Alices Adventures under Ground

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Zwerger's (The Wizard of Oz) captivating cover image of the Mad Tea-Party for this edition of Carroll's 1865 tale conveys the psychological tension of the interior artwork: Alice, at the head of an elongated table with a pristine white linen cloth, stares at the pocket watch that the March Hare is about to lower into his cup of tea. The Hare, bug-eyed, gazes out at readers while the Mad Hatter to his right, wearing a hat box, fixates on a black upturned chapeau (in lieu of a place setting), and the Dormouse between them sleeps. Across the table, an empty red mug is placed in front of a vacant green chair, and a teacup and saucer trimmed in red seems to be set for the reader. The painting conveys the way in which Zwerger brilliantly manages both to invite readers into the story and to keep them at a distance. From the heroine's first appearance, as she falls down a well while chasing the White Rabbit, with a glimpse of orderly bookshelves at the upper left corner, Zwerger demonstrates the many layers to Alice's journey: a cutaway view reveals that the bulk of the other "shelves" are the result of rats and insects tunneling underground. The supporting cast conveys the artist's nearly sardonic perspective. The contrary caterpillar, with six of its eight arms crossed, would be at home in New York's East Village: instead of a hookah it smokes a cigarette and sips red wine, yet--unlike Sir John Tenniel's sedated counterpart--this caterpillar is lucid, defiantly staring out at an Alice (and readers) absent from the scene. Zwerger's penetrating interpretation reinvents Carroll's situations and characters and demands a rereading of the text. All ages. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

We have seen many versions of the famous Alice over the years, from the original drawings by Dodgson himself and the first published illustrations by Tenniel, through various blondes and brunettes, to Disney and other recent film depictions. This visualization by McGraw is much more abstract than the rest, emphasizing atmosphere and emotions with intense colors. Figures are barely recognizable but do retain just enough symbolic content to relate to the text. Illustrations appear on all pages in a variety of formats and sizes, but all have a significant painterly quality and an otherworldliness that challenges the reader to find enhanced meaning. For all fans of Alice, and for interesting comparisons. 2001, HarperCollins, $21.95. Ages 8 up. Reviewer:Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

School Library Journal

Gr 4-Up-McGraw provides a unique visual interpretation of Carroll's classic tale. As in Natasha Wing's Hippity Hop, Frog on Top (1994; o.p.) and Edward Lear's The New Vestments (1995; o.p., both S & S), his gouache illustrations are marked by bold, rich colors and a collage-style layout. His work suggests the influence of early 20th-century abstract, fantasy, and surrealist painters, as well as that of contemporary illustrator Brian Wildsmith. At times, the trip through Wonderland appears nightmarish. The images of Alice with the bottle of poison in front of her face and the executioner as a masked club card clutching an ax are particularly jarring. The story can be read on many levels. McGraw has chosen to portray the deeper, darker side of Alice's adventures. This is definitely a sophisticated and special interpretation that will appeal to a very limited, mature audience.-Heide Piehler, Shorewood Public Library, WI Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.