Alice in Wonderland Books

the book is so beautifull, as a huge "alice" fan- its the top of my items!!! its like having something taken out from a museun in my house!i highly recomend

I purchased this book as the first pop-up book for my three-year old son and two-year old daughter. I knew it could be a risk, due to the fragile nature of pop-up books, however this one is truly a treat for my children, my wife, myself and everyone else who has seen it!

I'd recommend the book (for self-reading) to older children who know how the fragile the pop-ups can be, but if you read to your kids I recommend this to anyone. It's a classic story which inspires a child's imagination and has an excellent graphical presentation of the story which really captures my children's attention while they're read to.

I only gave this book four of five stars due to the small portions through-out most of the book which actually has the written text. These are also created with mini-pop-ups, but are not incorporated into the whole width and length of the book. Instead the main text of the book is grouped into small 3-4 inch wide pages with small text. Not something you want if you read to your children at bedtime with minimal lighting.

However, don't let this prevent you from buying the book! It is worth the price and has some of the most fantastic pop-ups I've ever seen!

I purchased this book because of the last page. I had seen it at my Book Club and knew my grandchildren would love it. They love peaking down the rabbits hole and finding the additional pop ups on each page. A book you will definately want to pass on down the family. Truly a classic come to life.

I love this wonderful portrayal of Alice's adventures in the form of pop-up art. Sabuda's Pop-ups are a constantly source of amazement for my sister. We are full of admiration for the skill and intricate detail that goes into creating these masterpieces. I got this book last Christmas together with Sabuda's pop-up "Encyclopedia Prehistorica" and Nowiki's short story Why Some Cats are Rascals, Book 2 - a charming story with a lot of information about from the world of felines.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1D1HQPBU6PKBA This is a brief video walking you through the pop-ups.

I teach preschool (3- and 4-year-olds) for Head Start. They LOVED this book. In fact, they asked me to reread it to them over and over until i told them we HAD to read something else! The pictures are magical, the words are heartfelt and mesmerizing, and the lessons to be learned are timeless and easily understood by my young readers. And I enjoyed it too! If you have a child who likes fairy tales (and what child doesn't?), this is a fabulous addition to their repertoire!

This is an absolutely delightful book, one I will cherish for many years. Thanks Jack!

This is such a delightful tale! It entertains, teaches us all something, and has wonderful illustration! Mr. Gorfien is truly a terrific new talent. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to step into a fantasy once in awhile. I am going to read it to my grandchildren someday, as it is a timeless story that makes one feel good.

This is a wonderfully enchanting book with very colorful illustrations. I've read it several times now to my children, ages 4, 6, 9, and 11. I plan on purchasing additional copies for my neices and nephews for Christmas. I love how inspirational the book is, it is truely one of the best stories I have read in quite a while. The thoughts of Lirona dancing inches above the ground and Adamina's dragonfly necklace are awesome, the kids really enjoyed those parts. I am also a huge lover of dragonflies and love the beginning of the book where it tells a bit about them. Thankyou, Jack, for a beautiful story that has fast become a favorite in our home!!

I not only find the book intriguing but I find the Author himself just as intriguing. I recommend this book very highly and hope the child in all of us could reach in and Dance with a Dragonfly.
Pauline Hale

Most people like me are disorganized because there is too much information!!! This handy SIMPLE book gave me tips in a SIMPLE format, which is what I needed to get myself organized. I refer to the book from time to time, reinforcing the organizational tools needed to simply my life.

This book has 500 tips for getting your life in order and most of them take a lot longer than one minute. I'll let you do the math on that. But each of the tips is pretty quick to read about, and that's mostly what I do. I keep this book on my bedside table so that when I need something light to wind me down, I can pick it up, read a tip or two, like " . . . create standard packing checklists for volunteer meetings, children's overnights, or family camping trips," and think to myself, who lives this way? If I did all the things this books suggests, my family would have me at the psychiatrist's office getting me diagnosed. So I don't really do any of it. I just find crazy books like this highly entertaining. I think you will, too.
Lucy Adams, author of If Mama Don't Laugh, It Ain't Funny

I liked this book. The author gives a plethora of tips on how to get organized in any part of the house. It is nice that she focuses on many different areas such as clutter control, paper management, family tips, and work tips. My only complaint about this book is that while it is an organization book, it didn't seem very organized and jumped around a bit.

I am a professional organizer in Honolulu, HI [...], and there are certainly tips in here that are effective and useful, and that I would use in my business.

