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Wonderland [Hardcover]

Tommy Kovac , Sonny Liew
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)


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Book Description

March 17, 2009 11 and up

Among the numerous curiosities that have gone unexplained in the classic tale Alice in Wonderland, perhaps the most perplexing might be who, exactly, is the “Maryann” that the White Rabbit mistakes Alice for at the beginning of the story? Lewis Carroll first made us ponder this and, years later, Walt Disney again made viewers wonder who Maryann might be in his classic feature length film based on Carroll’s book. 

Now, the amazingly talented folks at SLG Publishing, through a licensing deal with Disney, have finally answered this age-old question. In their beautifully executed comic book series, WONDERLAND, readers experience Alice’s fantastic world as they’ve never seen it before. Writer Tommy Kovac’s Wonderland is missing Alice herself, but it’s still populated by the other characters that make the world such a curiously exciting place. The Queen of Hearts is present, barking orders to lop off people’s heads, as is the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and the rest of Wonderland’s beloved cast. And there are some new faces, too, including the book’s main protagonist, the mysterious Maryann herself. All are beautifully illustrated by Wonderland’s artist, Sonny Liew.

The graphic novel will collect the six issues that comprised the Wonderland comic series in a beautiful, collectible, jacketed hardcover edition.


Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This wonderful graphic novel offshoot from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland need not worry those concerned about some crass Disney effort to strip-mine yet more revenue out of a beloved children's classic. Author Kovac and artist Liew's six-chapter novel is a droll and urbane imagining of the story behind a very minor character from Carroll's tale: Mary Ann, the White Rabbit's maid, who was mistaken for Alice. In Kovac's telling, dark-haired Mary Ann is a compulsive cleaner and follower of rules, who cares not a whit for the legendary Alice monster, as everyone terms the rebellious blonde, whom Mary Ann sees as little more than a back-talking, stuck-up little prat. Mary Ann tromps through Liew's lusciously colored landscapes, encountering all the expected characters (Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, Jabberwock) and getting into trouble with most of them. Although the mood is correctly tea party surreal, Kovac manages to add in unexpected elements, from courtly intrigue to fanaticism (Alice even has her own cult, known as the Curious), while never losing track of Carroll's hyperactive gamesmanship. It's a rare piece of literature that's been inspired by another yet deserves its own prideful place on the bookshelf. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4 Up–Ever wonder what happened in Wonderland after Alice left? Follow the quirky tale of Mary Ann, the meticulous and dutiful housekeeper for the White Rabbit, as she continues the tale. Her boss is now wanted for treason by the Queen of Hearts for allowing the Alice Monster to enter the kingdom–off with his head! On the run and fearing for their lives, Mary Ann and White Rabbit encounter the meddlesome Cheshire Cat, the ever-contentious troublemaker, sending the White Rabbit straight into the clutches of the queen and poor Mary Ann tumbling into the Treacle Well. When she discovers the Queen of Spades, an escape plan is hatched along with a meeting between the two queens. Chaos ensues, as it should in Wonderland, complete with a regime change and a happy ending for Mary Ann and her furry friends. This is a terrific look at a great classic. The energetic, action-packed illustrations complement the story in Disney-cartoon style, making for a great read for all ages.–Ann Bailey, Wilde Lake High School, Columbia, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

  • Age Range: 11 and up
  • Hardcover: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Disney Press; 1st edition (March 17, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 142310451X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1423104513
  • Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 6.4 x 10.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #864,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
(12)
4.3 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Lewis Carroll Would Approve! March 17, 2009
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
There seems to be a fad recently for "Alice in Wonderland" spin-off comics that are in the "horror" genre. Hideous, ghoulish, and ugly. But "Wonderland" by Kovac and Liew is charming, gentle, witty, and -- as were Carroll's original books -- "Highly Illogical" -- in the best possible way! The choice of protagonist -- Mary Ann, the White Rabbit's young housemaid -- is a stroke of purest genius. As a native of Wonderland, she is "at home" with the zany leaps of linguistic nonsense which were so perplexing to Alice.
The art is obviously dependent on the Disney version of "Alice in Wonderland," with recognizeably the same Queen of Hearts, Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, etc. But the story veers away from the lurid, "cuckoo for cocoa puffs" inanity of the movie, and is of a more genteel, more thoughtful, and far more literate style. It is a romp, to be sure, but more truly dreamlike and less garishly nightmarish than the Disney classic.
At first the art seems sketchy, loose, unfinished, as if the inks and pencils hadn't quite been finalized. After a very short time, this looseness will endear itself to you, and you will begin to see Liew's mastery, a style that is suggestive more than declarative.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing July 7, 2009
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Length: 0:10 Mins
Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew present a different take on Alice's Wonderland with a story told from the point of Mary Ann, housemaid of White Rabbit.

