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Return to Wonderland
Return to Lewis Carroll's Wonderland with this stunning collection of original stories from today's biggest children's authors – Peter Bunzl, Pamela Butchart, Maz Evans, Swapna Haddow, Patrice Lawrence, Chris Smith, Robin Stevens, Lauren St John, Lisa Thompson, Piers Torday and Amy Wilson.
Tumble down the rabbit hole again to find out what happens in Wonderland without Alice there. Is the Queen of Hearts still ruling with an iron fist? Does the Mad Hatter still have to go to tea? And will Tweedledum and Tweedledee ever resolve their argument?
More than 150 years since Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was first published by Macmillan, revisit Carroll's amazing cast of characters – including the Queen of Hearts, the Mock Turtle, the Dormouse, the Cheshire Cat and Alice's Sister in these brand-new stories, that will bring a new generation of readers to Wonderland.
Tumble down the rabbit hole again to find out what happens in Wonderland without Alice there. Is the Queen of Hearts still ruling with an iron fist? Does the Mad Hatter still have to go to tea? And will Tweedledum and Tweedledee ever resolve their argument?
More than 150 years since Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was first published by Macmillan, revisit Carroll's amazing cast of characters – including the Queen of Hearts, the Mock Turtle, the Dormouse, the Cheshire Cat and Alice's Sister in these brand-new stories, that will bring a new generation of readers to Wonderland.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2019
9 people are currently reading
498 people want to read
About the author
Peter Bunzl
13 books331 followersPeter Bunzl grew up in South London in a rambling Victorian house with three cats, two dogs, one little sister, an antique dealer dad, and an artist mum. As a child he found inspiration visiting TV and film sets, where his mum worked as a costume designer.
After art college and film school, Peter worked as an animator on commercials, pop videos, and two BAFTA-winning children’s TV shows, and wrote and directed several successful short films.
Peter’s debut novel Cogheart was a Waterstones Book of the Month. It was shortlisted for the Waterstones Book Prize and the Branford Boase Award. Moonlocket was shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Readers Award. Cogheart, Skycircus and Shadowsea were nominated for the Carnegie Medal.
Peter lives in North London with his partner, a fox who visits their garden, and a clutter of house spiders.
After art college and film school, Peter worked as an animator on commercials, pop videos, and two BAFTA-winning children’s TV shows, and wrote and directed several successful short films.
Peter’s debut novel Cogheart was a Waterstones Book of the Month. It was shortlisted for the Waterstones Book Prize and the Branford Boase Award. Moonlocket was shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Readers Award. Cogheart, Skycircus and Shadowsea were nominated for the Carnegie Medal.
Peter lives in North London with his partner, a fox who visits their garden, and a clutter of house spiders.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
July 21, 2019
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.
Read
February 1, 2023Slightly biased, since I have a story in this, but have read all the others and loved every single one of them!
April 24, 2019
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 Proud!)
***
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! - Peter Bunzl, Pamela Butchart, Maz Evans, Swapna Haddow, Patrice Lawrence, Chris Smith, Robin Stevens, Lauren St John, Lisa Thompson, Piers Torday and Amy Wilson), 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! - Peter Bunzl, Pamela Butchart, Maz Evans, Swapna Haddow, Patrice Lawrence, Chris Smith, Robin Stevens, Lauren St John, Lisa Thompson, Piers Torday and Amy Wilson), 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…
September 10, 2019
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.
October 31, 2022
OMG! Este es el libro que he deseado leer desde que ví por primera vez Alicia en el país de las maravillas cuando tenía cinco años.
Return to wonderland contiene 11 historias cortas inspiradas o basadas en el increíble mundo de Lewis Carroll. Y aunque hay unas cuatro que no me gustaron mucho, el resto son absolutamente increíbles. ¡¿Cómo es que no es más conocido?! No lo entiendo.
