THE NUTCRACKER (Templar Classics: Ingpen) - Tapa dura

It's Christmas eve and Marie and her family are enjoying the seasonal festivities. Drosselmeyer, the clockmaker and inventor, presents them with a nutcracker which Marie becomes very taken with. At the stroke of twelve that night the nutcracker comes alive before Marie's very eyes, and so begins the most wonderful adventure... Join Marie and her dear nutcracker on a journey through the mystical land of the Mouse King and Princess Pirlipat, with themes of magic, love, betrayal and redemption, beautifully captured by Robet Ingpen's exquisite illustrations.

Robert Ingpen was born in 1936 in Geelong, Australia. He studied illustration art and book design at The Royal Melbourne Institue of Technology. In 1986 he was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for his contribution to children's literature and he has been honoured with Membership of the Order of Australia. A world-renowned artist and author, Ingpen has designed, illustrated and written more than one hundred books. His work includes his highly acclaimed series of illustrated children's classics, a unique achievement by one illustrator, which have now been published in many editions around the world. Robert now lives and works in Barwon Heads, Australia, near his hometown of Geelong.