The adventure starts when Mary Ann goes on the run after hitting the Queen of Spades (accidentally) for dirtying her apron. We then follow the adventures of Mary Ann and White Rabbit as they journey through the magical world, interacting with the very other amusing characters.

The story is light-hearted and reads fast. Sonny Liew's sketchy and colourful style work very well here. Wonderland is always changing, nothing is certain, just as implied by the sketchy hurried lines, spotted backgrounds. There's also a certain manga element into Mary Ann's character, such as using multiple dots to simulate running and the nose-less portrait. The set and other characters are also very well designed. There's a good sense of personality in all the characters.

Overall, it's a very nice comic worth checking out, especially so when all the single issues are now collected in one volume.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Feed your head March 17, 2009
Format:Hardcover
It's amazing how many artists, authors, filmmakers, poets, and creative personalities feel a need to put their own distinctive stamp on Alice's Wonderland. From creative stage productions to creepy films to horrible television shows, there's just something about Alice. She casts a spell over us. Lewis Carroll knew not what he wrought when he brought Wonderland into our world, and various Wonderland-related permutations have continued unabated ever since. The newest addition to the Alice oeuvre, however, doesn't feature that white pinafored girl at all. Author Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew had an entirely new spin in mind when they produced six single-issue comics simply entitled Wonderland. I ask you this: Who is the one character in the original story that is alluded to and but never seen? If you'll cast your mind back it will come to you. Mary Ann. The White Rabbit at one point mistakes Alice for his own maid. So without further ado Kovac and Liew decided to tell her story, now collected in a single handsome volume for public consumption. Wonderland has its own missteps and shortcomings, but by and large it comes off as a pleasant ode to Carroll's vision, with a fun storyline and art that stands up to its material.

Cast your mind back to the story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This is the tale of the maid, Mary Ann. Returning to the White Rabbit's home, Mary Ann hears conflicting reports of an "Alice monster" that wreaked havoc throughout the kingdom in her absence.
... Read more ›
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars 'One Of Them Girly-Type Faces' June 6, 2010
By Larissa
Format:Hardcover
When Alice followed a talking white rabbit down a rabbit hole the events that followed became well known, but not only in our world. Wonderland was a world changed as Alice had left behind her a land in chaos and a kingdom now full of the curious.

But the most intriguing and unanswered question to arise from Alice's Adventure In Wonderland is the curious manner in which the white rabbit refers to Alice as Mary Ann. Just who is this Mary Ann and why is does the white rabbit insist Alice is she?

Would it surprise you to learn that, like Alice, Mary Ann was a girl who wore some sort of dress and had some sort of hair on her head. Under such circumstances could the white rabbit really be blamed for getting the two mixed up?

But then Alice turned out to be some sort of monster, creating chaos and in-sighting curiosity, while Mary Ann is but a humble and orderly maid who loves noting more then to clean and tidy. However when it comes down to it are Alice and Mary Ann really so different.

Wonderland is a graphic novel that tells the story of the elusive Mary Ann and what life was like for those in Wonderland after Alice. A combination of the comic book issues that comprised the Wonderland comic series are brought together in this vivid and intriguing hardcover edition. A quirky and curious tale for all those to dare to know more.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, whimsical and incredibly enjoyable
I love the drawing style of Sonney Liew! This is a great book that describes the life of Maryann, Tommy Kovac and Sonney Liew do a brilliant job of bringing a side character of... Read more
Published 4 months ago by J. Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book.
This book was awesome. I read it to my niece and nephew and they loved it. It made them want to pick up a book. Well done.
Published 7 months ago by Linda Parada
5.0 out of 5 stars Curiouser and Curiouser
Wonderland, by Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew, is about what happens right after Alice has visited the White Rabbit's cottage. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Nana Hawkins
4.0 out of 5 stars More Disney than it needed to be; less Disney than you'd expect
Comics, in their modern American form, are so inextricably tied up with licensing that even projects that have no need to hire someone else's intellectual property end up doing so. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Andrew C Wheeler
4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely spin-off
Maryann, is the mistaken name that the White Rabbit calls Alice in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. But who is she. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Brittany Moore
3.0 out of 5 stars Adorable~
Very cute! The style is very original, and the story as well! I really like that they took a character who was only mentioned, and never actually appeared in Lewis Carroll's... Read more
Published 21 months ago by ButterflyPigment
5.0 out of 5 stars really fun!
This was a gift for my daughter. She loved it and read it as soon as possible.
Very nice illustrations and loved the new perspective on a great story.
Published on February 22, 2010 by S. Schiavone
4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderland without Alice
I was a bit uneasy when cracking open this book. Sequels by other authors are a risky business, particularly with something like Carroll's "Wonderland" books, which hold a... Read more
Published on June 19, 2009 by Brent R. Swanson
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