If you’re a fan of Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland/Looking-Glass books, skip the over-hyped, under-written Tim Burton movie, and read this book instead — you’ll be thanking me later

“The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright–
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.”

– from Through the Looking-Glass (opening stanza of “The Walrus & the Carpenter”)

“The moon was shining on the sea,
So to eclipse the sun:
She did her very best to make
The billows roughly run–
And this was odd, because, of course,
The day had just begun.”

– from Alice in Verse: The Lost Rhymes of Wonderland (opening stanza of “The Walrus & the Carpenter Head Back”)

Since the greater half of Carroll’s poetry in both Wonderland and Looking-Glass was based upon popular rhymes of the day, an homage of this sort is most fitting. Yet the brilliance of The Lost Rhymes lies not only juxtaposition and homage. Like the poems of Wonderland and Looking-Glass, The Lost Rhymes are peppered with allegory and insight, from the legal sham of the Knave of Heart’s trial (with the obvious collusion of the Hatter as defense counsel and the Hare as prosecutor), where the King declares:

“We’ve heard the charge brought by the Hare
Upon this crucial matter.
And now, before we hang this rogue,
We’ll listen to the Hatter…”

to the surprisingly sound advice of the Cheshire Cat:

“If you really must go, then it’s best you should know
That to find you need only to seek–
But in seeking and finding, you may need reminding:
Once found, is what’s sought worth a peek?”

to the heartfelt reminder that “rhythm and rhyme are still virtues yet well worth defending.”

The accompanying illustrations are exceptional, with a thoroughly fresh and imaginative take on the occupants of Wonderland, including a Caterpillar with a set of wings that would put the Wright Brothers to shame; a pair of cunning Tweedles who appear as though they’ve substituted their last few Ritalin doses with a six-pack of Red Bull apiece; a Queen of Hearts who looks suspiciously like a cross between Jim Dale and Judi Dench; and a Hatter with what one can only assume to be a self-fashioned head-covering whose myriad mechanics and trappings are as mind-bogglingly mad as the machinations of the irreverent teetotaler himself.

Sharp, clever, and above all entertaining, Alice in Verse: The Lost Rhymes of Wonderland is more than just an homage to (or revisiting of) familiar material. It stands on its own merit as the definitive companion piece to Carroll’s original classic.

I haven’t read the reviews, but I read the Dunderheads. found it amusing in its subversiveness, but I don’t understand the raves for it.

Really disappointed Marcelo didn’t get a Printz Medal or Honor – thought it was a marvelous and original book, beautifully written, with a surprising plot (not just ‘boy on the autistic spectrum has to learn to deal with the real world’ – he has to deal with ethical problems that would challenge anyone, and it’s actually a page-turner to see what he will do). I’m very glad it got the Schneider, but would’ve liked to have seen it get the wider recognition of the Printz.

Also, I’m reading Marching for Freedom (thanks to Jonathan – will get to Claudette Colvin when I come up in the library queue) and it is so well done. I wish it could’ve gotten some recognition as well.

I was disappointed MARCELO didn’t win the Printz. I haven’t read any of their choices, though, and need to see what they thought was better.

I’m very happy about the Newbery and Caldecott choices, though. Only one problem with having followed it so long: The award announcement doesn’t suddenly dramatically increase my list of books to be read!