This book had a clever concept and the illustrations were beautiful, but it fell flat. Mrs. White Rabbit is a diary entry of an overworked rabbit who is the wife of the famed White Rabbit of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. In the entry, Mrs. White Rabbit goes over each of the hardships in her day. The illustrations are filled with many details and nods to the original book, as is the text, but there is no resolution and nothing for a child to understand unless they're already familiar with story. Mrs. White Rabbit is very much limited to just her role as a housewife and mother, even as the supposed protagonist of this story. Beyond the question marks in handing this book to a child (including Mrs. White Rabbit's anorexic daughter who is planning to be a supermodel), it just doesn't feel as though it was written for anyone but adult fans of the Alice books. ( )

I confess that to my mind, the White Rabbit of Wonderland fame is clearly a bachelor. When Alice visits his home, there is only evidence of a maid-of-all-work and a couple of workmen. Gilles Bachelet's children's book about Mrs. Rabbit contains absolutely priceless illustrations -- scenes filled with Wonderland characters in unexpected contexts, like classrooms, shopping streets, and etc. But Mrs. Rabbit's complaints about her unending domestic tasks and her husband's neglect feel dismal and stereotypical. Her statement that she would like to be a writer, but how could the ordinariness of her life produce anything marvelous or extraordinary seems to be suggesting that the reader should find the wonder in his or her everyday life. But though I enjoyed this book as a collector of various Alice editions and related works, for the lovely artwork, I would not give it to an actual child, due to the limited role it provides for the female. ( )

This is a quirky little story that would resonate well with a group of gifted students studying journal writing or point of view, as the story is told through the journal of Mrs. White Rabbit. Although the story is strong enough to stand alone, familiarity with Alice in Wonderland makes the illustrations even more engaging as Tweedledee and Tweedledum misbehave in class while the Walrus eats a sandwich and a pair of cards play poker. Mrs. White Rabbit's angst about raising her challenging children with an often absent husband is vividly portrayed throughout the text but our faith in the White Rabbit is restored in the end. Definitely an engaging read for the right audience. ( )

It's beautifully illustrated and has a clever premise, but ultimately it falls a bit short for me. The text is really just the binder connecting the illustrations together, which is ok, but never as satisfying as a picture book with strong interplay between text and illustration. Unfortunately where there is interplay between the two the illustration tends to take things a bit far. The text "They are wise and thoughtful boys, interested in everything...and they know how to have fun with almost anything" is paired with a picture where two boy bunnies are using chamber pots and then using the pellets as marbles. The book also has enough jokes based on gender roles that I wouldn't share it with a young child that is still learning how to interact in the world.

The pictures are lovely, but I wouldn't recommend it as a children's book. ( )

I really enjoyed this alternate view of the events in Alice in Wonderland. As the mother of three I could relate to Mrs. White Rabbit in so many ways. My two youngest (8 and 6 years old) also enjoyed this book. They loved the pictures and spent a long while looking at and talking about all the carrot dishes. I think this is a must have for anyone with an Alice addiction.