Review: Mrs. White Rabbit by Gilles Bachelet

A hilarious twist on a classic tale Alice in Wonderland is one of the great classics of children's literature, but what does anyone actually know about Wonderland?

Through the diary of the White Rabbit's extremely busy wife, readers finally get to see what happens in the background during Alice's adventures.

 Mrs. White Rabbit loves her husband and their many children, but with an invisible housecat from Cheshire and a young female visitor who frequently changes size, living in Wonderland comes with a number of challenges.

 With an abundance of wit and charm, Mrs. White Rabbit gives Lewis Carroll's famous tale a refreshingly modern twist.

ebook - 32 pages

 Expected publication: Feb. 6th 2017

 by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

I have a grandson who loves to sit and read books with Grandma.  When I see something interesting on Netgalley I try to grab for our special time together.  The cover for this one drew my attention and reading the synopsis I figured this was another great choice.  I have never read Alice in Wonderland, but know enough that I didn't think it would matter.

I downloaded this to my iPad to get the full effect of the color illustrations.  You can see from the cover how bright and colorful they are.  That continued throughout the book making the visual part of this book very enticing, the story matched the pictures nicely.

The book is written as a Dear Diary by an unhappy wife/mother. Some of the wording wouldn't have been understood by a younger child as well as some of the mothers issues as she rants on about her unhappy life.  While there were funny moments I think this book is for an older audience and those enthusiast fans of Alice in Wonderland.  

I rated this 2 stars but because of the wonderful illustrates went to 3 stars.

Thank you to the publisher (via Netgalley) for an advanced copy.

Review: Helen Thayer's Arctic Adventure: A Woman and a Dog Walk to the North Pole by Sally Isaacs, Iva Sasheva (Illustrations)

This picture book tells the thrilling story of a woman from New Zealand who walked alone from Canada all the way to the magnetic North Pole; well, alone except for Charlie, the best and most protective dog on the globe.

 Hardcover Published January 1st 2016 by Capstone Press

source: ebook via netgalley

****

Helen Thayer's Arctic Adventure is exactly what the title says.  What makes this book so special, not only is it based on a true story but the messages it conveys.  Helen is 50 years old when she started this trek.  At first wanting to be alone she was talked into taking a Canadian Inuit Husky with her, she named him Charlie.  This adventure was something that she took seriously and trained hard for.  She planned and prepared.  Enduring polar bears and the weather they stuck together and overcame what nature put in their path. They didn't give up but persevered.

The illustrations were wonderful, depicting the barren land with its snow and hollowing winds.  Very easy to feel the elements.  The colorful pages are what brings this book to life, I would recommend reading on a colored tablet or the print copy.

This story is direct and to the point, it is perfect for the targeted age (middle grade).  I loved its message - that no matter your age/gender you can follow you dreams, by working hard, planning and being prepared your can do anything.

Thank you to Netgalley for bringing this book to my attention,  the author herself has penned a more in depth story of this 'adventure' called Polar Dreams and sits nestled on my tbr pile.