Professor Sreemoya Dasgupta “Childhood’s Books” recently visited Special Collections. The class worked with at a variety of children’s stories and how they were depicted across time and by various author’s/interpretations. Included was The Jungle Book, Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Peter Pan, and “Jack” stories. They analyzed the differences both within and among the texts by viewing first editions, fine press printings, pop-up style, abridged illustrated editions, and Disney editions. For extra credit, students had the option of submitting Tumblr posts, which we will feature throughout the week.
J. Otto Seibold’s Alice in (Pop-up) Wonderland modernizes Lewis Carroll’s classic tale into a lively twenty-first century version, featuring a main character which the reader can interact with. Not only is this book a stark contrast to the original with its vibrant primary colors, but its use of elaborate fonts and illustrations, complete with three-dimensional, interactive tabs, provide the reader with an experience like no other!
Although the majority of the book is Carroll’s original text, it utilizes modernized language, like “dude,” to better relate to the contemporary reader. Furthermore, many lift-up tabs which feature this twenty-first century language force the reader to view the book upside-down, inviting the reader to take the characters’ perspectives and engage with the book in its entirety.
Some tabs make images move or disappear, allowing the characters and objects to appear quite lively. In the following images, when the reader pulls the tabs, a rabbit begins to run away and a cat disappears into the darkness of a forest.
The text speaks directly to the reader, making any audience member feel like a part of the story.
Many of the pages are loaded with illustrations that have intricate details and textures, which maintain their purpose to grab the attention of readers both young and old. The images are quite colorful yet slightly distorted to provide the reader with the alternate perspective that is created by entering Alice’s world.
-Rachel Dodson, sophomore
