ALICE WITH A WHY, by Anna James and Matthew Land, Flamingo Books, Jan. 6, 2026, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 8-12)
Alice’s granddaughter finds herself tumbling down the rabbit hole in Alice with a Why, a retelling of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Anna James and Matthew Land.
Journey back to Wonderland . . .
England, 1919. Alyce—with a Y—is sent to live with her grandmother, the original Alice, after having lost her father in war. When a mysterious invitation to a tea party hits her square in the face, Alyce realizes that her grandmother’s strange stories of a place called Wonderland might have some truth to them after all.
Soon Alyce is tumbling down into Wonderland herself, but the place she finds is not the colorful world she’s heard stories of, but a world trapped in its own war. The Sun King and the Queen of the Moon are fighting over a stolen hour, and soon Alyce is tasked with setting it right. With the help of the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and a Sailor Fox, Alyce will have to solve Wonderland’s problems and, eventually, find her way back home. —Synopsis provided by Flamingo Books
If you’ve happened upon Anna James’ Pages & Co. series, then you know the author loves books, and is happy to stumble inside them. In Alice with a Why James takes it a step further, dropping the original Alice’s granddaughter right into the magical wonderland generations of readers have come to love. But this time around, Alyce not only meets fan favorites, but new delightful characters, as well.
Alice with a Why is certainly an homage to the source material. But it also takes on a new life. James’ has a way of building on classics that feels organic. The original essence is there while a new spark runs concurrently.
James’ writing is smooth and inviting. It’s lively and the story moves at a nice pace. And artist Mathew Land’s black-and-white illustrations have the perfect touch of whimsy. This is a fun read for kids who enjoy fantasy and classics.
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