When Alice tumbles down the rabbit hole after the White Rabbit, she takes young readers on a gentle exploration of a Wonderland that remains curious but decidedly less creepy than the original. This retelling of Carroll's classic introduces readers to the earliest of Alice's adventures, focusing on her many height-altering snacks (drawing attention to concepts of large and small, short and tall); her river of tears; and the caucus race ough caucus is dropped from this text. She meets several of Wonderland's residents as she searches for a way home (the Dodo, Bill the Lizard, the Blue Caterpillar); but the story leaves off before she returns, hinting at additional adventures. Puybaret's colorful acrylic paintings emit a glow of whimsy perfectly suited for Alice's journey. A Wonderland map, reminiscent of a Candy Land board, graces the end papers. Though lacking the wordplay and darkness of the original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, this simplified rendition will nevertheless fill young readers with wonder.

PreS-Gr 2 This much-pared-down picture book adaption takes a modern-looking heroine down the rabbit hole and through the first five chapters of Carroll's classic tale. Though some of the original dialogue is retained, the story is told in updated narration. The paintings create a dreamlike reality, depicting the creatures and landscapes of Wonderland with warm-hued brushstroked backgrounds, clean lines, unexpected color choices, and whimsical details. The playful use of shadow and perspective emphasize Alice's size shifts, as she consumes edibles that make her stature fluctuate between tiny and tremendous, treks through a river of her own tears, and, with the advice of a Blue Caterpillar, finally nibbles a mushroom and returns "to the right size. Phew!" The action abruptly ends there, with Alice pondering how to get home (and the tea party beckoning in the distance). VERDICT While some moments of the story are effectively depicted, the whirlwind pace covers too much territory too quickly, making it difficult to follow for those unfamiliar with the tale. Joy Fleishhacker , School Library Journal