If you are like me (and you just might be if you are reading reviews about this book) you have a tendency toward clutter, but have never given up the fight. If that sounds like you, I urge you to get this book. Each page has one or two bullet points in large print - advice and tips on how to get organized.

One of the best sections in the book for me was on paper clutter. I seem to drown in papers. Until I read this book, I had struggled for years with how to organize my files. In just a few bullet points of advice, I was able to understand for the first time how to file. I am still in the process of switching over the headings of my files, but what I have done so far makes paperwork a breeze. Taxes this year were a cinch because of how I had my tax paperwork filed.

Based on this book by Donna Smallin, I look forward to reading her other books.

This is a very useful little book filled with tips on keeping yourself organized. I found many great ideas in the book and it covered just what I was looking for.

The book is organized into two parts:

Getting organized (getting started, clearing clutter, paper stuff, spaces & things)
Staying organized (everyday strategies, clutter control, home management, schedules & to-do's)

I found so many of the tips useful (perhaps more useful tips than other similar books). Putting small items in zippered bags in your purse helps to cut down on clutter and makes finding things much faster. (I did this with my makeup and now finding my lipstick is a snap and I don't have to worry about the lid coming off in my purse!). Stapling product receipts to the manual is also a great idea. The author warns about keeping your will in a safe-deposit box because it will be sealed at your death - an important piece of information!

I also really like the format of this book. You can read it from front to back or just open to any page and start, which makes it easy to read in small bytes before going to bed or for a minute or two while your coffee is brewing in the morning. The typeface on the pages sorts the information visually: lists are easy to read, important words are bolded or printed in a different typeset. This probably sounds unimportant, but it helps you to read the book very fast and get lots of ideas in a short amount of time. The author also includes little sentences to encourage you in your organizing (like: "Remember nothing worth doing is easy").

This book is full of ideas you can really use and is so easy to read. A great reference for anyone and would also make a nice gift!

Bryan Talbot's ALICE IN SUNDERLAND is so unique that it is difficult to find anything to compare it to. It would be inaccurate to call it a graphic novel, because it tells no story. There really is no plot of any kind. What it actually is is a local history. Talbot essentially tells the story of his town of Sunderland while tracing unexpected connections it has with Lewis Carroll and relatives of Alice Liddell.

The story, such as it is, concerns "a guy" (the book begins "Well, there's this guy . . . ") who walks into the Empire Theatre in Sunderland for a performance of ALICE IN SUNDERLAND, only to find himself the only person in the theater. Onstage appears a man in a puffy shirt (think "the pirate shirt" of SEINFELD fame) and the head of a rabbit. The Rabbit Man begins to talk, only to remove his head, revealing a human face (which is, in fact, Bryan Talbot's own). He then proceeds over the next 300 pages to provide an endlessly inventive history of the local area, repeatedly drawing connections to ALICE IN WONDERLAND. The exploration is categoric, embracing prehistoric and ancient history, medieval history, and modern history. He covers local the economy, politics, architecture, and cultural life. By the end of the book you not only feel like you've explored a corner of the world you never even thought about investigating, you feel that you'd love to visit the place. And indeed, you feel like you know it. You also learn a very great deal about Lewis Carroll.

What is astonishing is that Talbot keeps his story fascinating from beginning to end. In actuality this is a one-note symphony, but he so successfully disguises this that you scarcely notice it. Frequently his story approaches the sublime. For instance, at one point he enters the first house in a row of elegant dwellings for Sunderland's economic elite. He searches local records and discovers that it was built by a Quaker merchant named Joshua Wilson. He then spends the next five pages exploring his life and character. He seems to have been a thoroughly likable and admirable individual, a genuinely good, though largely forgotten, man. And then the sublime: " . . . and Joshua, long dead and long forgotten, now lives again in some small way in the mind of you, the reader." The book is filled with magical moments like that.

This is easily one of the most beautiful to look at books that I've ever seen. Talbot is unusual in the world of graphic literature in that he not only writes and pencils his work, but colors it as well. He also employs a hot of graphic techniques in organizing his pages. He uses paintings, drawings, retouched photographs, reproductions, collages, and just about anything else you can think of in creating his pages. I've shown the book to several friends who have been instantly struck by the sheer physical beauty of the pages.

I can't recommend this book strongly enough. It is easily one of the most beautiful books that I own (the only one that might surpass it is the first two volumes in THE ABSOLUTE SANDMAN -- Talbot, by the by, illustrated some of Gaiman's stories). It is also one of the most unique.