Algunas de mis favoritas fueron “Galletas, bellotas y melaza” ( que si unicamente has visto la película, y no has leído el libro, seguramente no entenderás) que me llevo de vuelta a HEARTLESS de Marissa Meyer, con los personajes de Elsie Lacie y Tillie. O, “La regla escrita no escrita” que es probablemente una de las historias más ramdon que existen xD.y claro, “Ina fuera de Wonderland” donde Lewis Carroll es representado como un auténtico villano, y dónde Lorina Liddell nos muestra una nueva entrada a Wonderland.
En fin, este segurísimo será uno de mis libros favoritos de este año. 4.5 ⭐
Return to wonderland contiene 11 historias cortas inspiradas o basadas en el increíble mundo de Lewis Carroll. Y aunque hay unas cuatro que no me gustaron mucho, el resto son absolutamente increíbles. ¡¿Cómo es que no es más conocido?! No lo entiendo.
Algunas de mis favoritas fueron “Galletas, bellotas y melaza” ( que si unicamente has visto la película, y no has leído el libro, seguramente no entenderás) que me llevo de vuelta a HEARTLESS de Marissa Meyer, con los personajes de Elsie Lacie y Tillie. O, “La regla escrita no escrita” que es probablemente una de las historias más ramdon que existen xD.y claro, “Ina fuera de Wonderland” donde Lewis Carroll es representado como un auténtico villano, y dónde Lorina Liddell nos muestra una nueva entrada a Wonderland.
En fin, este segurísimo será uno de mis libros favoritos de este año. 4.5 ⭐
May 3, 2019
I'm so proud to be part of this anthology, and the rest of the stories are brilliant! My favourites are Peter Bunzl's, Pamela Butchart's and Patrice Lawrence's - but they're all great. You're in for a treat! (7+)
*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. If you use it in any marketing material, online or anywhere on a published book without asking permission from me first, I will ask you to remove that use immediately. Thank you!*
*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. If you use it in any marketing material, online or anywhere on a published book without asking permission from me first, I will ask you to remove that use immediately. Thank you!*
October 1, 2019
I love Alice in wonderland but this bored me but hey at least I finished it in less than two hours!
April 21, 2019
It’s been a while – a long while- since I’ve read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, but I still have fond memories of the madcap characters and quirkiness of the world created by Carroll. And I guess these eleven authors do too! For me, this fabulously written anthology takes me on a trip down memory lane, a nostalgic return to my childhood, but I think it will also be enjoyed as an anthology of incredibly imaginative stories by younger readers in its own right, and perhaps encourage them to explore Wonderland for the first time.
I have read and enjoyed books by many of these authors and could definitely see how they bring their own style when re-imagining their favourite experiences/characters from Wonderland. Each of these stories has perfectly captured the surrealistic eccentricity of Wonderland; the creativity each writer brought to their story leaps off the pages. I also really liked how each author introduced their story with their own recollections of how they were influenced by Carroll’s story which was a perfect lead-in to each story.
These stories encourage the reader to tumble down the rabbit hole and wander into the curious world of Wonderland to encounter some of the most glorious, and most peculiar, characters: the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, the Mock Turtle, the Cheshire Cat and the Knave of Hearts to name but a few, with Alice wandering through many of the stories.
I loved how the stories paid homage to many of the more famous elements of Wonderland such as the Queen of Heart’s obsession with croquet, the Mad Hatter’s tea party and the wisdom of the Caterpillar whilst exploring the untold stories, the ‘what happened next?’ and the ‘what ifs?’ of some of the most memorable characters.
Each and every one of these stories is a real delight! This will be a collection of stories which will be treasured by both old, and new, fans of Wonderland.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an e-ARC of this book.
I have read and enjoyed books by many of these authors and could definitely see how they bring their own style when re-imagining their favourite experiences/characters from Wonderland. Each of these stories has perfectly captured the surrealistic eccentricity of Wonderland; the creativity each writer brought to their story leaps off the pages. I also really liked how each author introduced their story with their own recollections of how they were influenced by Carroll’s story which was a perfect lead-in to each story.
