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stephen_baird's review against another edition
4.0
Return to Wonderland sees some of my favourite childrens authors take their look at C.S. Lewis’ Wonderland and add their twist.
The collection is strong throughout, not one weak story in here. From Peter Bunzl’s story of a shapeshifter baby, through to Amy Wilson’s dreamy and quite threatening story about the Caterpillar I enjoyed them all.
Though one stands out for me in the fact that I will never forgive Patrice Lawrence for using a whole story about feuding families of Hedgehogs and Flamingoes to set up one of the corniest punchlines ever in the history of short story telling.
I enjoyed reading this collection so much I lost track of time in the same way as I did when I first read the Alice books; funny, a wee bit frightening in places, and definitely so well written.
I was gifted this collection as an advance reader copy but bought the finished product as soon as I was able (and another copy for my niece).
The collection is strong throughout, not one weak story in here. From Peter Bunzl’s story of a shapeshifter baby, through to Amy Wilson’s dreamy and quite threatening story about the Caterpillar I enjoyed them all.
Though one stands out for me in the fact that I will never forgive Patrice Lawrence for using a whole story about feuding families of Hedgehogs and Flamingoes to set up one of the corniest punchlines ever in the history of short story telling.
I enjoyed reading this collection so much I lost track of time in the same way as I did when I first read the Alice books; funny, a wee bit frightening in places, and definitely so well written.
I was gifted this collection as an advance reader copy but bought the finished product as soon as I was able (and another copy for my niece).
b00kh0arder's review against another edition
5.0
I have a bit of a strange relationship with Alice Wonderland: I love the imagery (and, as I've gotten older, I've appreciated more the wit and wordplay) but the 'story' as well as the character of Alice herself, tends to annoy me. These short stories, however, are brilliant- the perfect "eat-me" sized portions. As full of poetry and wit as the original, perfect for fans of the original and for those like me who maybe found it a bit exhausting.
(Apologies in advance to the authors if I get any of the titles wrong!)
Acorns, Biscuits and Treacle by Peter Bunzl: A wild pig gets a surprise when he wakes one morning to find that he has turned into a real boy, but has this happened before?
The Queen of Hearts and the Unwritten Written Rule by Pamela Butchart: What happens when Wonderland becomes a tourist trap.
The Sensible Hatter by Maz Evans: The Mad Hatter's friends wish that he would throw a more sensible tea party; be careful what you wish for.
The Missing Book by Swapna Haddow: As a librarian, this is one of my particular favourites. Everything the Mock Turtle says about Libraries and Librarians is true, by the way.
Roll of Honour by Patrice Lawrence: Honour comes from a long, prestigious line of hedgehog (the Rolls; her siblings include: Cheese, Spring, Tuckan & Rockan) croquet balls but can she live up to this legacy? Also, Princess Bride reference.
(There are also probably many more scattered references throughout that I've forgotten!)
The Tweedles and the Case of the Colossal Crow by Chris Smith: The Tweedles learn the importance of standing up to your bullies, even if they happen to be a gigantic crow.
Plum Cakes at Dawn by Lauren St John: More overt in its message (or in the fact that it has one) than the others but a Wonderland take on our environmental problems is an interesting one as well as sharp. Like the Dormouse, wake me up when there's good news!
Ina out of Wonderland by Robin Stevens: Most people forget, but Carroll met the oldest Liddell sister, Lorina, first.
The Knave of Hearts by Lisa Thompson: What is this accused jam-tart thief really like?
How the Chesire Cat Got His Name by Piers Torday: Because a man completely missed the point of metaphor, apparently.
The Caterpillar and the Moth Rumour by Amy Wilson: Even Wonderland's wisest resident cannot hold back change forever.
(Apologies in advance to the authors if I get any of the titles wrong!)
Acorns, Biscuits and Treacle by Peter Bunzl: A wild pig gets a surprise when he wakes one morning to find that he has turned into a real boy, but has this happened before?
The Queen of Hearts and the Unwritten Written Rule by Pamela Butchart: What happens when Wonderland becomes a tourist trap.
The Sensible Hatter by Maz Evans: The Mad Hatter's friends wish that he would throw a more sensible tea party; be careful what you wish for.
The Missing Book by Swapna Haddow: As a librarian, this is one of my particular favourites. Everything the Mock Turtle says about Libraries and Librarians is true, by the way.
Roll of Honour by Patrice Lawrence: Honour comes from a long, prestigious line of hedgehog (the Rolls; her siblings include: Cheese, Spring, Tuckan & Rockan) croquet balls but can she live up to this legacy? Also, Princess Bride reference.
(There are also probably many more scattered references throughout that I've forgotten!)
The Tweedles and the Case of the Colossal Crow by Chris Smith: The Tweedles learn the importance of standing up to your bullies, even if they happen to be a gigantic crow.