Throw away your notions of what constitutes a graphic novel because Bryan Talbot has rewritten whatever rules there were. This is a book that can't be devoured; it is a history of the Empire theatre in Sunderland but it isn't. What is evident is Talbot's love of Sunderland and its true importance in history. But it isn't a history book. It defies genres and so I will call it what it simply is:- a masterpiece.

I didn't really know what to expect from _Alice in Sunderland_; the reviews on Amazon piqued my interest, so I dove in. I had assumed it was a re-telling of Carroll's _Alice in Wonderland_, but I was willing to take a chance. I don't regret the gamble, although the book itself is about Carroll's classic only in the story *behind* the story.

The graphic novel is really about Sunderland itself - the history of the city and the relationship between the place and the people who live there with Carroll (nee Charles Dodgson), and quite a bit about Carroll himself - and how all these people and places relate to the writing, characters and events in _Alice in Wonderland_. The connections and interrelationships are fascinating (from the ancestral home of George Washington, to the inventor of the lightbulb and police box of Doctor Who fame, to well-known artists and performers.) Those who are interested a strict retelling of the story, therefore, will be disappointed.

However, the journey, non-sequitors and history of Carroll and the story are fascinating, as Talbot clears the record of many misconceptions about Carroll (that he was shy and withdrawn except when around children, for example), and the writing of the story itself (that it was created while Carroll was an Oxford Don and influenced by his time there.) These examples are just two of many. On this criterion alone I would give the book 5 stars. The artwork is impressive, Talbot clearly enjoying setting the record straight and taking the reader along on a wholly whimsical and visually stunning journey as he weaves the tale. This, too warrants five stars.

I don't read a lot of graphic novels - but I have no remorse about buying this one. It is a fascinating, true-life tale masterfully illustrated. Recommended.

There have been and always will be books that intimidate your average everyday book reviewer. As someone who works primarily with children's literature, this doesn't happen to me all that often. After all, as much as I'd like to be overawed by the latest Junie B. Jones series title, it just ain't gonna happen. But encompassing the whole of literature written with children in mind means sometimes having to deal with books that only just barely touch on my sphere of experience. When I first heard of Bryan Talbot's graphic novel, "Alice in Sunderland," I had no idea what it was. Not really. A glance at the cover gives the reader some hints to the contents, but for your average everyday American the word "Sunderland" means nothing. It's a nonsense word. A play on "Wonderland" obviously, but beyond that we're without reference. Standing at an impressive 328 pages, the book is obviously publisher Dark Horse Comics' most ambitious project to date. Dense, intense, and without comparison, Talbot has constructed the ultimate love letter/tour guide to his home. The fact that it may have also inspired Lewis Carroll's best-known work? Almost a sidenote.

Step right up! Step right in! Take off your hats and coats and make yourself at home. A man walks into a theater for a performance unlike any other. Onstage, the rabbit mask-wearing lead performer begins to tell the story. But it's not the story of Alice in Wonderland or even Charles Dodgson, her creator. Rather it's the tale of a place. A little strip of land on the North Eastern side of the island of Britain. A location that has inspired so many heroes, stories, tales, and legends you'd be amazed to hear them all. But Talbot isn't going to concentrate on the biggest folktales of his region. Nothing so straightforward. Instead, the book leaps, glances, references, and side-steps around every possible connection Sunderland might have to the world of Alice. What's more, the very history of Britain itself is tied intricately into Sunderland's tale. At the heart of it all, however, is the story of Lewis Carroll. For every seemingly inconsequential tangent, Talbot continually and continuously ties Alice Liddell, muse to the great author, and Carroll to the land they belonged to. Part historical treatise, part series of Rosicrucian-like connections, Talbot is unafraid to absolutely stuff his book with as much information as humanly possible. The result is a ridiculous and magnificent ode to a too little appreciated region.

It might sound a tedious affair. Constant backing and forthing between the present and the past. History coming alive is meant to be boring, right? So what are we to do when an artist like Talbot bends over backwards, not only to fit everything in, but to violently and continually change his style so as to both retain our attention and show off his prowess? Care to hear Henry V's speech before Harfleur, Act III, Scene I, done in the style of Mad Magazine? A Jabberwocky poem via Tenniel (right down to the unisexual hero?). Bryan Talbot can tell the story of brave Jack Crawford like it was a boys adventure tale then turn around and present some pretty nasty Normans ala Jack Kirby. There's even a bit of D.C. horror, odes to Herge, and a visitation from god-amongst-comic-artists Scott McCloud. Tenniel and Hogarth may get their due praise, but let us too admire what Talbot has seen fit to sneak in here and there artistically.

