Little ballerinas will love these imaginative retellings of The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty. With illustrations that capture the magic of the stories, award-winning author James Mayhew weaves the classic tales through the eyes of a young ballerina. Little Ella Bella loves attending Madame Rosa's ballet class at the old theater. Most of all she loves the music that plays from Madame Rosa's special music box. Whenever it plays, something magical is certain to happen!

In Ella Bella Ballerina and the Nutcracker, Ella is magically transported into the enchanting, festive world of The Nutcracker ballet. There, she meets the beautiful Clara and her wooden Nutcracker doll. Together, Ella and Clara must fight off the evil Mouse King so they can break the evil spell that has transformed a handsome prince into the Nutcracker doll.

The music box transports little Ella Bella to another fairy tale realm in Ella Bella Ballerina and the Sleeping Beauty. Entering the palace of Princess Aurora, the Sleeping Beauty, Ella meets all the story's characters--not only the good ones, but also the sinister bad fairy--and she sees the famous story unfold before her very eyes.

At the end of each of these beautifully illustrated stories, young readers will learn about the origins of the featured ballet and the history of the composers who created the timeless music that we all know and love. The perfect holiday surprise for little lovers of dance.