Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney's Classic Fairytale) [Hardcover]

Jon Scieszka (Author), Mary Blair (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: September 2, 2008 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years | Series: Walt Disney's Classic Fairytale

The fantastical tale of a young girl chasing her White Rabbit has delighted children since Lewis Carroll wrote it generations ago. Here his Wonderland shines anew, viewed through the looking glasses of two incomparable artists.

Mary Blair’s vibrant art helped shape the look of Walt Disney’s classic animated film. Collected in a picture book for the first time, her illustrations capture the essence of such memorable characters as the Queen of Hearts and the Mad Hatter with stunning immediacy. Jon Scieszka’s captivating text celebrates all that is curious—and all that is nonsensical—about the world that holds Alice spellbound, from a deliciously absurd tea party to the spectacle of a kingdom of playing cards . 

Brimming with wit and wonder, this sparkling retelling will enchant readers from the moment Alice falls down the rabbit hole, whether or not they’ve made the journey before.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4—This lively retelling of Lewis Carroll's classic creates a delightful narrative framework for the stunning concept art that shaped the look of the Disney animated film. Imbued with Scieszka's unique brand of kid-captivating humor, the effervescent text presents a streamlined version of Alice's adventures that adheres closely to the plot of the movie. The first lines set the tone and immediately reel readers in: "Have you ever tried to listen to a long, boring schoolbook on a warm, lazy day? And have you ever wondered why anyone would make a book so boring? Then you are just like Alice." Scieszka interjects amusing commentary throughout while successfully maintaining an appropriate once-upon-a-time mood. Blair's deep-hued paintings employ rich shades and dazzling color combinations to create a lush, almost impressionistic version of Wonderland. For the most part, the artwork unfolds as a logical visual narrative rather than seeming like a gallery of reproductions. However, observant viewers will notice that Alice's appearance is not always consistent, and that the images may not always provide the strongest interpretation of the text (for example, the March Hare and Cheshire Cat are mentioned but never depicted). Still, children will enjoy this eye-catching and entertaining production.—Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal
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About the Author

Jon Scieszka is the author of dozens of wildly popular, critically acclaimed children's books, including The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs; Caldecott Honor recipient, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales; and Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh Morals for Beastly Fables, all illustrated by Lane Smith. He is also the author of the Time Warp Trio book series. Mr. Scieszka lives with his wife in Brooklyn, New York.



Mary Blair (1911-1978) was one of Walt Disney's most brilliant conceptual designers. During her 34 years with the company, she helped define the look of such film classics as Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan. In addition to her work on animated films, Ms. Blair brought her unique style to children's books, advertisements, theatrical set designs and theme park attractions. She remains one of the most respected artists in the history of animation.

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Disney Press (September 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423107284
• ISBN-13: 978-1423107286
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 0.5 x 11 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #329,356 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

[DRUM ROLL.....] PRESENTING THE ONE AND ONLY JON SCIESZKA!

Jon Scieszka was born in Flint, Michigan on September 8th, 1954. He grew up with five brothers, has the same birthday as Peter Sellers and the Virgin Mary, and a sneaking suspicion that the characters in his Dick and Jane reader were not of this world. Those plain facts, plus his elementary school principal dad, Louis, his registered nurse mom, Shirley (who once took Jon's Cub Scout den on a field trip to the prenatal ward), Mad Magazine, four years of pre-med undergrad, "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show", an M.F.A. in Fiction from Columbia University, Robert Benchley, five years of painting apartments in New York City, his lovely wife Jeri Hansen who introduced him to Molly Leach and Lane Smith, Green Eggs and Ham, his teenage daughter Casey and almost teenage son Jake, ten years of teaching a little bit of everything from first grade to eighth grade, and the last twenty years of living in Brooklyn...are just some of Jon's answers to the questions, "Where do you get your ideas?" and/or "How did you become a writer?" I don't know, just because, none of your beeswax, and flapdoodle poppycock and balderdash are some more of Jon's answers to questions you can imagine on your own. Jon met up with Lane Smith around 1986 or so, and nothing has been the same since. Their first book, the wiseguy fairy tale retelling, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! was initially rejected by most publishers as "too weird" and "too sophisticated". Published by Viking in 1989, The True Story has now sold over a million copies, been translated into ten languages, and been called a "classic picture book for all ages". Jon and Lane's The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (1992) took the world of the picture book a few steps further. Goofing with the conventions of fairy tales and even being a book, The Stinky Cheese Man became a household word, sold another mess of copies in multiple languages, offended a few purists, and still managed to win a Caldecott Honor medal. Math Curse (1995) further stretched the notion of what subjects make good picture books, selling more books faster than either 3 Little Pigs or Stinky Cheese, and winning a whole slew of awards --all for a book full of mathematics.More recently, Jon and Lane have resurrected fables (in the smart, funny, and a little bit wicked way Aesop would have wanted them) in their latest collaboration, Squids Will Be Squids (1998). No telling where they might take the picture book next. Someone once wrote, "Jon Scieszka has forever changed the face of children's literature." And while there is still some confusion over exactly who that someone was, and whether children's literature does, in fact, have a face, most would agree-from The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! to Squids Will Be Squids, since Scieszka put pen to paper, children's literature sure has been...different.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Disney's Alice in Wonderland and Mary Blair's sumptuous art together! September 5, 2008

By Tante Maren TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Disney's Alice in Wonderland, as told through the gorgeous art work of Mary Blair, makes for one very spectacular book! Mary Blair (1911-1978) was one of Disney's most brilliant conceptual designers, who contributed in the creations of such great film classics as Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. Mary Blair gave Disney 34 years of her gorgeous and vivid art, which will always stand out through her use of unbelievably vivid colors and her impressionistic art form.

Mary not only helped design these characters for these Disney classics, but she brought her unique art style to other children's books, advertisements, theatrical set designs and theme park attractions. Mary Blair remains one of the most respected artists in the history of Disney animation, and this book showcases her talent! In this book, you can see the beginnings of the Disney characters of Alice, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts. Mary's gorgeous impressionistic paintings of them show the forms that would take shape later on, in the film.

This book is the second of Disney's books showcasing the fantastic talents of Mary Blair. The first was published last year in 2007, Cinderella, and it is the most gorgeous treasure as well! I think you can still get this first edition here on Amazon from other dealers!

I am hoping Disney will publish Mary's art work that she did in creating the Peter Pan characters next year, so we will have all 3 of her major film contributions to Disney's characters in Alice, Cinderella and Peter Pan. For anyone who loves seeing the origins of the classic Disney characters in these early, gorgeous art forms, you will love this book on Alice in Wonderland by the unbelievably talented Mary Blair!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful read aloud tale January 14, 2009

By Geek Goddess

Format:Hardcover

We bought this book for my 3-year-old daughter after a recent trip to Disney World left her captivated with Alice in Wonderland. Mary Blair's artwork is bright and vivid and holds so many details. My daughter can spend a long time just flipping through the book and looking at the pictures.

Jon Scieszka's text captures the whimsy of wonderland and is the perfect length for a bedtime story. We loved this book so much we ordered Walt Disney's Cinderella by the same author/artist.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book for kids and adults! February 27, 2009

By Quinn Roberts

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Our baby is too young to appreciate this book now, but I'm sure she will love it when she's a little older. The illustrations by Mary Blair are beautiful, and the accompanying story is well narrated.

I will be purchasing other books in the series.