But I love the little things about this book too. The central plot concerns a single attendee, treated to this magnificent show in the Empire Theater. Of course the performer, the viewer, and even the man giving the walking tour are all various rather handsome versions of Talbot himself. Still, you grow very attached to the man watching. You're touched by his continual love and interest in George Fornby, local boy made good, ukulele phenomenon, and general nice guy. It's history is what it is. Hearing that the current Queen of England is related by blood to Alice Liddell isn't just good fun. Talbot can then turn Her Majesty into the Red Queen and at the same time show the moment Queen Elizabeth unveiled Sunderland's ode to the Great Library of St. Peter's in 1993. No detail is so small that Talbot can't weave it into the text in some fashion.

I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Talbot discuss this book at a conference held by the Lewis Carroll Society of North America. And let me tell you, it takes guts to stand before that kind of assemblage so to present a book on their beloved. From that talk, however, I learned all kinds of secrets about "Sunderland". The amount of Photoshop that has gone into some of these pages looks daunting at the outset. It's even more so when you hear how Talbot meticulously reconstructed some of his photographic scenes. The image of photographers taking pics of Alice at Columbia in her later years? Some of those fellows were lifted out of the original filmed production of "King Kong". That image of the Bayeux Tapestry? It took some wrangling to get to display even the replicated version held in the Reading Museum of Berkshire.

Not that the book is flawless. Sorry folks, but while Talbot may be a genius he is by no means perfect. He tends to bog down on the topics that are of the greatest interest to him and him alone. A walking tour thorough the public art of modern day Sunderland is cool to begin with but can't maintain the book's momentum after a while. Facts about Sunderland's shipbuilding and geography come across as akin to Melville's whaling portions of Moby-Dick. You feel obligated to read through them, but you get no pleasure from doing so. It's also funny to take into account what Talbot didn't include alongside what he did. He fails to speak on whether or not the Cheshire Cat's origins are also Sunderland-based (a notable absence, I feel). He doesn't mention, when discussing the Bayeux Tapestry (England's first graphic novel and compiled by "a single artist") that the creator was widely considered to be a woman. Sometimes watching the unmentioned becomes as fascinating as the mentioned.

Ah well. It's a remarkable affair just the same. For those readers willing to dedicate a couple days of their time to reading it through, "Alice in Sunderland" is one of the most rewarding reads. The convergence of graphic novel enthusiasts, Lewis Carroll advocates, and history majors is sweet indeed. An intimidating work in the best possible sense of the term.

The book took me by surprise. I was expecting another boring graphic novel, but Alice delivers so much more. I've little to compare it to in the field of graphic storytelling, but the only thing that comes to mind is From Hell. Like From Hell it delves with an enormous amount of information on a subject and this occurance is Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, and Sunderland England and how they all tie together.

Talbolt does this by presenting the facts in a lucid style of a theatrical presentation. Using this device, he jumps around the history of Sunderland(from it's begginings to the theatre he's telling the story and to so much more) and how Carroll may have been influenced by the location when writing the Alice stories.
Yet it isn't just a story about a book for kids, it touches upon so many varied things that it had my head swimming with information so I could only read about fifteen pages a day. His artwork adapts to the element of story that needs it. There are about a hundred smaller stories under this title and he jumps and creates some interesting designs to make this work. Talbot has gone beyond the usual standards of comics and presented a amazing new book.

The only complaint I have is how he overuses a photoshop filter over photographs. If he did this once in a while it would be alright, but it's a technique that is driven into the ground by the end.

What a great heavy keepsake book / toy. The text and pictures that correspond with each puzzle page is fabulous. Each page comes with its own clear plastic sleeve to keep the pieces securely in when not in use. The individual pieces are color coded in case of a mix up. My daughter is 4, so we do this together, as it is a bit advanced for her age. A great deal- 7 puzzles, a story , hardback, for $12.00. wow

I can never be bothered with Jigsaws and if I buy one its either for the picture on the box or in this case because its a great piece of Aliciana.
You can actually get your own photos done now as Jigsaws and I have one from a picture I took of the Alice Display cabinets at Walton Hall which I then framed.
Charity shops are usually full of Jigsaws but never this one as its the kind of thing you'd need extra copies of.
Probably easier to do than some of these with 2000 pieces

A perennial favorite from generation to generation returns in a delightful set of 7 jigsaw puzzles housed in attractive and practical book form. Youngsters and adults will derive additional hours of pleasure from Lewis Carroll's enchanting stories as they piece together episodes from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass."

