Ross's illustrations, pleasant enough in and of themselves, are slight and unimaginative when compared with Sir John Tenniel's stunning original drawings. The abridged text--an attempt to make the classic story accessible for younger, modern readers--does not provide a good introduction to the richness of Carroll's tale and is certainly not an adequate replacement.

Pruned to something less than half the original (using only Carroll's language), with chess moves, verse, chaptering, and main events intact: an abridgement that may find some use as an introduction, though any child who enjoys it should be steered to a complete edition. It's not true—despite Ross's otherwise sensible introduction—that all the humor is here (where are the six impossible things before breakfast''?); but his forthrightly honest approach (even the title page readsAbridged & Illustrated by...'' in caps) merits some indulgence, while even purists will enjoy comparing his witty, freely rendered caricatures with Tenniel's elegantly limned art—which Ross's frequently parodies. (Fiction. 6+)"

Gr 5 Up-This is an admirable attempt at adapting a classic into a graphic novel, but it works better as a supplemental or introductory piece. Baker tries to remain true to the original work by leaving the dialogue mainly intact, though the transitional writing that he removes tends to cause confusion, especially in Carrolls world of fancy, imagination, and nonsense. Baker also has made a stylistic choice to eschew word bubbles; dialogue is instead placed under panels and directly under images of characters to which they belong. This takes some getting used to, even for seasoned graphic-novel readers. Bakers loose art style reflects the mood of this world, and his characters are drawn with great expression. However, small panel size and crowded layouts detract from appreciation of the art and comprehension of the story. A note at the end directs readers to borrow the original work from their school or public library, which is a valid suggestion in order to understand and appreciate Lewis Carrolls Through the Looking Glass fully. Kim T. Ha, Elkridge Branch Library, MD