Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 06/01/2017 Did you think it was all playing cards and croquet in Alice’s Wonderland? Mrs. White Rabbit confides the other side of the story to her diary, and she has a lot to put up with. Not only does her cottontail husband have to work late at the palace but she has to deal with a large family, a transparent cat, and a strange girl visitor with an “unpleasant tendency to change size.” The book’s large format allows Bachelet’s exuberantly imagined illustrations plenty of room for clever details and sly jokes that play out for a wide range of age levels. Readers will find a visual treat to linger over, with an abundance of Alice references, and though some are obscure, many need only basic familiarity with the Carroll classics to grasp. It is impossible not to gasp at several page turns that reveal richly hued, extravagantly detailed double-page spreads. A standout from a cookbook titled 100 Ways to Cook Carrots is so intricate it almost requires a magnifying glass—and it’s also strangely sad, as Mrs. White’s daughter, desperate to lose weight, won’t eat. This affectionate twist will intrigue Carroll fans and perhaps create new ones. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.