Plum Cakes at Dawn by Lauren St John: More overt in its message (or in the fact that it has one) than the others but a Wonderland take on our environmental problems is an interesting one as well as sharp. Like the Dormouse, wake me up when there's good news!
Ina out of Wonderland by Robin Stevens: Most people forget, but Carroll met the oldest Liddell sister, Lorina, first.
The Knave of Hearts by Lisa Thompson: What is this accused jam-tart thief really like?
How the Chesire Cat Got His Name by Piers Torday: Because a man completely missed the point of metaphor, apparently.
The Caterpillar and the Moth Rumour by Amy Wilson: Even Wonderland's wisest resident cannot hold back change forever.
fay_'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.5
katykelly's review
5.0
Stories inspired by Alice: clever, fitting and utterly delightful collection.
With introductions from each of the ten contemporary authors, explaining their own connection to Alice, we are treated to an assortment of stories, each centring round a character from Carroll's famous children's novel.
Their styles all complement the original, the nonsense and language very fitting, though some take place before Alice comes to Wonderland, some after, some tangential to it.
I couldn't identify a weak one among them, they were all rather fascinating and felt as though they could form a body of work alongside their inspiration.
From the Nurse's Pig Baby's origins, to the Queen (and King) of Hearts, we have the hilarious tale of what happens when the Hatter decides to be sensible, and what might have happened in Wonderland after Alice makes it a bit of a tourist hotspot.
It will make much more sense to readers who have enjoyed Carroll's book first, offering insight and a look at a world we've all 'wondered' about ourselves at some point.
A fantastic idea, and makes you want to reread the original. Which is what I'm currently now doing with my 8-year-old. A varied and riotously funny collection from a talented group of children's/YA writers.
One for adults who remember a childhood containing Alice, but for children who've also discovered her as well, ages 9/10 and above.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
With introductions from each of the ten contemporary authors, explaining their own connection to Alice, we are treated to an assortment of stories, each centring round a character from Carroll's famous children's novel.
Their styles all complement the original, the nonsense and language very fitting, though some take place before Alice comes to Wonderland, some after, some tangential to it.
I couldn't identify a weak one among them, they were all rather fascinating and felt as though they could form a body of work alongside their inspiration.
From the Nurse's Pig Baby's origins, to the Queen (and King) of Hearts, we have the hilarious tale of what happens when the Hatter decides to be sensible, and what might have happened in Wonderland after Alice makes it a bit of a tourist hotspot.
It will make much more sense to readers who have enjoyed Carroll's book first, offering insight and a look at a world we've all 'wondered' about ourselves at some point.
A fantastic idea, and makes you want to reread the original. Which is what I'm currently now doing with my 8-year-old. A varied and riotously funny collection from a talented group of children's/YA writers.
One for adults who remember a childhood containing Alice, but for children who've also discovered her as well, ages 9/10 and above.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
This book was on my wishlist ever since I discovered it existed and last weekend we found a copy in the Waterstones in Amsterdam. Of course I took it home and of course I had to read it at one of the earliest opportunities.
And just like with every collection of stories there were stories that really touched me and did something with me and there were stories that resonated a little less. Let me start with saying that there was not one story that I truly disliked and wanted to be over. I liked it that every story starred other characters and that each plot and angle was so unique and original and different. I'm sure there's a story for everyone in here and they're all amazingly well written.
But, I of course want to highlight a few of my personal favourites. My absolute favourite, I think, was the library story, where the arrogant Mock Turtle has to solve the mystery of the missing book, that has appeared on the missing books shelf. It felt true to the Wonderland madness where right is wrong and wrong is right, it was funny and very very clever.
Of course that wasn't the only highlight. I also really enjoyed the story in which Alice's older sister Ina tries to save her younger sister Alice from the horrible Wonderland Lewis Caroll has created. Not only did this story work perfectly with the original story of Caroll we know so well, it also gave the spotlight to a character that barely got any attention to begin with.
And, last but not least, there was the story where Wonderland has become a giant Alice in Wonderland theme park, with coffee machines, smoothies (all tasting like banana, no matter what fruit is in there) and shirts, which was really really amusing, and the story of how the cheshire cat got his characteristic grin, which was dark and disturbing and yet also a little bit funny, just like the original Wonderland tale.
I'm not sure if I'd read the entire book again, but I'm sure I'll re-read some of my favourite stories quite often in the future.
And just like with every collection of stories there were stories that really touched me and did something with me and there were stories that resonated a little less. Let me start with saying that there was not one story that I truly disliked and wanted to be over. I liked it that every story starred other characters and that each plot and angle was so unique and original and different. I'm sure there's a story for everyone in here and they're all amazingly well written.
