Magic Ballerina – Christmas in Enchantia

Darcey Bussell's Christmas in Enchantia is a festive ballet adventure for 5 year olds, with elves to rescue and a Christmas to save.

What happens

It's Christmas Eve and Delphie is about to dance on stage at the town hall with her ballet class. They're doing a dance from The Nutcracker and she's far too nervous for a mince pie. Then, just as she's waiting in the dark to go on stage, her red ballet shoes start to glow.

Delphie has a secret. Her shoes are magic, and every so often they whisk her off to Enchantia, the land where all the characters from the ballets live. This time she lands in a snowy town square full of carol singers and roasting chestnuts.

It all looks lovely. But King Rat is up to his tricks again. He's kidnapped the elves who wrap the royal presents, stolen the palace's magic Christmas tree and turned every other tree in the land into a cactus! (Who does that at Christmas?)

So Delphie and her friend the Sugar Plum Fairy have a lot to sort out before the royal banquet that night. There's a flight on the back of a giant swan, a fawn tangled in brambles, and a very cheeky plan involving a sledge piled high with mince pies.

It's a sweet, cosy read with just enough danger to keep things exciting. King Rat's mouse guards carry swords, but they're far more interested in cake than in fighting. And your reader will probably giggle at where King Rat ends up during the escape.

The ballet is what makes it special. The dances are described step by step, so you can almost see the fairies spinning and leaping. There's also a lovely moment for any child who worries about not being as good as someone else. Delphie has been trying to copy the other girls in her class, and Sugar tells her that every dancer dances differently.

If you've got a little dancer at home, or a child who adores anything Christmassy, this is a treat.

What to read next

It works on its own, though Delphie mentions earlier trips to Enchantia. If your reader wants to see how it all began, the first six Magic Ballerina books are collected together. They start with Delphie peering through the window of a new ballet school on a snowy night, longing to join in.