Manuela Adreani worked as a graphic designer before moving to the world of animation. After winning a scholarship for a Masters in Animation at the IED in Turin, she worked for Studio Lastrego e Testa on the TV series "Le avventure di Aladino" and "Amita della Giungla," produced and broadcast by RAI, and on the short feature "La Creazione." In 2011, she commenced her career as a freelance illustrator, collaborating with Benchmark and Scholastic India. She is among the winners of the illustration competition commemorating the 130th anniversary of "Pinocchio"'s creation. Manuela currently lives in Turin.
Readers will be astonished by every tableau in this pop-up extravaganza. The initial spread explodes into a surprisingly tall green forest, topped by billowing leafy shapes that resemble the Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter and Queen of Hearts. On the lawn below, in papery 3D, Alice scurries about while the White Rabbit checks his pocket watch. Along the left-hand border of the book, a series of narrow flaps present an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's text. These pages-within-pages feature pop-ups of a green bottle ("Drink me") that shrinks Alice, a cake that makes her a giant and Alice swimming in "the pool of tears that she had wept when she was nine feet high." Finally, an accordion-pleated square in the lower right corner expands into a long, vertical rabbit hole; through its circular window, Alice can be seen falling, as if into a well. And that's only the beginning. Subsequent stages of this moveable feast include a wiggly Alice grown too large for the White Rabbit's house; a Mad Tea Party with shining silver-foil tea service (the March Hare and Mad Hatter dunk the Dormouse in a teapot); and Alice waving her arms as the Queen and her court, transformed to a "pack of cards," arch over her head like a rainbow. Those who know the story can best negotiate this wonderland, for the narrative gets a bit lost in the visual dimensions. Sabuda, who also has adapted The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, borrows from the Tenniel illustrations, but pares them down and drenches them with violet, fuschia, gold and green hues. His paper engineering snaps solidly into place, and elements like the Cheshire Cat's unfolding face are both startling and beautiful; and the pack of cards rising up into the air will have the audience studying how Sabuda created the effect of scattering and tumbling. A Jabberwocky cheer of "O frabjous day! Calloo, callay!" seems appropriate for this salute to Carroll's classic. All ages. (Oct.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Gr 6 Up-Elegant book design and sophisticated artwork characterize this unabridged version of Carroll's classic. Lipchenko's illustrations, in monochromatic sepia and black-and-white tones, combine precisely drawn detail with broad architectural perspectives. Chapters are introduced by full-page pieces that convey plot particulars in a sometimes abstract and visually interpretive manner. For example, "The Pool of Tears" illustration depicts a large eye at the center of a snail-shell-style swirl with a stream of tears accumulating beneath. Each of these atmospheric works is surrounded by an intricate border, artfully composed of plot-related images, structural details, and gracefully draped swaths of curtain. These design elements also appear throughout the pages, framing and providing nimble connections between the various illustrations. Ever-changing perspectives, dramatic shadowing and shading, and layouts that have an Escheresque quality make the artwork remarkable and innovative, though geared toward a more mature audience. The relationship between the text and pictures offers much room for exploration and interpretation. This unusual work should be considered only for deep Alice collections.-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.
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