“Mary Ann: Well, with her [Alice] and her sharp tongue being gone, they seem to want me to be some sort of rebel leader, and steal the crown away from the Queen of Hearts. I don’t know what they see – it’s just nonsense. A serving girl like me… White Rabbit: Oh, Mary Ann, I think you’d be delightful at rebellion! It would be so orderly and tidy.” p. 124
Reader's Annotation
Mary Ann is spending her days as dutiful housemaid to the White Rabbit. And when the Queen of Spades comes along and claims her as her own servant, she meekly agrees. But the small forest animals believe that Mary Ann is destined to lead an uprising against the royals…will Mary Ann ever believe in herself?
About the Writer & Illustrator
Writer Tommy Kovac is an avid reader who works at a library and has worked at several others previously. Per his Web site, he has no formal art or writing training, but has been writing and illustrating comics and graphic novels since 1999, including Stitch, Skelebunnies, and Autumn. He is also co-creator of an indie zine, Library Bonnet. He lives in Orange County, California, with his husband, Anthony, and their dog, Mr. Scoots. Illustrator Sonny Liew is also a comic artist who has been nominated for several Eisner Awards. He has worked on My Faith In Frankie, Regifters, along with the Xeric-awarded Malinky Robot. He has also contributed to the comic anthologies Flight and 24Seven. He has additionally done concept work for MMORPG games. He lives in Singapore with his cat.
Reading Level/Interest Age
9-11 years
Plot Summary
Mary Ann, who was the White Rabbit’s housemaid in Alice in Wonderland, is our protagonist in this graphic novel. She is a hard-working young woman who is obsessed with cleanliness, and seems to believe that serving others is her place in life. She carries with her at all times Feather, a talking duster with the head of a bird. The Queen of Hearts is firmly in charge of Wonderland, where they all live, and is about to behead the Rabbit for his purported association with the “Alice Monster” who visited Wonderland earlier and spoke her mind. Mary Ann and the Rabbit thus run off and hide in the Tulgey Wood, where Mary Ann falls into a treacle well and meets the Queen of Spades, who proceeds to claim her as her own housemaid. Underconfident Mary Ann agrees. After the entire party escapes the well, a deer, Sir Edward the Tailor, plants a seed in Mary Ann’s mind when he asks her if she actually feels fulfilled by her line of work. Later, in the Looking Glass House, Mary Ann meets some small animals who tell her that they think she has it in her to lead a rebellion against the royals. Mary Ann reveals that she has had dreams in which she is the outspoken Alice. The group’s further adventures take them finally to the castle where the Queen of Spades is in the midst of overthrowing the Queen of Hearts in a chaotic scene. Mary Ann, with her innate cleanliness, is horrified by the disorder, and her talent for tidiness comes to the fore -- she decides to cut all the playing cards into little pieces to put an end to all the figurative game-playing once and for all. But when the throne is subsequently offered to her, what will the newly self-empowered Mary Ann choose as her destiny?
Critical Evaluation
This is a very inventive take on what a minor character of Alice in Wonderland’s life may be like. The story arc moves along at a good pace, with moments of reflection throughout, and characterization is quite satisfying -- each creature and human’s distinct personality is clearly and humorously shown in their expressions, words, and actions. The illustrations are bursting with beautiful and richly varied shades of blue, red, and pink, and capture the story’s action, hilarity, and moments of mayhem. There is not a large amount of text per page, but more than enough to tell the story in an engaging way, with many humorous asides to boot. The story contains a strong message that each of us is the master of our own destiny, and that if we don’t realize our innate strengths and take charge of our own lives, it is very likely that other people will. Mary Ann transforms from a young woman whose lack of confidence has trapped her in a cycle of near-slavery to the whims of others, to someone who recognizes that she has valuable talents and possesses the power to change her life and the world. By the end of the story, it is clear that the Rabbit now respects Mary Ann and sees her in an entirely different light, undoubtedly because she now respects herself.
Booktalking Ideas
• Give an episode booktalk about the scene in which the Queen of Hearts calls in the Rabbit to behead him for treason for supposedly consorting with Alice.
• Give a character booktalk as Mary Ann, as she contemplates the smaller forest animals’ proposal that she become their rebel leader.
Curriculum Ideas
• Art: Invite an illustrator to speak and provide drawing lessons, and students can then create their own mini-graphic novel together.
• Literature: Students read Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, and compare their storylines and characterization with those of this graphic novel.
Potential Challenge Issues & Defense
Violence and hookah smoking, possibly:
• Become familiar enough with the book’s content to promote its literary merits.
• Refer to library’s collection development policy.
• Refer to book reviews from authoritative sources such as ALA, School Library Journal, etc.
• Obtain book reviews from tweens who have read it.
Why I Chose This Book
I saw it by chance when I was browsing the library recently, and loved the idea of a story focusing on a background character of a famous novel. I was also drawn in by the gorgeous artwork, and the black paint splattered over the cover title suggested the intriguing possibility that something was amiss in this fantasy world.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment