Jabberwocky

Written by Lewis Carroll

Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds

This poem describes a battle with a fearsome beast called The Jabberwocky and is considered to be one of the greatest nonsense poems written in the English language. The poem is included in Lewis Carroll's 1871 novel, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

In an early scene in that novel, Alice discovers a book that is written backwards. Realizing that she's in the inverted Looking-Glass Land, she holds the book up to a mirror and is able to read the poem "Jabberwocky", but she finds it to be just as nonsensical and perplexing as the world around her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamscape Media Audio
• Release date: Oct 23, 2018
• ISBN: 9781974921614

Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has delighted and entranced children for over a hundred years. Lewis Carroll was the pen-name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. Born in 1832, he studied at Christ Church College, Oxford where he became a mathematics lecturer. The Alice stories were originally written for Alice Liddell, the daughter of the dean of his college

Reviews for Jabberwocky

[raizel_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant color illustration of the classic poem reimagines the location of the battle with the Jabberwock as a basketball court in a playground. The author's "Short note on the origins of this book" at the end explains that Charles Dodson may have been thinking of the ancient Mesoamerican game played with a rubber ball and a hoop on a wall.

[lhicks5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This picture book was so effective because of the colorful and modern illustrations. Had it not been for the illustrations, I might not have followed this classic poem so well. This book would work so well in poetry analysis for high school students, because illustrations that are relevant to high school students would make the study of poety far more enjoyable.

[sengelfried_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Modernized version of the poem, with a basketball setting. Great pictures. Use of color and line conveys the energy and emotion.

[cvyork · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am sure this would be a great book for a unit on Poetry especially Lewis Carroll. It is a very interesting perspective of Carroll's poetry.

[kberryman44 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fantastic telling of Carroll's poem about the ferocious Jabberwocky with beautiful illustrations by Base. I love this poem because it is nonsensical, funny, and just a little scary. I think Base's illustrations evaluate the poem, and make it a fun read for any poetry lover.

[rfewell_3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was such a fun read for the kids, and the illustrations were great! Cool take on a classic poem!

[champak256 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The nonsensical nature of this poem appeals to my childish side.

[dr_zirk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jabberwocky is, of course, one of the really great nonsense poems in the English language, and Stephane Jorisch's visual treatment of the poem is something highly original. I'm not sure that all of the artist's interpretations of the writer's source material are in any way true to Lewis Carroll's intent (whatever that may have been), but nonetheless, this is an entertaining and thought-provoking way to re-visit a certified literary classic.

[isaacfellows · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

These images haunt me. There’s so much implied violence, and the female characters exude a discordant sexuality. The “hero” is clearly hesitant; he’s both frightened and somehow furious, I think. This version of Jabberwocky comes from the same plane as a David Lynch film, and it is likewise beautiful and terrifying. Surreal and drenched with fascination.

[atlomas · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a very old poem that I have come across a few times. I would love to read this book to a class but I am not to sure on some of the pronunciations. I would need to take a small class of my own to be able to say the phrases correctly so the poem will come across the right way.

[matthewbloome · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't get this poem, but hey, it's supposed to be nonsense. That's fine by me. The illustrations are cool, but that's what Graeme Base can do. This is an interesting book, even if the Jabberwocky is a baffling poem.

[tierneyc-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jabberwocky. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. Text by Lewis Carroll. Jump at the Sun / Hyperion Books for Children / Disney Book Group. 2007. 32 pages. $15.99 hbk. 978-1423103721. Ages 3-10. In Christopher Myers’s illustrated interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s nonsense poem, the titular adversary is a “fourteen-fingered, slam-dunking beast,” his epic battle with the nameless protagonist takes place on a basketball court, and the “vorpal sword” is actually a sweet pair of kicks. Myers’s expansive, high-contrast illustrations perfectly convey the actions and progressive moods of the poem: shifts in background hues set the stage for the schoolyard skirmish and its triumphant finish. Judicious use of color on the words themselves helps emphasize key elements break up the text (a difficult read for most children on their own because it is peppered with words of Carroll’s own invention). Myers rejuvenates the poem’s words and reimagines their meanings, swapping in a basketball showdown for the combat and casting a young black boy as the protagonist. By preserving Carroll’s original poem as the book’s text, Myers offers young minds the chance to create their own stories as they are read the words, just as he has done in ushering this classic into the modern age.

[eputney87 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Summary- Chistopher Meyers creates a new interpretation of the famous "Jabberwocky" poem by making the Jabberwocky an intimidating basketball player.Strength- Illustrations The bright acrylic illustrations show incredible movement and emotion. Use with Children- This would be a great book to talk about made up language--how and when it is appropriate or used as well as the history of nonsense words.

[judychadwick · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A nonsense poem about scary monsters and fierce heroes. The art work is modern and has a sports theme.