These stories encourage the reader to tumble down the rabbit hole and wander into the curious world of Wonderland to encounter some of the most glorious, and most peculiar, characters: the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, the Mock Turtle, the Cheshire Cat and the Knave of Hearts to name but a few, with Alice wandering through many of the stories.
I loved how the stories paid homage to many of the more famous elements of Wonderland such as the Queen of Heart’s obsession with croquet, the Mad Hatter’s tea party and the wisdom of the Caterpillar whilst exploring the untold stories, the ‘what happened next?’ and the ‘what ifs?’ of some of the most memorable characters.
Each and every one of these stories is a real delight! This will be a collection of stories which will be treasured by both old, and new, fans of Wonderland.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an e-ARC of this book.
July 17, 2019
Such an enjoyable read! The stories are all so different but all capture the essence of Lewis Carroll's stories and characters. This is one of the only short story collections that I've read all the way through, which is testament to the calibre of writers who were chosen to contribute to the collection. If you are in any way familiar with Alice in Wonderland you need to read this book.
September 7, 2020
Such a cute book and actually for me very hard to review as I had nothing too positive or negative about it. I loved about 3 or 4 of the stories and the others were ok. If you are a fan of wonderland, I recommend this cute short story book.
December 7, 2020
Nigdy nie mówię nie baśniowej przygodzie!
October 24, 2022
Enjoyable. Fun. That's it.
May 5, 2019
Something about this return to Wonderland didn't quite work for me. It's a competent and well told c0llection, but very few of the stories connected home. 'Acorns, Biscuits, and Treacle' by Peter Bunzl, and 'Ina Out Of Wonderland' by Robin Stevens were the exception to this, providing some rather brilliant alternative angles on Alice's Adventures In Wonderland with stories about the Duchess' son - Pig - and an attempt to save Alice from Wonderland respectively. It's also important to mention that Stephens' contribution felt like a gigantic story that needed much more space to breathe than that which was given to it. An interesting volume, but one that, I think, doesn't quite hang together for me and I'm not quite sure why.
My thanks to the publisher for a review copy.
My thanks to the publisher for a review copy.
July 16, 2020
3.5 ⭐
Acorns, Biscuits and Treacle - Peter Bunzl, 2.5 ⭐
The Queen of Hearts and the Unwritten Written Rule - Pamela Butchart, 1 ⭐
The Sensible Hatter - Maz Evans, 5 ⭐
The Missing Book - Swapna Haddow, 4 ⭐
Roll of Honour - Patrice Lawrence, 3.5 ⭐
The Twiddle Twins and the Case of the Colossal Crow - Chris Smith, 3 ⭐
Ina Out of Wonderland - Robin Stevens, 5 ⭐
Plum Cakes at Dawn, or What Happened When the Dormouse Went to Night Court - Lauren St. John, 3 ⭐
The Knave of Hearts - Lisa Thompson, 4 ⭐
How the Cheshire Cat Got His Smile - Piers Torday, 5 ⭐
The Caterpillar and the Moth Rumour - Amy Wilson, 2 ⭐
Acorns, Biscuits and Treacle - Peter Bunzl, 2.5 ⭐
The Queen of Hearts and the Unwritten Written Rule - Pamela Butchart, 1 ⭐
The Sensible Hatter - Maz Evans, 5 ⭐
The Missing Book - Swapna Haddow, 4 ⭐
Roll of Honour - Patrice Lawrence, 3.5 ⭐
The Twiddle Twins and the Case of the Colossal Crow - Chris Smith, 3 ⭐
Ina Out of Wonderland - Robin Stevens, 5 ⭐
Plum Cakes at Dawn, or What Happened When the Dormouse Went to Night Court - Lauren St. John, 3 ⭐
The Knave of Hearts - Lisa Thompson, 4 ⭐
How the Cheshire Cat Got His Smile - Piers Torday, 5 ⭐
The Caterpillar and the Moth Rumour - Amy Wilson, 2 ⭐
July 7, 2022
I am a huge Alice fan. The biggest. Anything Alice related and I will consume it. Obsessed. So, you can probably imagine how excited I was for this anthology of wonderland inspired stories, I was buzzing with it. Sadly, it turned out to be boring, dull, unoriginal and wholly lacking in creativity.
