ALICE IN POP-UP WONDERLAND

Seibold’s zany re-envisioning of Lewis Carroll’s classic story is not for purists. While the text is Carroll’s, it is drastically abbreviated with nary a transition in sight; Alice’s fall down the rabbit hole ends one page while the next starts with her kicking a small animal up a chimney. Readers need to either come to the book familiar with the story or, better yet, simply sit back and enjoy a nonsense ride through Seibold’s Wonderland. Alice, the creatures that populate her adventures, and their environments hark back to cartoons of the ’50s with flat expanses of color, retro patterns, and puddle-like shadows. There are a number of pull-tabs that will intrigue young readers, including a nifty one that causes the Cheshire Cat to disappear, leaving only his grin. This is an enjoyable, though—if compared to the Sabuda (above)—ephemeral romp. (Picture book. 4-8)