 | Alice With A Why Author: James, Ann | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
A retelling of Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland wherein Alice’s granddaughter finds herself tumbling down into Wonderland. But the Wonderland she finds is not the colorful world she’s heard stories of, but a world at war, with broken chessboards and empty tea parties. It’s up to Alyce to set things right.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (11/15/25)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/11/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 10/20/2025 The granddaughter of a familiar heroine embarks on her own magical quest in this beguiling reimagining of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. During the Great War, young Alyce’s English countryside home also housed wounded soldiers, cared for by her paternal grandmother, Alice, and Alyce’s mother, Sylvie. Following the war’s conclusion and Sylvie’s departure for London to tend to her own ailing parent, Alyce lives alone with her grandmother, who tells odd stories about white rabbits, vanishing cats, and growing to gigantic heights. Upon discovering a mysterious invitation while folding paper boats beside a nearby pond, Alyce tumbles into the water-and appears in a war-torn Wonderland. Three strangers-an anthropomorphic hare and dormouse, as well as a man in a peculiar hat-inform Alyce that the Sun King and the Queen of the Moon are feuding. And though the trio wishes she was her grandmother ("the other Alice"), they set the youth on a perilous quest to put things to rights. This upbeat ode by James (the Chronicles of Whetherwhy series) faithfully captures the essence of the inspiration material’s wild logic, sharp wordplay, and extensive whimsy. Land’s b&w illustrations, depicting white-cued characters, recall the warmth of John Tenniel’s fluid artwork. Ages 8-12. (Jan.) - Copyright 2025