But, I of course want to highlight a few of my personal favourites. My absolute favourite, I think, was the library story, where the arrogant Mock Turtle has to solve the mystery of the missing book, that has appeared on the missing books shelf. It felt true to the Wonderland madness where right is wrong and wrong is right, it was funny and very very clever.
Of course that wasn't the only highlight. I also really enjoyed the story in which Alice's older sister Ina tries to save her younger sister Alice from the horrible Wonderland Lewis Caroll has created. Not only did this story work perfectly with the original story of Caroll we know so well, it also gave the spotlight to a character that barely got any attention to begin with.
And, last but not least, there was the story where Wonderland has become a giant Alice in Wonderland theme park, with coffee machines, smoothies (all tasting like banana, no matter what fruit is in there) and shirts, which was really really amusing, and the story of how the cheshire cat got his characteristic grin, which was dark and disturbing and yet also a little bit funny, just like the original Wonderland tale.
I'm not sure if I'd read the entire book again, but I'm sure I'll re-read some of my favourite stories quite often in the future.
pewterwolf's review
5.0
Can't decide to give it a four star or a five star... But I had a blast with this so am going to round up to five (am on a roll with awesome collections of short stories, following the ace [b:Proud|41553972|Proud|Juno Dawson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1535453542s/41553972.jpg|64831833]!)
***
Review taken from The Pewter Wolf which will be going up in early May 2019.
***eProof gifted by UK Publisher, PanMacMillan via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review/reaction.***
In this collection of stories (written by - hang on, deep breath time! - [a:Peter Bunzl|8339835|Peter Bunzl|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1455532477p2/8339835.jpg], [a:Pamela Butchart|7219091|Pamela Butchart|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], [a:Maz Evans|15605115|Maz Evans|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], [a:Swapna Haddow|15179138|Swapna Haddow|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], [a:Patrice Lawrence|646810|Patrice Lawrence|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1516131519p2/646810.jpg], [a:Chris Smith|9|Chris Smith|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], [a:Robin Stevens|476886|Robin Stevens|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], [a:Lauren St John|17971901|Lauren St John|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], [a:Lisa Thompson|15193868|Lisa Thompson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1532637084p2/15193868.jpg], [a:Piers Torday|6923558|Piers Torday|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1502293737p2/6923558.jpg] and [a:Amy Wilson|16042316|Amy Wilson|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]), we return to Wonderland and we ask, what happens in Wonderland without Alice? And the stories answer questions such as why does the Cheshire Cat grin so, has anyone barring Alice ever visited Wonderland, will the Mad Hatter ever host a sensible tea party and other questions…
This isn’t going to be long blog post/review/reaction. Sorry everyone, but I had such a blast reading this. I read this within four days and, if I had more time on my hands (and not had to do real life things, such as sleep, go to work, drive places, etc), I would have read this so much faster. All of the stories within these were delightful and a joy.
There was one or two I feel that could easily be turned into much longer stories/novellas (Ina Out of Wonderland by Robin Stevens and The Knave of Hearts by Lisa Thompson), and others that were perfectly compacted (Patrice Lawerence’s Roll of Honour).
I did like the stories, but there are a few I didn’t warm to as quickly as the others. But, with any collection of short stories, this will happen so I wasn’t too worried. Plus, it was nice to read stories from authors I have never heard of before and have made mental notes to check out.
But I think young fans of Alice in Wonderland will enjoy reading this collection of middle-grade tales. I do hope we have another collection similar to this in the near future, either from Wonderland or maybe Oz…
***
Review taken from The Pewter Wolf which will be going up in early May 2019.
***eProof gifted by UK Publisher, PanMacMillan via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review/reaction.***
In this collection of stories (written by - hang on, deep breath time! - [a:Peter Bunzl|8339835|Peter Bunzl|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1455532477p2/8339835.jpg], [a:Pamela Butchart|7219091|Pamela Butchart|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], [a:Maz Evans|15605115|Maz Evans|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], [a:Swapna Haddow|15179138|Swapna Haddow|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], [a:Patrice Lawrence|646810|Patrice Lawrence|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1516131519p2/646810.jpg], [a:Chris Smith|9|Chris Smith|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], [a:Robin Stevens|476886|Robin Stevens|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], [a:Lauren St John|17971901|Lauren St John|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], [a:Lisa Thompson|15193868|Lisa Thompson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1532637084p2/15193868.jpg], [a:Piers Torday|6923558|Piers Torday|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1502293737p2/6923558.jpg] and [a:Amy Wilson|16042316|Amy Wilson|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]), we return to Wonderland and we ask, what happens in Wonderland without Alice? And the stories answer questions such as why does the Cheshire Cat grin so, has anyone barring Alice ever visited Wonderland, will the Mad Hatter ever host a sensible tea party and other questions…
This isn’t going to be long blog post/review/reaction. Sorry everyone, but I had such a blast reading this. I read this within four days and, if I had more time on my hands (and not had to do real life things, such as sleep, go to work, drive places, etc), I would have read this so much faster. All of the stories within these were delightful and a joy.
