Looking For a Good Book

I believe that Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most creative, endearing fantasies for children ever written. Since the book came into the public domain (and perhaps even before that) there have been other authors adding to the Wonderland collection of stories, many of them with Alice. There have also been adaptations and other books using Carroll’s world, characters, and stories as a reference for their own stories. Some, like Christina Henry’s The Chronicles of Alice series are fabulous while more than a few that I’ve read are simply not worth reading. Alice With a Why by Anna James is one of the best I’ve ever read.

1919 and Alyce’s father has died in the war and she now lives with her grandmother, Alice. Yes … the original Alice who journeyed to Wonderland. One afternoon, and invitation to a tea party hits Alyce in the face. While it’s addressed to an Alice with an ‘I’ she’s certain that since it came to her it must be intended for Alice with a ‘Y.’

As Alyce accepts the invitation she is whisked away to a strange, magical land and she realizes that the stories her grandmother tells of strange people and creatures and goings-on must actually be true and that, perhaps, the invitation wasn’t meant for her after all.  But, now that she’s arrived, getting home will be more challenging.

Alyce meets some of the same strange people that she’s heard her grandmother tell of – they often notice she’s both Alyce and not Alice – and a few new people as well.  She also learns that not all is sunny in Wonderland. They have their own war taking place between the Sun King and the Queen of the Moon. They are fighting over a stolen hour and Alyce has been asked to settle the matter.

This really was phenomenal. Author Anna James really captures the tone and enjoyment of the original stories, keeps true to the energy and fun, and still makes it something that feels fresh rather than rehashed.

As with so many books for children, it’s got some teaching moments (they won’t be considered for awards if they aren’t being didactic) – daylight savings being a specific, obvious one. I did think this was maybe a little TOO obvious as I can’t think of anything outright in-your-face in Carroll’s original works, but given the audience for this book, it’s probably just right and should make youngsters think a little and hopefully recognize that extra hour themselves.

I really enjoyed every minute of my read.

The book is illustrated, by Matthew Land, and the illustrations were … fine. For any other children’s book, Land’s work is probably fantastic. But since we’re comparing the writing and the story to Lewis Carroll’s original, it’s hard not to compare Land’s work to – while not the ‘original’ artist but certainly the most notable – Sir John Tenniel. If the words “Alice in Wonderland” don’t bring Disney’s adaptation to mind, then I’d lay my bet that they bring Tenniel’s B&W drawing to mind. To this, Land doesn’t compare. But of course, many of the readers probably won’t have read the original yet and won’t have seen Tenniel’s renderings.  Fortunately this book isn’t a graphic novel – it isn’t about the art.

Looking for a good book? I was hesitant going in – I always worry a little about someone trying to reach the glory of Carroll’s Alice – but Anna James’s Alice With a Why is the best new story to play in Alice’s Wonderland.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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Alice With a Why

author: Anna James

artist: Matthew Land

publisher: Flamingo Books

ISBN: 9780593691991

hardcover, 240 pages