Each puzzle is paired with corresponding texts from these beloved tales. Thus, we rediscover Alice looking longingly down the rabbit hole, participating in the Dodo's race, chatting with the Cheshire-Cat, listening to the Mock Turtle's tale of woe, watching the trial of the Knave of Hearts, even meeting the hilarious White Knight.

Forty-eight piece puzzles seems an appropriate choice as they challenge younger solvers and entertain older children. Perhaps best of all is the discovery that we can put Humpty Dumpty together again!

I gave this book to my niece for Christmas and it was a hugehit, both with her and with my sister. This was no surprise to me asI had to really guilt myself into giving it away instead of keeping ithere in our house.... good thing it's readily available, at least forthe time being. Next purchase I make... I'm throwing this inmy basket too. :)

The selections of prose complement the puzzlescenes beautifully and give kids a nice overview of both the Alice andThrough the Looking Glass books. The puzzles themselves did notsuccumb to either "Eat Me" or "Drink Me"(i.e. they're not too big, and not too small, but just right). Eachpiece is color-coded on the back so you don't mix up the differentscenes - a very nice touch. Also included are mylar protector sleevesso the puzzles will presumably stay put after being worked andreworked - another nice touch. Overall, the book is extremely wellmade and something that deserves to be handed down throughgenerations.

This is the only book of its kind I've found, besides...Bravo to the publishers! Please make more!

I gave this book to my niece for Christmas and it was a huge hit, both with her and with my sister. This was no surprise to me as I had to really guilt myself into giving it away instead of keeping it here in our house.... good thing it's readily available, at least for the time being. Next purchase I make from Amazon I'm throwing this in my basket too. :)

The selections of prose complement the puzzle scenes beautifully and give kids a nice overview of both the Alice and Through the Looking Glass books. The puzzles themselves did not succumb to either "Eat Me" or "Drink Me" (i.e. they're not too big, and not too small, but just right). Each piece is color-coded on the back so you don't mix up the different scenes - a very nice touch. Also included are mylar protector sleeves so the puzzles will presumably stay put after being worked and reworked - another nice touch. Overall, the book is extremely well made and something that deserves to be handed down through generations.

This is the only book of its kind I've found, besides the Escher puzzle book which I haven't yet seen except on Amazon. Bravo to the publishers! Please make more!

DeLoss McGraw has been one of my favorite artists for years. I love what he did for "Alice". I saw the display of his preliminary sketches for "Throught the Looking-Glass" at Arundel Books in Los Angeles two years ago. It was a marvelous treat, and portends yet another feast for the eyes and mind.

Now I understand the timeless appeal of Lewis Carroll's classic
"Alice in Wonderland". Of course the story is magic to readers of all ages but for me what is especially magical are the illustrations. Deloss McGraw has turned "Alice" and the world of illustration on its head. Now I understand why this book has just received the New York Society of Illustrators 2001 Gold Medal for Original Art.

Do you remember the first time you saw a painting by Marc Chagall? His fantastic creatures wearing hats and trousers, people kissing while floating in mid air, layers of events happening at once, and conversations between animals and flowers? If Chagall was alive and asked to illustrate Alice's Adventures, it may have looked very similar to this.

Only this is better.

Simple and yet very rich illustrations bounce you from page to page. They are vibrant but not overwhelming, you are curious about where the images will take you next, it makes you hungry for more. And you get more! There is a printed illustration on almost every other page of the book! There seem to be as many small images, lending themselves as nuances to Carroll's text, as there are full-page illustrations. In a word, it's fantastic.

I disagree with the editorial review of the School Library Journal. While I see this book as sophisticated, I also see very young children relating to the artwork. The dream is at times spooky and frustrating like the real world can be, just as at other moments it can be a playful party. Although Alice in Wonderland may not have been originally intended for child as young as three or four years old to read, they will be enticed into trying. A child as young as four will relate to this Alice, she is a small girl with flowing hair and dresses in an easy style. Deloss McGraw has illustrated a modern and truly dreamlike interpretation of Carroll's classic. Finally we have a total departure from the formal British and more grown up Alice that John Tenniel portrayed all those years ago and has been an influence upon artists attempting it since.

Albeit a short, but important side note: the size 14 - 16 font is very readable for both old and young eyes, and comes in very handy for those readers-out-loud at late bedtimes in a dimly lit room.

Of all the illustrated versions there are of this classic story, this will be the version your child would first pick up from the shelf.