My thoughts on each story are as follows:
- “Acorns, Biscuits and treacle”: although I appreciate the focus on the least known characters from the original novella who aren’t featured in the Disney adaptations (Pig and the girls at the bottom of the treacle well) it was the only connection to wonderland. It was both dry and uninteresting and completely lacks any sort of whimsy or quirkiness, signatures to Carroll’s writing. Two stars.
- “The Queen of Hearts and the Unwritten Written Rule”: the prose here was absolutely hilarious, so original and fun, I laughed a lot. The premise of wonderland being transformed into a tourist attraction with its own tripadvisor page was just hysterical and I adored it immensely. However, every other word being capitalised really did my head in. It was unnecessary and distracting, serving no purpose to the story or characterisation. Three stars - but it would have been four if it was just typed normally.
- “The sensible Hatter”: Hatter goes sensible, which in itself destroys his character rather than adding to it. It was lovely to see a larger cast of wonderland creatures, even if most of them were out-of-character, but that seemed to be a running theme here. I did however enjoy the little nods to contextual elements of the book, such as the doctor being named Liddell and the name Lutwidge being suggested for the new and improved sensible Hatter. Two stars.
- “The missing book”: laughably bad. Painful to read. It had absolutely no reminiscence of wonderland in the slightest and it was horrifically boring to read. One star.
- “Roll of honour”: please, what was this? Horrendous. One stars.
- “The Tweedle Twins and the Case of the Colossal Crow”: I had no clue what was happening at any point during this which makes it the most Alice - esque story so far. Very good. Three stars.
- “Ina out of wonderland”: one of my favourite authors?! And of course she exceeds my expectations, as she does every time. So inventive, unique and creative, drawing on the context and history of the creator of Wonderland. Would happily read a full novel of this. Five stars.
- “Plum cakes at dawn”: was I starting to lose hope in any of these stories (other than Robin’s) actually being good? Definitely. And this story only destroyed what little faith I had left. It’s like they’ve never actually read any of Carroll’s work - the point of the original novella is whimsy and fun and madness and this story lacks all, it’s stupid but not in an enjoyable way. The characters are boring, which is just insulting to what Carroll made them to be. One star.
- “The knave of hearts”: this had an interesting concept - whether the knave of hearts was found guilty in the trial at the end of the book, since Carroll never gives closure on the matter. But unsurprisingly, it was terrible. One star.
- “How the chesire cat got his smile”: so how did he get it? some questions are better left unanswered and this is one of them. One star.
- “The caterpillar and the moth rumour”: we finally got to the end and will we end on a sour note? Sour. Very sour. One star.
Overall rating: two stars.
I’m so sorry, Carroll. What a disgrace to your memory.
My thoughts on each story are as follows:
- “Acorns, Biscuits and treacle”: although I appreciate the focus on the least known characters from the original novella who aren’t featured in the Disney adaptations (Pig and the girls at the bottom of the treacle well) it was the only connection to wonderland. It was both dry and uninteresting and completely lacks any sort of whimsy or quirkiness, signatures to Carroll’s writing. Two stars.
- “The Queen of Hearts and the Unwritten Written Rule”: the prose here was absolutely hilarious, so original and fun, I laughed a lot. The premise of wonderland being transformed into a tourist attraction with its own tripadvisor page was just hysterical and I adored it immensely. However, every other word being capitalised really did my head in. It was unnecessary and distracting, serving no purpose to the story or characterisation. Three stars - but it would have been four if it was just typed normally.
