse king, ultimately hoping to restore the nutcracker's previous princely form (he was transformed by a spell after saving Princess Pirlipat from the same condition, wrought on her by the mouse king's mother).  Alexandre Dumas wrote a French version of the tale in 1844, and the aforementioned ballet was based on this edition, and thus differs from the original.  It's been a while since I've seen the ballet; the primary difference from the original appears to be a lesser emphasis on the nutcracker himself, and addition of things like the sugarplum fairy.  Below are two versions I've read recently.

The Nutcracker (E.T.A. Hoffmann, illustrated by Maurice Sendak)

The original tale translated and illustrated by the same artist who drew Where the Wild Things Are, this is a good version of the story, and perhaps the best starting point.  At 100 pages, it won't take you long.

The Nutcracker (Michael Hague)

This version combines elements of the original story and of the ballet (but gives preference to the former).  A very well-done 'hybrid' between the two.  At 50 pages, Hague condenses the original tale well, and this is the best version for young children.  The author also has a nice note in the back explaining some history of the tale.