Mrs. White Rabbit - Hardcover

Gilles Bachelet was born in northern France. He has been creating picture books since 2002 and currently works as a freelance illustrator in Paris. His previous books include My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World and When the Silliest Cat Was Small (both Abrams). Gilles was inspired to write Mrs. White Rabbit after forgetting his girlfriend's birthday.

Gr 1–4—It seems wholly appropriate that a picture book based on a character from the odd world of Lewis Carroll's Alice would be mighty curious itself. Written in the form of a diary by the wife of the White Rabbit, who is always late—as it turns out, for some pretty sordid reasons—the story relays the trials and tribulations of Mrs. Rabbit's days. In very adult and sophisticated language, she tells of her utter unhappiness with her life in a household that includes a teenage daughter who appears to border on anorexic in her efforts to become a bunny model, twin boys who play marbles with their own scat, and a young lad who is precociously interested in girls. The jokes are largely adult: for example, the White Rabbit is a drunkard who needs to be fetched from the palace in a wheelbarrow. The illustrations are fantastic, with incredible detail, but much of the humor will be appreciated only by those who know the Alice stories. Readers who haven't been previously exposed to the tales will likely be confused and put off by the dolorous tone of the text. VERDICT Bachelet is undoubtedly an incredibly talented and funny illustrator, but the palpable anger of Mrs. White Rabbit and the many specific references to Alice's world may bewilder young readers. Older readers familiar with Wonderland will likely find the book most amusing and enjoy the intricate, colorful illustrations.—B. Allison Gray, Goleta Public Library, CA