The Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker: Musical Puzzle: Press the Note to Hear Tchaikovsky’s Music

• Nutcracker musical jigsaw puzzle: Featuring four 10-second sound clips of an orchestra playing from Tchaikovsky’s original score, a perfect gift for music lovers and aspiring ballerinas
• Sturdy gift box contains: 48-piece puzzle (44 regular pieces, plus 4 shaped pieces with cutouts that give access to the musical buttons on the included frame) and an educational poster; finished puzzle measures 29.7 × 21 cm / 11.7 × 8.3 in.
• 4 musical buttons to press: Complete the puzzle to see how the story ends and press the musical note inside the shaped pieces to hear the music
• Edutainment for ages 4-7: Includes a puzzle frame that gives a concise retelling of The Nutcracker story and a double-sided poster with information about the composer, music and the story’s ending on one side and the full puzzle image on the other

Begin with a musical puzzle frame that outlines in illustrations and text the key events of The Nutcracker story--from the special gift Clara receives from her uncle on Christmas Eve, a wooden nutcracker shaped like a soldier, to the toy’s transformation into a prince who takes Clara on a tour of his kingdom, the Land of Sweets.

Using the full puzzle image on the poster as a reference, put together an enchanting illustration showing Clara, her grand Christmas tree, the nutcracker, and some of the fantastic characters she meets on her adventure. Then press the musical notes to hear the vivid sound of an orchestra playing from Tchaikovsky’s original score. Imagine dancers leaping through the air and spinning furiously across the stage to the classic ’Russian Dance’, the Sugar Plum Fairy dancing delicately to the sparkly sound of the celesta, and more.

Flip the poster over to find additional details on the story’s happy ending, as well as biographical information about the composer and how the music connects with the story.

This musical jigsaw puzzle is the perfect gift to introduce children to classical music.

The Story Orchestra series brings classical music to life for children through gorgeously illustrated retellings of classic ballet, opera, and program music stories paired with sound clips of orchestras playing from their musical scores.

Also available from the Story Orchestra series: Swan Lake, Swan Lake: Musical Puzzle, The Magic Flute, I Can Play (vol 1), Carnival of the Animals, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, The Hall of the Mountain King, and Four Seasons in One Day.

Manufacturer’s note: Please pull the white tab out of the back of the puzzle frame before use. Sound buttons require a firm push in the exact location to work, which may be hard for young children. All sound clips are 10 seconds long.

Jessica Courtney-Tickle is an illustrator who graduated from Kingston University in July 2014. Her absolute favorite thing to draw or paint is nature, finding a focus on foliage of any kind as well as children’s stories about adventure and exploration. She also has a penchant for drawing theater from music makers to dancers and even singing animals. Jessica is most influenced by vintage picture books, travel posters, and folk art as well as numerous painters and printmakers.