Alice

by Whoopi Goldberg

Heart-stopping thrills and raucous fun from Whoopi Goldberg in her first book--an illustrated urban fairy tale for kids of all ages. Young Alice has won a fantastic prize worth big bucks that she's sure will change her life forever. But first, she has to claim it--in person--in the big city. Take off with Alice, her misfit pal Robin, and their invisible rabbit friend on a wild and wacky journey. Illustrated in full color.

Unpaged.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Fiction

1 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1992

About the author

Whoopi Goldberg is one of an elite group of artists who have won the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards) and is the bestselling author of the Sugar Plum Ballerina series, Book, and Is It Just Me? While performing in the Bay Area she created the characters that became The Spook Show and evolved into her hit Broadway show, Grammy Award–winning album, and the HBO special that helped launch her career. Spanning decades, Whoopi’s credits include roles in the well-known films The Color Purple, Ghosts of Mississippi, Sister Act, and Ghost. She produced the documentary Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley, and she appeared in and was one of the producers of the critically acclaimed 2022 feature film Till. She loves VW Bugs, working casinos, and comfortable clothing; is a passionate supporter of the audio arts and dedicated collector of audiobooks; and heads the Whoopfam Group, makers of Emma & Clyde, Whoopi & Maya, and other recreational and medicinal marijuana products.

Reviews

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It kinda sucks when a Hollywood star writes a kid's book telling readers that money can't buy nothing intangible, while the author is himself/herself worth about 12 million doing movies, albums, etc. Whoopi Goldberg, comedienne, actress, activist and host of the View (for a limited time), seems to know the deal. Which is why her attempt at kid's fiction is about as shallow as you might expect. Her title character, Alice, is in a wonderland of her own devices, with a human friend named Robin (after Robin Williams) and her invisible friend, a white rabbit named Sal who talks like Robert DeNiro. Like any starting author, Whoopi writes what she knows.
Alice wants to get rich, so naturally she gets to play a bunch of sweepstakes that are total losers. One envelope she finds in the mailbox may be a winner, or so it says, but Alice and her buds have to cross half of New York City to claim the prize money, whatever it is since, real shocker, the letter doesn't even say how much is won. A harrowing train ride with bad people following her waiting to possess the sweepstakes "win" leads Alice to the claims office....and the truth behind the so-called "win". (Insert a cake from the NYC claims office with the words "Eat Me" and you will have completed the Alice in Wonderland tie ins on your own.) Great writing by Whoopi, but still if she don't walk the walk, maybe she shouldn't talk. At all.
Three stars
Still curioser and curiouser, y'all.

[Takee Jobe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recall reading Whoopi Golderg’s Alice, an urban rendition of Alice in Wonderland while in elementary school. My 5th grade teacher introduced this story to my class and I immediately feel in love and had to just HAD to have this book! I remember my grandmother purchasing this book for me. I think it held such appeal for me because I rarely saw books with girls who looked like me. Alice by Whoopi Goldburg is a children’s fantasy book intended for children ages 6-12. I enjoyed the fantasy tale of a young African –American girl from New Jersey who travels to New York City with her friends to claim her riches with her “winning ticket”. As she braves the mean NYC streets, and people, she soon realizes that her winning ticket is nothing more than a scam and she is already rich-- in friendship and other things money cannot buy. The book is illustrated with and urban flair, and larger-than-life characters. I believe this book would be a great read for any child with a wild imagination.

[LaNeida · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun story. I love the story's pace and journey. Also the artwork is amazing!

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really do like Whoopi, but I just didn't get this book. I found it to be poorly written, the prose had no complexity or style and the story was uninspired.

[Mocha Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite children's book of all time.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ages 6 and up. Alice in Wonderland set in New York City with an African-American heroine. Instead of chasing the White Rabbit, Alice chases sweepstakes contests, hoping to someday soon win big. She learns on her journey to instead cherish her friends.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms. Goldberg’s Alice is a funky, contemporary take on Lewis Carroll’s famous story of a little girl lost down a rabbit hole. For one thing, Carroll’s Alice is asleep during all her thrilling adventures while Goldberg’s creation is decidedly awake—even if she does have her head in the clouds.

Softly hued illustrations by John Rocco accompany us on Alice’s journey. She’s no girl somnolent under a hot sun and bored by her sister’s reading. She’s a would-be diva who’s got bigger dreams than a baby turning into a pig. She wants money and all the glorious things it can buy. She’s going places.

And go she does! The book has her joined by her imaginary friend, a giant rabbit called Salvador De Rabbit, á la Harvey. She also has a very familiar friend in a top hat who is the only person who can see Sal. Mad, is he? Well, we’ll see.

The pictures are funny and filled with sly references to Carroll’s work, the character figures exaggerated in amusing ways and the story takes us over the river and into New York City—its denizens, its various locales, its modes of transportation (there may be no more graffiti on the trains but Ms. Goldberg easily captures it energy and speed) and the quirky people who live there. This is a fun picture book that’s just as readable now as it was over two decades ago when it was first penned.

[Dan Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A modern retelling of the classic Alice in Wonderland by the very brilliant Whoopie Goldberg was a book I thought sounded amazing. Great, authentically hand-drawn illustrations definitely add to this urban fantasy of sorts, but I'm afraid it misses the sparkle and the creativity of the original. I think it is an important step in the right direction as far as having a black central character in children's fiction goes, but it could so easily have been more imaginative.

Alice comes across as brash, spoiled and want-want-want. She does nothing to promote black culture, but the imaginary best-friend rabbit, Sal is a nice touch - one I think children could relate to. It certainly has a moral at the end of the story, but I think it came across a little forced. A nice story, one children may enjoy, but it certainly isn't a classic and gem of a collection for the bookshelf.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a young girl named Alice who has dreams of becoming rich so she can have everything she has ever wanted. She has made it a habit of hers to enter ever contest she can get her hands on to winning something big.

Then one day something arrives in the mail to her surprise which, her and her friends go on an adventure trying to solve in order to claim her prize. She meets some interesting characters along the way and learns some new things as well.

This is cute and fun to read. The author, Goldberg, made it a point to bring home the fact that you usually always have everything you need if you just look hard enough.

[Stacey Rocheleau-Bourgeois · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was okay. a little long and not fun to read with the kids over and over again.
have a signed copy so that's cool--it was a gift from whoopi herself which makes it special.