‘Wonderland' Opens Big, New Alice Titles Hit Shelves
By Matia Burnett
Mar 11, 2010

Featuring a star-studded cast, including Johnny Depp as the eccentric Mad Hatter, the film integrates elements of the original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass (1871), along with some new twists. Alice, played by Mia Wasikowska (recently seen in Amelia), is a 19-year-old who, escaping an unwanted marriage proposal, returns to the fantastical "Underland" after having dismissed her childhood visits there as recurring dreams. Though there's much dispute over her identity by the curious cast, Alice is informed that only she can slay the Jabberwocky.

Though Alice in Wonderland brought in nearly 10 times as much as the weekend's next two top films, Brooklyn's Finest and Shutter Island, critical reception was mixed. "Predictably rich in images," wrote the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, but with "little of the heart or madcap energy we might have expected," while USA Today said, "The movie should come with a note marked ‘Watch me' for its extravagance of whimsy and wonder."

Whatever the verdict, the release of the film has generated renewed interest from the book world. From movie tie-ins to newly illustrated editions, we've rounded up recent and forthcoming children's adaptations that transport readers down the rabbit hole.

Pub months are 2010, unless otherwise noted.


Film Tie-ins

Alice in Wonderland: A Visual Companion by Mark Salisbury offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of the film, with stills, production art, and insight into Burton's techniques. Disney Editions, $50, ages 9-12, ISBN 978-1-4231-2887-8; Mar.

Alice in Wonderland: The Visual Guide features photographs and movie stills, along with background on the characters and story. DK, $16.99, ages 8-15, ISBN 978-0-7566-5982-0; Feb.


Inventive Interpretations

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, illus. by Robert Ingpen, is an unabridged edition with more than 70 new illustrations featuring a menagerie of anthropomorphic animals, created with colored pencil. Sterling, $19.95, ages 10-up, ISBN 978-1-4027-6835-4; Nov. 2009

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, illus. by Oleg Lipchenko, presents a large-format gift edition of the classic containing original text and illustrations that suggest 3Darchitectural forms. Tundra, $22.95, all ages, 978-0-88776-932-0; Nov. 2009.


Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: "Open Me for Curiouser and Curiouser Surprises!" adapted by Harriet Castor, illus. by Zdenko Basic, utilizes a condensed interactive format featuring surreal photographic and digital collage artwork, interactive pull-tabs, flaps, and a pop-up scene. Barron's, $18.99, ages 8-up, ISBN 978-0-7641-6333-3; Apr.

Stickfiguratively Speaking: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Jamison Odone pares down and deconstructs Carroll's classic using pen-and-ink stick-figure forms, in the first of a planned series. PublishingWorks, $12.95, ages 4-8, ISBN 978-1-935557-61-6; Mar.


Paperback Activity, Series, and Novelty Books

Alice in Wonderland Ultimate Sticker Book contains more than 60 reusable stickers based on images from Burton's film. DK, $6.99, ages 6-10, ISBN 978-0-7566-5985-1; Feb.


Little Golden Books: Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland is a reissue of the 1951 book based on Disney's classic animated film. Random/Golden/Disney, $3.99, ages 2-5, ISBN 978-0-7364-2670-1; Jan.

Stepping Stone Books Series: Alice in Wonderland, adapted by Mallory Loehr, is a version of the story modified for early readers. Random, $4.99, ages 6-9, ISBN 978-0-375-86641-8; Dec. 2009