• Age: 4 to 8
• Grade: p to 3
• Reading age: 4 to 8

A new holiday classic to add to your collection, this gorgeous wordless picture book by esteemed author-illustrator Elly MacKay celebrates the magic of theater and The Nutcracker as seen through the eyes of a young girl and her grandmother.

It is a cold and rainy evening when Gran gives her granddaughter something special: tickets to the ballet. Her granddaughter is reluctant to go. The weather is terrible and they have to wear fancy, uncomfortable clothes. But as the curtains rise on The Nutcracker, the girl's eyes light up as she's introduced to the magic of the theater. The bright costumes, the intricate dances, the magical music, and a new friend all combine to captivate the girl and to bring color to an otherwise dreary evening.

Waltz of the Snowflakes is Elly MacKay at her finest, mixing her acclaimed paper-cut artwork with vibrant colors in this whimsical, dreamlike, and inspiring wordless picture book. A must-have for any ballet- and theater-obsessed reader and the perfect gift to be shared during the holidays or any time of year when the world outside needs a little bit of color and vibrancy.

Elly MacKay creates tiny worlds from cut paper, ink and light, which she then photographs. Her work explores themes of nature, childhood and the imaginary. Elly’s work has been featured in international publications, including O: The Oprah Magazine, Chatelaine and Cosmopolitan. She grew up in a converted church in the countryside by Georgian Bay, Ontario. She now explores the same rivers, forests and beaches with her husband, Simon, and their two kids, Lily and Koen. For more information, visit www.ellymackay.com.

Elly MacKay's profile page

"[A] fresh and wonderful addition to the crowded Nutcracker shelves. In MacKay's trademark cut-paper dioramas children can imagine themselves seated in the theater and dancing on the stage."—-Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

"This would be an excellent picture book to share with students during the holidays."—-School Library Connection

"A wordless picture book about seeing 'The Nutcracker' is an inspired idea, and with utterly enchanting diorama art, McKay makes it feel like an event. (You might want to put on fancy holiday clothes just to read it.)"—-The New York Times

"Dancers-to-be will ask for encores of this enchanting book."
—-BookPage

"Theatrical, magical, and very much of the season as seeing The Nutcracker itself."—-School Library Journal (Starred Review)