There was one or two I feel that could easily be turned into much longer stories/novellas (Ina Out of Wonderland by Robin Stevens and The Knave of Hearts by Lisa Thompson), and others that were perfectly compacted (Patrice Lawerence’s Roll of Honour).
I did like the stories, but there are a few I didn’t warm to as quickly as the others. But, with any collection of short stories, this will happen so I wasn’t too worried. Plus, it was nice to read stories from authors I have never heard of before and have made mental notes to check out.
But I think young fans of Alice in Wonderland will enjoy reading this collection of middle-grade tales. I do hope we have another collection similar to this in the near future, either from Wonderland or maybe Oz…
thebookboy's review against another edition
4.0
As a huge lover of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, I went into this collection of short stories inspired by the classic tale with high hopes. Luckily, these hopes were met!
A lot of the stories capture the fun and whimsy of the original whilst also giving us an excellent perspective on different characters that don't get their full time to shine in the Carroll classics, such as Pig, The Knave of Hearts and the Caterpillar.
Some of the stories are better than others, (there is a fairly meh story about hedgehogs and a very heavy handed story about global warming and bees) but for the most part this collection is a brilliant, colourful and magical return down the rabbit hole that all fans of Alice will enjoy.
A lot of the stories capture the fun and whimsy of the original whilst also giving us an excellent perspective on different characters that don't get their full time to shine in the Carroll classics, such as Pig, The Knave of Hearts and the Caterpillar.
Some of the stories are better than others, (there is a fairly meh story about hedgehogs and a very heavy handed story about global warming and bees) but for the most part this collection is a brilliant, colourful and magical return down the rabbit hole that all fans of Alice will enjoy.
alongreader's review against another edition
4.0
Short stories featuring some of the characters and places immortalised in Lewis Carroll's classic. There's a great range here; whoever your favourite character is, you're bound to find something about them. The tone matches the original beautifully, and there are several new authors on my watch list now!
A great read for anyone who loved Alice or enjoys retellings.
A book, you must understand, can be a terrible thing. The most terrible of terrible things. Books, you see, are full of stories. They sit on shelves, maybe on floors, perhaps even on desks and tables. They are sometimes large, sometimes wide, sometimes slim, sometimes creased. But all of them sit. Sitting there, unassuming and waiting. And what sits in wait can be quite terrible.
Which is why you need a librarian.
A librarian is a guide. They navigate the treacherous oceans of words and sentences and steer you clear of all these terrible things.
A great read for anyone who loved Alice or enjoys retellings.
A book, you must understand, can be a terrible thing. The most terrible of terrible things. Books, you see, are full of stories. They sit on shelves, maybe on floors, perhaps even on desks and tables. They are sometimes large, sometimes wide, sometimes slim, sometimes creased. But all of them sit. Sitting there, unassuming and waiting. And what sits in wait can be quite terrible.
Which is why you need a librarian.
A librarian is a guide. They navigate the treacherous oceans of words and sentences and steer you clear of all these terrible things.
gemimasheila's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
bigbeardedbookseller's review against another edition
4.0
Return to Wonderland sees some of my favourite childrens authors take their look at C.S. Lewis’ Wonderland and add their twist.
The collection is strong throughout, not one weak story in here. From Peter Bunzl’s story of a shapeshifter baby, through to Amy Wilson’s dreamy and quite threatening story about the Caterpillar I enjoyed them all.
Though one stands out for me in the fact that I will never forgive Patrice Lawrence for using a whole story about feuding families of Hedgehogs and Flamingoes to set up one of the corniest punchlines ever in the history of short story telling.
I enjoyed reading this collection so much I lost track of time in the same way as I did when I first read the Alice books; funny, a wee bit frightening in places, and definitely so well written.
I was gifted this collection as an advance reader copy but bought the finished product as soon as I was able (and another copy for my niece).
The collection is strong throughout, not one weak story in here. From Peter Bunzl’s story of a shapeshifter baby, through to Amy Wilson’s dreamy and quite threatening story about the Caterpillar I enjoyed them all.
Though one stands out for me in the fact that I will never forgive Patrice Lawrence for using a whole story about feuding families of Hedgehogs and Flamingoes to set up one of the corniest punchlines ever in the history of short story telling.
I enjoyed reading this collection so much I lost track of time in the same way as I did when I first read the Alice books; funny, a wee bit frightening in places, and definitely so well written.
I was gifted this collection as an advance reader copy but bought the finished product as soon as I was able (and another copy for my niece).