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karyssa223's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ameliabee33's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
This was overall an short, beautiful read. I love Alice in Wonderland and really enjoyed seeing it reimagined in an inclusive setting. It was cool to see Anishinaabe words included throughout the story. Aimée is an easy to root for main character and all I wanted was for them to love themselves. The art was also very well done. I recommend to anyone who was to see the traditional European stories redone through a different lense.
sagittariusreads_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kitsuneheart's review
4.0
A reworking of "Alice in Wonderland," starring a nonbinary Anishinaabe child, Aimée. A bit of folklore is woven over the original tale, such as the two rabbits of Alice instead being two brother tricksters. The Queen of Hearts isn't after heads, but after land, and she is glad to change the rules to get what she wants. But Aimée is clever and remembers her teacher's stories, and uses them to become a bit of a trickster herself.
Before the story even begins, there's a glossary of words and phrases in Anishinaabemowin. Put a bookmark here and be prepared to flip back and forth for a good while as you read. But human minds are great at picking up language, so by the end of the book, you should recognize at LEAST "minwaa" (and/also) and miigwech (thank you).
The book revels in heavy lineart for characters, but opts for more light strokes and texture for backgrounds. The rabbit Trickster brothers are particularly charming. One is a bit more timid, the other cocky, but both are really cute...even when they're in the midst of a fight!
I'll be keeping this one in mind as a gift for the middle-graders in my family!
Before the story even begins, there's a glossary of words and phrases in Anishinaabemowin. Put a bookmark here and be prepared to flip back and forth for a good while as you read. But human minds are great at picking up language, so by the end of the book, you should recognize at LEAST "minwaa" (and/also) and miigwech (thank you).
The book revels in heavy lineart for characters, but opts for more light strokes and texture for backgrounds. The rabbit Trickster brothers are particularly charming. One is a bit more timid, the other cocky, but both are really cute...even when they're in the midst of a fight!
I'll be keeping this one in mind as a gift for the middle-graders in my family!
kristinajean's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
melloyellow0920's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
OMG this was so dang precious! This is the Alice in Wonderland reimagining/inspired coming-of-age adventure of nonbinary Anishinaabe middle-schooler Aimée, as they go on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. They wander off, and enter an alternate dimension populated by traditional Anishinaabe figures, eventually helping Trickster to hunt down dark water spirits!
Aimée endures some bullying and feeling massively misunderstood and unheard by educators too, but through this adventure and a bit of bravery, Aimée pushes through and stands a bit taller in their identity by the end of this. I loved the references to land ownership, mental health self-care, and recognizing the good around you. I also loved the moment with the caterpillar/butterfly <3
About the authors and illustrators:
OMG this was so dang precious! This is the Alice in Wonderland reimagining/inspired coming-of-age adventure of nonbinary Anishinaabe middle-schooler Aimée, as they go on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. They wander off, and enter an alternate dimension populated by traditional Anishinaabe figures, eventually helping Trickster to hunt down dark water spirits!
Aimée endures some bullying and feeling massively misunderstood and unheard by educators too, but through this adventure and a bit of bravery, Aimée pushes through and stands a bit taller in their identity by the end of this. I loved the references to land ownership, mental health self-care, and recognizing the good around you. I also loved the moment with the caterpillar/butterfly <3
About the authors and illustrators:
- ELIZABETH LAPENSÉE (she/they) is an award-winning Anishinaabe, Métis, and Irish writer and illustrator whose work appears in Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection series, Deer Woman: An Anthology, and more.
- KC Oster (he/she/they) is an Ojibwe-Anishinaabe comic artist and illustrator. They live in the Rainy River District of Northwestern Ontario.
- Aarin Migiziins (Little Eagle) Dokum ndizhinikaas, Wiikwemkoosing, Wiikwemkoong ndo njibaa. (My name is Aarin Dokum and my Nishinaabe noozwin/Anishinaabe name is Migiziins. I am from Wikwemkoosing, Wikwemikong Ontario, Canada.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, and Bullying
gingerbread_void's review
1.0
I had such high hopes for this book I really did but alas I was let down. The concept for this is solid and should work perfectly but sadly something just didn't fall into place for me. I found what should have been a very fun and exciting book to be boring. Perhaps it was just me and this just isn't for me. I know plenty of people will enjoy this, I just don't think it was for me.