Wonderland

The Queen of Hearts, The Mad Hatter, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and The White Rabbit are all present in Tommy Kovak’s graphic novel, Wonderland. There is only one person missing….Where’s Alice?

This is a tale of Wonderland, without Alice. Instead it follows the White Rabbit’s servant MaryAnn. The White Rabbit is accused of treason after the Queen of Hearts believes that he allowed the monster, Alice, into their land. Faithful MaryAnn accompanies him as they flee from the death sentence made by the Queen, “Off with his head!” They meet most of the same characters as Alice did, but they have all altered slightly. This tale parallels Alice in Wonderland, and was published by Disney. This graphic novel will also answer some un-answered questions from the original Alice in Wonderland. Will MaryAnn and The White Rabbit escape the wrath of the Queen? And what kind of interesting situations and characters will they come across? Chaos has taken over Wonderland, and Tommy Kovac does an amazing job with keeping the audience right in the middle of the drama.

I believe that this could be used in middle and high school classrooms. It is an easy read, but it is interesting with; character developments, plot twists, and great images and passages. I think it would also be an interesting book to examine in graphic design or art classes. Kovac’s art work is exceptional, and kept me hooked throughout the whole novel.

I believe that this is a great book for reluctant readers, especially if they enjoy art. With minimal words and elaborate drawings, the pictures carry the audience through the novel. I thought it was strange though that I found this in the Children’s section at the Harold Washington Library. I feel like the images and some language is not suitable for anyone under the age of twelve. I think that this is a great creative piece that deserves some acknowledgement. This book can definitely help start projects on; graphic novels, the importance of illustrations, or spin-offs of other stories.