Lewis Carroll is a great author for kids and he represents a completely new phase in children's literature. Children are children and they only have grown-up age in front of them as a limited world and a perspective, the latter of which they may change when they are grown up by remembering what childhood was for them and the tales they entertained when they were children in order to tell them to a new generation of children. Lewis Carroll leads Alice into a world where everyday objects and animals, but also strange objects and animals, mix. Everything is right and wrong at the same time. Too small or too big. Everything speaks and tells stories or sings songs that remind Alice of songs she knows but that come out strange and distorted. This whole world of wonderland is a suddenly animated pack of cards in a doll's house and doll's garden. But at the same time Lewis Carroll invests the fears and the fantasms of the child into this world. We then can have and see a father figure and a mother figure that loom high in this world and represent a completely aborted sense of justice. Alice, the child, becomes the one who puts things together and back to straightness by just dreaming this disrupted world awake. She only nostalgically remembers the fascination that was hers and the strangeness that was that world's. Waking up brings her back to normality and clears this wonderland of the menaces it contained. Lewis Carroll is a genius when he thus depicts a world of fear and frustration and shows how this world can become marvellous in real life because it is the antipodes of everyday regular society.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

This book has blown my mind...incrediable....the most colorful illustrations ever...and it's a book for all ages

As everyone knows the story, the five stars I rated it are for Ralph Steadman's drawings. I've always loved the original illustrations, so it was with some trepidation that I got this book. But I love Mr. Steadman's other work, so I held out hope that this was just as good. And they are - they go great with the story - and manage to be both whimsical and creepy at the same time. I love it. the only thing that I don't like about the book is that it isn't longer - unlike a lot of versions of Alice in Wonderland this one does NOT also include Through the Looking Glass. But it's still great.

Steadman does an amazing job, and this version is worth it for those images alone.

The book was delivered as promised and in good condition. My friend loved the book. Thanks.

What a classic! Everyone knows the story of Alice in Wonderland, made even more popular by Disney years ago. All I knew of Alice was the Disney cartoon and the artwork of Tenniel and Rackham. What I didn't know was the brilliant writing style of Lewis Carroll, the author who created Alice and her Wonderland.

Carroll is one of the most clever writers I have read. I kept thinking to myself as I read this book, "how the hell did he come up with this?" The dialogue is pure genius. I loved every minute of the Mad Hatter and his tea party.

The story is very short and without much of a plot, but that is what can be expected of a dream. It's sort of just a walk down the rabbit hole and through wonderland. But in that walk, we meet fascinating creatures; creatures and objects present in the real world, but with a fantastical twist.

What I loved more than anything was the book itself. I got a beautiful edition of this book through Dreamhaven, published by Firefly. It was a $30 on sale for $7.95. It's hardcover, clothbound, with thick, high quality paper and illustrations that I've never seen before for Alice.

The illustrations are done by Ralph Steadman. His work looked familiar and I found out that he is the artist from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I didn't know what to think of the images at first, but I liked them by the end. They are definitely geared towards a more adult audience, but then again, I forget what it's like to be a kid. He adds a certain edge to the characters. The characters become menacing and bizarre. He gives a great introduction in the book and explains why he drew each one of the images the way he did.

I love this book, and it's been the source to inspire me on other bios regarding Lewis Carroll. The presentation is beautifully done, fully illustrated in color, thorough, and reads in small sections for breaks. It's a great book for reading at bed-time or on outings. Yes, it's for young people, however it does not disregard some of the more questionable issues between Carroll and Alice. Author simply recommends other reading! And there a pages of maps and reference materials, all of which are excellent. Makes for a considerate gift to any fan of Alice.

This is about the real life child who inspired the stories:Alice Liddell,and her connections to Charles Dodgson as she and her family then knew him.It also focuses on the Liddells in order to introduce plenty of Victorian history which is presented in a very easy to digest form.
Full of pictures both photos and original art from Inga Karin-Erikkson.
Its where to start if you're new to Alice and it would make anyone want to collect Alice/Lewis Carroll.
The earlier Beyond The Looking Glass by Colin Gordon explores the same subject in minute detail for anyone who wants more
Highly recommended

This is a book for children (with wonderful illustrations) that attempts to tell the story of the friendship between Alice Liddell and "Lewis Carroll". It is written is a somewhat episodic style. The episodes are chosen, for the most part, due to the bearing that each one has on illuminating characters and situations found in the "Alice" books. The author does not completely avoid the controversial, and this is somewhat of a pleasant surprise. Though originally written in Swedish, it reads very well in translation. I found the book to be both poignant and scholarly (i.e., well-researched), and with great adult appeal for a childrens' book. (Even if the text were less rewarding than it is, the book would be worth keeping for the illustrations alone)

