When Sir Hugh (owner of the cruddiest and crumbliest palace) sees Alice's Palace, he feels self-righteously determined her palace should be his. By military coup, of course.
Because Sir Hugh is a callous, cunning and conniving soul, he makes an attempt to oust Alice from her palace by intimating her beautiful home needs an upgrade. Something striking, something new, something original.
Thanks to Queen Alice's whimsical streak, she decides to give it a go. First she has a bamboo palace whipped up, complete with meandering pandas, but the knots holding the rods together quickly come undone.
Next is a palace made of ice. And a particularly warm sunny day.
When neither bamboo or ice come through, Alice tries cheese. Then wool - with near catastrophic results ... for Sir Hugh. And a few cockatoos.
Told in rhyme, this is a truly charming romp of a story with classic fairytale undertones and an engaging premise (upon which to build some pretty kooky castles). Utterly imaginative and gorgeously-illustrated by the talented Masciullo, this is a delightful creative partnership indeed.
Title: Queen Alice's Palaces
Author: Juliette MacIver
Illustrator: Lucia Masciullo
Publisher: ABC Books, $24.99 RRP
Publication Date: 1 May 2013
Format: Hard cover
ISBN: 9780733331022
For ages: 5 - 8
Type: Picture Book