- “The sensible Hatter”: Hatter goes sensible, which in itself destroys his character rather than adding to it. It was lovely to see a larger cast of wonderland creatures, even if most of them were out-of-character, but that seemed to be a running theme here. I did however enjoy the little nods to contextual elements of the book, such as the doctor being named Liddell and the name Lutwidge being suggested for the new and improved sensible Hatter. Two stars.
- “The missing book”: laughably bad. Painful to read. It had absolutely no reminiscence of wonderland in the slightest and it was horrifically boring to read. One star.
- “Roll of honour”: please, what was this? Horrendous. One stars.
- “The Tweedle Twins and the Case of the Colossal Crow”: I had no clue what was happening at any point during this which makes it the most Alice - esque story so far. Very good. Three stars.
- “Ina out of wonderland”: one of my favourite authors?! And of course she exceeds my expectations, as she does every time. So inventive, unique and creative, drawing on the context and history of the creator of Wonderland. Would happily read a full novel of this. Five stars.
- “Plum cakes at dawn”: was I starting to lose hope in any of these stories (other than Robin’s) actually being good? Definitely. And this story only destroyed what little faith I had left. It’s like they’ve never actually read any of Carroll’s work - the point of the original novella is whimsy and fun and madness and this story lacks all, it’s stupid but not in an enjoyable way. The characters are boring, which is just insulting to what Carroll made them to be. One star.
- “The knave of hearts”: this had an interesting concept - whether the knave of hearts was found guilty in the trial at the end of the book, since Carroll never gives closure on the matter. But unsurprisingly, it was terrible. One star.
- “How the chesire cat got his smile”: so how did he get it? some questions are better left unanswered and this is one of them. One star.
- “The caterpillar and the moth rumour”: we finally got to the end and will we end on a sour note? Sour. Very sour. One star.
Overall rating: two stars.
I’m so sorry, Carroll. What a disgrace to your memory.
March 17, 2024
A very quick read, beautifully designed cover, very much for Wonderland fans. I find short story collections hard to rate as there is often a lot of variability in my responses to the collection; there was no exception here. I rated several very highly and not so much some of the others. Some I really had trouble seeing the point. Most captured the silly lightness of Carroll but didn't all manage to bring what I felt was something new or compelling as a story here.
Each story is prefaced by a little bit by the author and it's clear that every author is genuinely enthusiastic about Alice in Wonderland. They're motivated by real love for their source and that's beautiful.
I also liked how the book tried to cover a variety of different characters. As they're short stories and due to to the nature of Alice in Wonderland, most stories focused on one or two characters in Wonderland and brought them to the fore. There was the Hatter, Mock Turtle, Dormouse, Knave of Hearts, Tweedledee & Tweedledum, Caterpillar, Cheshire Cat, Queen of Hearts. There were also plenty of tributes to events like Eat Me/Drink Me and the croquet match and so on.
I think the best stories, as I think usually works for short stories, did try to be stories and did not try to be too clever with form. They found a character, a problem and solved it.
I would say I found most satisfying:
The Sensible Hatter - Maz Evans
Ina Out of Wonderland - Robin Stevens
The Missing Book - Swapna Haddow
The Knave of Hearts - Lisa Thompson
The Sensible Hatter was simply charming. It is written like a fable or a Mr Men book. The Mad Hatter has a problem - He's Mr Silly! And he's upset and thinks he should be Mr Sensible. Evans neatly weaves in a tribute to Eat Me/Drink Me and it's hilarious to watch our funny friend become serious. We're treated to the lesson "Your friends love you for who you are" and really don't want you to change. As well as the lesson that everyone needs a laugh in life!
Ina Out of Wonderland was gorgeous and treats us to a bit of a wink at how Alice's sister first came across Wonderland and how she influenced some aspects. It's also a cute reimagining of some of Alice's first encounters with magic in Wonderland and it's clever without being too forced. I loved the idea of the sisterly rivalry being explored here.