Although The Other Alice is technically a children's book, any fan of Lewis Carroll will find it rewarding. The meticulous art work, showing Alice Liddell and her sisters and Charles Dodgeson [Carroll] and many Oxford settings is superb. The book is also includes many actual photgraphs of Alice, her family and Dodgeson's other child friends. Although this is a book for children, it does not shy away from the rather sad life and obsession which drove Dodgeson, nor does it give an artifically happy ending to the story. If you wonder where many of Dodgeson's plot developments came from [e.g. the Dodo, the wet 'caucus race' you'll find it all here. The author [who also wrote the delightful Linnea in Monet's Garden] and illustrator deserve kudos for this book [translated from the Sweedish, there is apparently a different translation avaiable in England under the title Alice's Oxford Adventure]. Well worth reading in a more adult approach is Staphanie Stoffel's Lewis Carroll in Wonderland [which includes some of the paintings done by Erickson for this book] both are better reads [and far more fun] than Gardner's Carroll biography.

Loosely based upon the classic story of Alice in Wonderland, sometimes very loosely (the seven dwarves do make a very amusing appearance), Alive in Corporate Wonderland is both entertaining and so close to the truth that it is scary.

The story starts with young Alice studying, or rather being distracted while attempting to study, for her accounting exam. Alice is a somewhat spoiled girl whose Daddy is paying her way through college and whose only real goal is to marry well. Therefore, when Alice falls asleep and finds herself in Wonderland, Inc (a somewhat exaggerated version of the worst aspects of the real world), the reader will feel very little pity for the underachiever. Moreover, as the story continues, the reader will note hierarchical cliques, positions that have no real purpose, and bureaucracy at its worst that he or she has likely experienced first hand in his or her own corporate experiences. This only makes the storyline that much more entertaining and hilarious. Beware the real world, it will make Alice in Wonderland look like kid stuff!

Lewis Caroll's classic tale of Alice Adventures in Wonderland was first published in 1865 and is still a favorite among young readers. Most of us will remember this children's story as a tale filled with satire references to the author's friends and to the lessons that British schoolchildren were expected to memorize.

R.T. Talasek has now reincarnated this famous tale with his loose adaptation, Alice In Corporate Wonderland: Down The Long Hallway. Talasek informs us in the Prologue that hopefully the reader will realize that the similarities between the two stories are frightening, with some allowances for the passage of time and change of venue. It should be pointed out that Talasek worked in the corporate world for over twenty-five years and the story draws from this experience.

Talasek's Alice is studying towards her MBA degree at Ivy League University and one day while preparing herself for her final exams, she falls asleep. In dreamland Alice meets up with a woman dressed in a white linen suit and matching white shoes, who towers over her. Alice is quite perturbed! Who is this woman, whom she compares to a rabbit with her "floppy hair ears." Moreover, Alice does not know if she herself works in this building or why is she here. Finally, Alice is informed by the woman that she is the senior assistant to the president and people call her WR.

Alice is instructed to follow WR to her first meeting and that Wonderland Industries values punctuality. WR tells Alice what Wonderland Industries is all about however Alice admits she has no idea what WR is talking about, as the descriptions and jargon she hears make little sense. Unfortunately, Alice can't keep up with WR and looses her in the corridors. Feeling abandoned and confused Alice is now left to find her way to her first meeting.

No one is around to aid her and the windowless hallway seems to go on endlessly. Eventually, Alice runs into a group of seven men singing "Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho, it's off to work we go!" Sound familiar? Are these our seven dwarfs? Only this time they are dressed in Brooks Brothers business suits of varied shades of blue and gray. All of these employees seemed to be programmed and are not exactly sure as to what their respective responsibilities are in Wonderland Industries. Although, they do understand that in order to survive and keep their jobs they must tow the company line, otherwise they will be history.

Alice is finally approached by a short man with thinning hair, large ears and a round head, who beckons Alice to a room filled with row after row of steel desks, badly in need of paint. He tells Alice that he has been looking all over for her and that her help is needed, as she definitely is management by the way she is dressed and they need a management representative as a sponsor. Again, Alice is perplexed, as she has no idea what Mr. Mouse (Alice's nickname for the gentleman) is talking about.

