This book has been graded for interest at 8-12 years.

There are 136 pages in this book. This book was published 2017 by Creative Editions .

E. T. A. Hoffmann was a German writer, composer and painter, best known for his short stories and novels. Born in Koenigsberg, Prussia, the son of a barrister, he followed in his father's footsteps and went on to study law at the University of Koenigsberg. After working for the Prussian government in Germany and Poland, he turned his attention to writing. He wrote over fifty short stories and showed particular interest in exploring the darker side of humanity. Many of his stories were a direct response to the social and political events of his time. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is among his most famous stories. Ruth Vander Zee (Author) Ruth was brought up in Chicago. At the age of forty, she decided to get her college degree in education and later began writing stories for children. Ruth and her husband Vern live in Miami, Florida. Roberto Innocenti (Illustrator) Roberto Innocenti was born in 1940 in Bagno a Ripoli, a small town near Florence. Never having attended art school, he went to Rome to work in an animation studio. Returning to Florence, he began designing books and illustrating film and theatre posters. He has illustrated Pinocchio, A Christmas Carol, J. Patrick Lewis's The Last Resort and Ruth Vander Zee's Erika's Story. He lives in Florence with his wife.