Now, how could I not be enchanted by a library mystery in The Missing Book? The Mock Turtle discovers something wrong in the library and recounts its day to work out what's wrong. I loved hearing about the Mock Turtle, and although the ending is one that is a bit predictable, it's a fantastic journey.
The Knave of Hearts was another great character to follow. I loved the insight into this little twist on this guy's life and duties and what he was really thinking. The story gave him a lot more depth and interest. I could really see him right in front of me ... well I won't give the story away! Read it yourself!
Others may delight in different stories more, these were the four stand-outs to me.
Each story is prefaced by a little bit by the author and it's clear that every author is genuinely enthusiastic about Alice in Wonderland. They're motivated by real love for their source and that's beautiful.
I also liked how the book tried to cover a variety of different characters. As they're short stories and due to to the nature of Alice in Wonderland, most stories focused on one or two characters in Wonderland and brought them to the fore. There was the Hatter, Mock Turtle, Dormouse, Knave of Hearts, Tweedledee & Tweedledum, Caterpillar, Cheshire Cat, Queen of Hearts. There were also plenty of tributes to events like Eat Me/Drink Me and the croquet match and so on.
I think the best stories, as I think usually works for short stories, did try to be stories and did not try to be too clever with form. They found a character, a problem and solved it.
I would say I found most satisfying:
The Sensible Hatter - Maz Evans
Ina Out of Wonderland - Robin Stevens
The Missing Book - Swapna Haddow
The Knave of Hearts - Lisa Thompson
The Sensible Hatter was simply charming. It is written like a fable or a Mr Men book. The Mad Hatter has a problem - He's Mr Silly! And he's upset and thinks he should be Mr Sensible. Evans neatly weaves in a tribute to Eat Me/Drink Me and it's hilarious to watch our funny friend become serious. We're treated to the lesson "Your friends love you for who you are" and really don't want you to change. As well as the lesson that everyone needs a laugh in life!
Ina Out of Wonderland was gorgeous and treats us to a bit of a wink at how Alice's sister first came across Wonderland and how she influenced some aspects. It's also a cute reimagining of some of Alice's first encounters with magic in Wonderland and it's clever without being too forced. I loved the idea of the sisterly rivalry being explored here.
Now, how could I not be enchanted by a library mystery in The Missing Book? The Mock Turtle discovers something wrong in the library and recounts its day to work out what's wrong. I loved hearing about the Mock Turtle, and although the ending is one that is a bit predictable, it's a fantastic journey.
The Knave of Hearts was another great character to follow. I loved the insight into this little twist on this guy's life and duties and what he was really thinking. The story gave him a lot more depth and interest. I could really see him right in front of me ... well I won't give the story away! Read it yourself!
Others may delight in different stories more, these were the four stand-outs to me.
June 20, 2019
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.
August 12, 2019
My thanks to Pan Macmillan/Macmillan Children’s Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Return to Wonderland’ in exchange for an honest review.
This collection of eleven short stories inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice was a delight from start to finish. Full marks to its editor(s) and the authors who collectively made this a worthy companion volume to the Alice books. It clearly has been created with love and respect by Macmillan as part of their ‘The Macmillan Alice’ collection.
The collection was whimsical, surrealistic and very much in keeping with the spirit of the original books. Each story begins with a short introduction by its author telling of their individual connection to the Alice books and why they elected to write the story they did.
All eleven stories were fresh and quite brilliant as each focused on supporting characters including the Mock Turtle, Caterpillar, and Cheshire Cat among others. The Queen of Hearts featured in a few. However, I will give a brief shoutout to ‘Plum Cakes at Dawn Or, What Happened When the Dormouse Went to Night Court’ by Lauren St John for its subtle ecological message.
Seeing how beautifully presented the hardback edition was I bought my own copy. In this each story is prefaced by an illustration by Laura Barrett done in a striking black silhouette style. She also created the beautifully detailed cover art.