As we follow Alice during her first chaotic day of work, we have to ask ourselves how do you rationally expect employees to grasp and understand America's ambiguous corporate "la la" land where there are sometimes vague norms, values and expectations that supposedly are to serve as unifying the workforce and strengthen a company's success. The characters that make up this corporate world are very often bizarre and "off the wall" with little or no direction.
New and even old employees constantly face the taunting challenge of comprehending both the norms of the company as well as communicating in a somewhat new language while adapting to a sometimes ambiguous culture.

Conveying thoughts, ideas, beliefs and feelings to another individual is never an easy task. Some authors choose the straight forward method and others rely on various techniques as allegory, parables, symbolism, metaphor, and irony in an effort to reach their readers.
Talasek has succeeded admirably in conveying his thoughts and feelings pertaining to corporate America's madness with the clever use of Carroll's characters and the loose similarity with the original story line.

Norm Goldman, Editor Bookpleasures

Reviewed by Cathy Yanda for Reader Views (5/06)
Having met Lewis Carroll's Alice when I was a child, it was fun to be re-introduced to her now that she has an Ivy League MBA and is beginning her first job in corporate America. R.T. Talasek brings together characters from the original "Alice's Adventure in Wonderland", other children's stories, movies and rock-n-roll. "Alice in Corporate Wonderland" begins with Alice studying for her finals and nodding off to find herself at Wonderland, Inc. for her first day on the job. Alice, in typical fashion, gets separated from everyone and is lost in a long hallway.

She decides to quiz a group of vertically challenged men, bearing a strong resemblance to the Seven Dwarfs, she runs across in the hallway. She discovers they are blindly loyal to the company and simply do what they are told. As she quizzes further..."But don't you know how your assignments tie to the goals of the company? How do you activities tie to the long-range strategic plan of the organization? How do you know when you are successful in completing your task when you don't know what your goals are?"...the men are perplexed and reply, simply..."Now, we must return to the assignments that our supervisors have given us, because we know that it is imperative to the success of the company, and that we will be rewarded for our efforts"...

R.T. Talasek weaves many more valuable lessons into this brief volume of corporate adventures. At one point, Alice is told by Castillo Erpillar (Cat), her mentor at Wonderland, Inc., that she would read "Sun Tzu: The Art of War" is she wants to learn how to be successful at Wonderland Industries. Alice recalls that this is not the first time she has been advised to read this book. Perhaps in the next adventure of Alice she will have picked up a copy and applied some of the wisdom. She reflects on some wisdom later, "Better to retreat and live to fight another day..." not sure whether it was from Sun Tzu or Top Gun. She decides at that point that maybe Cat had been right about the book.

"Alice in Corporate Wonderland" is a well-written, concise volume which would be a valuable asset to anyone newly entering the corporate world. It also offers a fresh perspective to those who have been there for years.

This is a must for "Alice" collectors of all ages. The art is beautiful and the design is unusual.

I disagree with the Booklist reviewer that the design makes for difficult reading or is distracting. The design flourishes enhance the reading experience.

I ordered this book for my 9 year old daughter for Christmas and was very pleased at the high quality edition I received. Specifically, I was looking for a book that would draw her into reading it with exceptional artwork and craftmanship. This is exactly what I got in this edition. One possible drawback is its size. It's a bit large for little hands and portability, but that is a small trade-off for this work of art. Also, the pages are thick so watch out for paper cuts!!! This edition is nice enough to display as an unusual conversation piece on a coffee table, or pass down to the next generation.

The booklist reveiwer mentioned that the print was at times distracting, but I think he misses the point. It's meant to enhance the story. For instance, as one character falls the print spirals and gets smaller. It wasn't difficult to read and my daughter "got it" and thought it was fun!

Bottom line is that if you are looking for an edtion of a beloved story that can be kept for years to come for your treasured daughter or that special neice, this is without question the one you are looking for!

This Simply Read Books edition of Lewis Carroll's classic fantasy, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, is a simply gorgeous version showcasing bold, often monochromatic, and somewhat exaggerated illustrations by Iassen Ghiuselev that bring the unreality of Wonderland vividly to life. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland is a literary treasure for readers of all ages. The quality book binding incorporates a built-in bookmark on a ribbon that says "Read Me", in a delightful complement to this widely beloved story. Due to the coffee-table size of this edition, it may be a little physically large and heavy for younger readers to handle, and therefore is better suited for parents to read aloud to their children. No Lewis Carroll collection can be considered complete without the inclusion of this enthusiastically recommended edition of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland!