It’s fitting that my inaugural review should be on the first book I read with my daughter: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alice was published in 1865 and is one of the bestselling children’s books of all time. For those not familiar with Carroll’s novel, Alice tells the story of a young girl who follows the White Rabbit down a rabbit hole into Wonderland: a place where animals talk, things you eat come with unexpected results, and everyone is a bit mad. It is a classic story that can be enjoyed by children and adults of all ages. Before my daughter was born, I wanted to find the best illustrated edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Robert Ingpen Illustrated Edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Knowing that I was going to be reading to a toddler, I wanted an edition with a ton of colorful illustrations to keep her attention. For a child, as Alice herself points out in the opening chapter, “what is the use of a book . . . without pictures?” After considering several other versions, I ended up with this edition published by Sterling and illustrated by Robert Ingpen. One of the greatest strengths of this book is almost every page has an illustration. In fact, only when reading pages 136 and 137 will you not have some sort of illustration to keep your child interested. (Not bad for a 185-page book.) Although one has to wonder why the publisher could not find a final illustration.

The Sterling edition is unabridged (which I prefer). However, as many of the twelve chapters are self-contained adventures; it is possible to skip a chapter or two if the story isn’t holding your child’s attention.

Another factor to consider when buying children books is can you comfortably read the book at a distance so the child can follow along and look at the pictures. The Sterling edition is perfect for reading aloud. The text is large enough that it can be seen from a distance. The somewhat larger text also ensures there aren’t too many words on any given page, so you never have to wait too long for the next picture. This is especially important when trying to keep a toddler’s attention.

Comparison of the Book to the Movie Adaptations

Those of you familiar with the 1951 Disney animated movie will recognize many of characters and plots, including the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, the Caterpillar, the March Hare, the Mad Hatter, and the Cheshire Cat. Notably absent are Tweedledum and Tweedledee. They are actually met in the sequel, Alice Through the Looking-Glass, which I reviewed here. In addition, as is often the case with film adaptations, there are several chapters and characters not included in the movie. However, to be fair, I think Disney did a good job editing the story as the parts left out are some of the book’s weakest.

Please note, the 2010 live action movie staring Johnny Depp is only loosely based on the books. While that movie has its strengths, following Carroll’s stories is not one of them.

In addition to the above mentioned movies, Disney Junior has a new show out called Alice’s Wonderland Bakery that young children may enjoy. If your child has already been exposed to this show, they may be more apt to sit through and enjoy the story. By way of example, my daughter saw Disney’s Mary Poppins before we read the book, and I found her more engaged when we got around to reading P. L. Travers’ classic novel.

Summary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Alice excels at being simple enough for children to enjoy, yet intellectually stimulating enough for adults to reread multiple times. Personally, I have read to book to my daughter three times in the past four years. The book is like the movie Shrek. It has something for all ages. In one paragraph, children are laughing at Alice’s drastic physical changes whenever she eats anything in Wonderland. The next adults are sympathizing when Alice deals with these changes by asking “Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle!“.

Another strength of Alice is the length of its chapters. When reading aloud to children (especially at bedtime) you’re often looking for a good place to stop. The chapters in Alice are short enough that that should never be a problem. My edition even included a book ribbon to keep my place. In addition, due to the nature of the story, entire chapters can be left out if your child is getting bored with the book. It is also worth noting for bedtime readers, there isn’t anything too scary in the book. However, some children might find some characters, such as the Queen of Hearts a bit harsh. One nice thing about reading aloud is that parents can adjust how scary a character comes across.

Another factor I consider when picking books to read to my daughter is does the book have cultural significance. Basically is it a book that she “should” read at some point in her life. Alice definitely checks that box. From medical diagnoses (go look up Alice in Wonderland syndrome), to movies such as the Matrix, to diverse artists including Aerosmith, Jefferson Airplane, Gwen Stefani, and Snoop Dogg, Alice is part of our shared culture. A child’s life will be richer for having read the story.

My Pick for the Best Illustrated Edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

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Other Brilliant Illustrated Editions of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to Consider

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I’ll end with one of my favorite dialogues from the book.

“Take some more tea,” the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
“I’ve had nothing yet,” Alice replied in an offended tone, “so I can’t take more.”
“You mean you can’t take less,” said the Hatter, “it’s very easy to take more than nothing.”