While this is a children’s book suggested as suitable for readers aged 9-12, I feel that it is a book that every lover of the Alice stories will treasure.
Highly recommended.
This collection of eleven short stories inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice was a delight from start to finish. Full marks to its editor(s) and the authors who collectively made this a worthy companion volume to the Alice books. It clearly has been created with love and respect by Macmillan as part of their ‘The Macmillan Alice’ collection.
The collection was whimsical, surrealistic and very much in keeping with the spirit of the original books. Each story begins with a short introduction by its author telling of their individual connection to the Alice books and why they elected to write the story they did.
All eleven stories were fresh and quite brilliant as each focused on supporting characters including the Mock Turtle, Caterpillar, and Cheshire Cat among others. The Queen of Hearts featured in a few. However, I will give a brief shoutout to ‘Plum Cakes at Dawn Or, What Happened When the Dormouse Went to Night Court’ by Lauren St John for its subtle ecological message.
Seeing how beautifully presented the hardback edition was I bought my own copy. In this each story is prefaced by an illustration by Laura Barrett done in a striking black silhouette style. She also created the beautifully detailed cover art.
While this is a children’s book suggested as suitable for readers aged 9-12, I feel that it is a book that every lover of the Alice stories will treasure.
Highly recommended.
July 29, 2019
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.
April 24, 2019
This was an utterly entertaining, hilarious and enjoyable read of the 11 short stories that have been written by eleven children's authors with the prompt of, What happened after Alice left Wonderland.
The stories that have come together in this short story collection by pan macmillan are entertaining, focus each on one or several different characters from the original stories by Lewis Carroll and give them each new twists and turns. They play around with words as well as with the whimsicalness and the nonsense of the original stories.
It is a long time since I laughed and chuckled as much whilst reading a book as when I read Return to Wonderland. And, should I ever need a story to brighten my day, I know now where to certainly find a story that does exactly that.
What I also loved is the short introduction each author gives with her/his personal relationship to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and how it came a certain character was chosen for the short story written.
I am already looking forward to meet the book in print once it is out end of June. In addition to its fabulous content, it also comes with a beautiful book cover.
I received an eArc from the publisher via Netgalley UK in return for an honest review.
The stories that have come together in this short story collection by pan macmillan are entertaining, focus each on one or several different characters from the original stories by Lewis Carroll and give them each new twists and turns. They play around with words as well as with the whimsicalness and the nonsense of the original stories.
It is a long time since I laughed and chuckled as much whilst reading a book as when I read Return to Wonderland. And, should I ever need a story to brighten my day, I know now where to certainly find a story that does exactly that.
What I also loved is the short introduction each author gives with her/his personal relationship to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and how it came a certain character was chosen for the short story written.
I am already looking forward to meet the book in print once it is out end of June. In addition to its fabulous content, it also comes with a beautiful book cover.
I received an eArc from the publisher via Netgalley UK in return for an honest review.
June 26, 2019
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.
September 1, 2019
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 slim, sometimes creased.
This book was somehow everything and nothing I expected. I liked the stories written about other characters from the beloved Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but nearly every one of them didn't speak to me.
The ones I really enjoyed were The Missing Book, The Sensible Hatter and The Knave of Hearts.
Fun afternoon read, but I don't think I'll be rereading this one.
This book was somehow everything and nothing I expected. I liked the stories written about other characters from the beloved Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but nearly every one of them didn't speak to me.
The ones I really enjoyed were The Missing Book, The Sensible Hatter and The Knave of Hearts.
Fun afternoon read, but I don't think I'll be rereading this one.
April 25, 2019
What would happen in a Wonderland without Alice? Judging by this short story collection, an awful lot!
Featuring 11 stories from a stellar array of children's authors, all of Wonderland's favourite characters are featured. Find out how the Cheshire Cat got his grin, take a look into the lives of the Queen of Hearts croquet balls, discover the secrets of being an excellent librarian from the Mock Turtle and witness just how terrible life could be if the Mad Hatter were, the horror, sensible!
