Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: A pop-up adaptation
Paper Engineer: Robert Sabuda
Novelty Book
For ages 7 and up
Simon and Schuster, 2003 ISBN: 978-0689847431
It is a a warm afternoon and Alice is quietly sitting on the riverbank with her sister. Her sister is reading a book which Alice is sure must be a very dull because it has no picture or conversations. Then Alice sees a white rabbit running past. This in itself is not all that odd. What is odd it that the rabbit is talking to itself and it is wearing a waistcoat. Alice has never seen a talking rabbit, and she has certainly never seen one wearing clothes. Without stopping to think, Alice sets off in hot pursuit and thus begins her extraordinary adventures. Alice jumps into a rabbit hole after the rabbit and she begins falling down, down, and down. From the moment she enters the rabbit hole, "curiouser and curiouser" things start happening to Alice. Alice finds herself in situations where she keeps changing sizes; she goes for a swim in her own tears; she attends the most peculiar tea party; and a queen threatens to cut off her head (among other things).
Though there are only six double page spreads in the book, each spread is rich with artwork, novelty features and text. There is one very large and highly complicated pop-up in the middle of each double page, and to the side of this main pop-up there is a mini book in which Alice's adventures are described. Within the mini books there are more pop-ups that have moving parts and foil papers.
To say that this is a unique and remarkable book is an understatement. Just when you think that you have seen it all, you discover something new to admire and explore.