[rachel.seltz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Age 6-12Who’s calling Lewis Carroll old-fashioned? Jabberwocky harnesses a storm of color to bring the classic Alice through the Looking-Glass poem to modern readers. Sports fans will find this picture book hard to resist.Myers uses crimson, orange, jade, teal and indigo to evoke the heat and drama of long summer days in the city. The wabe and borogoves are set amidst spraying fire hydrants and sidewalk games. The Jabberwock is the frightenly-fingered, towering terror of the basketball court. Our hero, a young challenger who must use skill and courage to win the day. Children and even adults may feel intimidated by the nonsense words. Explaining that nonsense words are fun and made-up, and reading them with silliness, will create an enthusiastic audience. Highlighted text helps the reader with emphasis. Illustrations also aid in interpreting the nonsense words. The “vorpal blade in hand,” for example, references the hero holding his sneakers. Listeners will make you pause on dual page spreads where the hero leaps and dashes to escape the stretching Jabberwock fingers.Wondering about the connection between “Jabberwocky” and basketball? Read the author’s note to learn about the ancient Aztec game the that inspired Carroll’s poem. Highly recommended.

[conuly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jabberwocky is, of course, one of the better-known narrative poems of the English language.The artwork in this book is wonderful, placing the poem on a basketball court dominated by a monstrous, many-fingered giant. I don't know why I like it, but I really do.

[geoffman_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jabberwocky is a nonsense or portmanteau poem that originally appeared in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There. This version, from the Visions of Poetry series, is an adaptation of the poem and is illustrated by Stephane Jorisch.The illustrations; grim and Orwellian -like, cater to the highly imaginative language of the portmanteau style. After reading Jabberwocky I was very perplexed and confused, thinking “what was this”? Fortunately, any answer will suffice for the lot of mixed imagery and made up words featured in this book. The portmanteau style of poetry lends itself to open and imaginative interpretations like no other style of poetry. Thus, this book can be anything to anyone, which I believe truly serves the purpose of the nonsense style. This book displays the power of individual perception, through its illustrations and its artistic improvisation of the original text.The Visions of Poetry series are adaptations of classic poems and are illustrated by contemporary artists, for readers ten and up. After skimming through other titles in the series like Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven and Alfred Noyes The Highwaymen, it is apparent that The Visions of Poetry series are consistent in their unique visual adaptation of classic poems. Awards: Governor General's Literary Award (Children's Literature-Illustration, 2004) Stéphane Jorisch, illustrator.

[turrean_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The version I read had illustrations from "The Disney Archives," presumably from the Alice in Wonderland movie. Not impressed.

[reinadecopiaypega · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved it !

I am a huge fan of nonsense, the absurd and made up words, which I have done my whole life. My pets are not exempt, my cat Francine gets called Franuschka and when I baby talk them, often times it is with silly made up words.

A

[nkmunn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another of the poems my dad would recite with us,and because the words sound dangerous the poem is an adventure!

[chelsearose_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had to read this one through a few times, but the illustrations really helped me to get an understanding of what was going on. I love that it is up for interpretation and could be shown visually in many different ways. Carroll is a classic, and this poem is nothing less.

[saritaince · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic art brings this classic poem to life. I want this book in my personal collection. A great book for reading aloud.

[molbhall · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic nonsense poem gets updated in this picture book with new, stylized illustrations of a one-on-one basketball game. While it might seem unusual to find this poem from the Alice books in a sports context, Myers includes back matter to justify his choice. Apparently Carroll mentioned the name of an Aztec sport that inspired basketball in the margins of the original text for Jabberwocky, so Myers expanded upon that idea in this version.Myers’s vibrant, almost abstract paintings of fierce basketball players differ greatly from the original black and white drawing by John Tenniel. The new version of the Jabberwock, who is extremely tall and has glowing eyes and extra fingers, is just as vicious as the original but in a completely different way.This updated classic would be good to use after introducing the original version of the poem. Side-by-side, they could illustrate the concept of literary adaptations. Middle school readers would be able to not get bogged down in the nonsense and appreciate the update on the classic. It may also be a text that would open the world of poetry to a reluctant male audience. This unique version makes Jabberwocky relatable for a new generation.

[shutterbugsara0t · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a classic Lewis Carroll poem about the mythical Wonderland monster The Jabberwocky and how it was sleighed.Being a Lewis Carroll fan myself I jumped at the opportunity to read and review this poem! While I have read it within the pages of Through the Looking Glass it is much better to read as a stand-alone poem. The pictures add to the colorful nonsensical language with even more obscure creatures to find within the pages. If you are looking for a poem to be silly with, this is it!

[bryndahlquis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Some very interesting artwork to go along with the always great Jabberwocky poem. Would definitely give this to my kid to read.

[librolindsay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have only read this and The Owl & the Pussycat so far, but I am certain that I LOVE this series. The thought-provoking illustrations really bring these poems life. Highly recommended.

[m.belljackson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Perfectly illustrated JABBERWOCKY makes fun repeat reading for all ages!There's confusion on reviews below because they cover illustrators from two different books.