There's something in this collection for every reader, but this one particularly enjoyed the stories by Maz Evans, Patrice Lawrence and Swapna Haddow all of which had me grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
** Recieved a free Digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Featuring 11 stories from a stellar array of children's authors, all of Wonderland's favourite characters are featured. Find out how the Cheshire Cat got his grin, take a look into the lives of the Queen of Hearts croquet balls, discover the secrets of being an excellent librarian from the Mock Turtle and witness just how terrible life could be if the Mad Hatter were, the horror, sensible!
There's something in this collection for every reader, but this one particularly enjoyed the stories by Maz Evans, Patrice Lawrence and Swapna Haddow all of which had me grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
** Recieved a free Digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
May 2, 2019
What a treat in store for any Alice fan! Eleven fantastic authors have all written a short story themed on Lewis Carroll's much loved tales and they are all so different but all so wonderful, fun and affectionate. I couldn't possibly pick a favourite story but this quote from Plum Cakes at Dawn by Lauren St John did make me smile: 'Nurses, librarians and unicorn-wranglers aside, humans are no good for anything apart from making plum cake and providing sanctuary for obese golden retrievers'! Would have wide appeal from middle grade readers right up to adults. can't wait to get a copy, definitely one to cherish.
August 18, 2019
As a true Alice fan, the minute I heard about this I knew that I had to read it. I was lucky enough to receive a proof copy of this book from the publishers and am ashamed to say that it took me far too long to actually get around to picking it up - however when I did, I devoured the stories in a matter of days!
I particularly loved The Sensible Hatter by Maz Evans and How the Cheshire Cat got his Smile by Piers Torday. This is a beautiful addition to my Wonderland collection and I hope that there will be more similar to this in the future as I believe that we will never have had enough of Wonderland and its occupants!
I particularly loved The Sensible Hatter by Maz Evans and How the Cheshire Cat got his Smile by Piers Torday. This is a beautiful addition to my Wonderland collection and I hope that there will be more similar to this in the future as I believe that we will never have had enough of Wonderland and its occupants!
November 28, 2020
Ok, tell a lie. I didn’t read all of it, but I did read a little bit of each. This one was mostly for the job because of the variety of authors in it. All of a sudden Pamela Burchart is on my watch list now! The kids loved her but I couldn’t see the appeal until this, and now I totally get it.
Books like this are great for readers who are stuck, I think anyway. The selection of authors allows you to find something that fit what you’re feeling and the way the stories are short means that you can read one in a day easily without it i]eating into your time.
This is perfect for a class book!
Books like this are great for readers who are stuck, I think anyway. The selection of authors allows you to find something that fit what you’re feeling and the way the stories are short means that you can read one in a day easily without it i]eating into your time.
This is perfect for a class book!
April 15, 2022
Oh my God I have only read 5 books this year.
Moving onnn, this book was really sweet. I loved how all the authors shared how much the world Lewis Caroll created meant to them and that really reflected in their writing. I also loved how a few of the authors included important messages like accepting change or working to stop climate change. I would definitely recommend this book for children and anyone else who loved Alice in Wonderland.
Moving onnn, this book was really sweet. I loved how all the authors shared how much the world Lewis Caroll created meant to them and that really reflected in their writing. I also loved how a few of the authors included important messages like accepting change or working to stop climate change. I would definitely recommend this book for children and anyone else who loved Alice in Wonderland.
September 5, 2020
I think I am giving this a 3.5 star rating. Although I really enjoyed some of the stories, especially the mock turtle story that had me laughing out loud. Yet a couple of the stories I really didn't like. I hated the format of the second story with the random words in capital letters. It just confused me. So those factors did drag down the over all rating for me.
April 29, 2019
Definitely four and a half stars for this, which is a lot more than I'd ever bother to give the original.
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Please feel free to see the full review:-
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