About the Alice in Wonderland story
Ready to hop into a world where nothing is quite as it seems? “Alice in Wonderland” is the perfect story for young readers who love adventure, curiosity, and just a touch of nonsense!
Follow Alice as she tumbles down a rabbit hole into a magical land filled with talking animals, eccentric characters, and whimsical surprises around every corner. From the ever-smiling Cheshire Cat to the Queen of Hearts, Wonderland is a place where imagination knows no bounds.
This article not only tells the fantastical story of Alice but also helps your child grow their English vocabulary and comprehension skills.
We’ve highlighted important words, included a simple graded reader version of the story, and provided basic explanations to support learning, and there are playful questions at the end to test their understanding.
Looking for more ways to help your child improve their English? Studycat offers an array of fun, interactive learning tools. Check out the Studycat Learn English app and watch your child’s language skills grow, just like Alice’s curiosity!
Get ready to follow Alice on her curious adventure—who knows what you’ll discover!
“Alice in Wonderland” (story for kids)
One sunny day, Alice was sitting with her sister in her garden, feeling terribly bored. Just when she thought nothing exciting would happen, she spotted something quite strange—a white rabbit in a fancy waistcoat!
But that wasn’t the weird part.
This rabbit was checking a pocket watch and talking to himself!
“Oh dear! I’m late, I’m late!” he muttered as he dashed off.
Now, Alice knew rabbits didn’t usually wear clothes or run around with watches, so she decided to follow him.
Suddenly, the rabbit jumped into a hole in the ground, and before Alice knew it—whoosh!—she tumbled right in after him! She fell and fell, twisting and twirling through the air like a leaf. It felt like a never-ending slide! Along the way, she passed bookshelves, clocks, and even a floating teapot.
“What a curious place!” Alice thought as she finally landed softly at the bottom.
She found herself in a long hallway filled with doors of all sizes.
“How peculiar!” she exclaimed.
There was also a little table with a tiny key and a bottle labeled “DRINK ME.” Well, Alice was never one to say no to an adventure, so she took a sip—and poof! She shrank down to the size of a mouse!
“Oh dear,” she squeaked, “now how will I reach that key?”
She quickly found a little cake with a note that said “EAT ME.” And so she did, and—bam!—she grew so big her head nearly touched the ceiling.
“Oops! Too much!” she laughed.
Eventually, after much nibbling and sipping, she managed to shrink just the right size to slip through a tiny door that led her to a beautiful garden filled with colorful talking flowers.
“Well, this is new!” Alice said, and off she went, ready to explore this topsy-turvy world.
The grumpy caterpillar
Her first stop was a very grumpy Caterpillar sitting on a mushroom, blowing big smoky letters into the air.
“Who are you?” he asked, sounding like he had a mouthful of lettuce. Alice thought for a moment but wasn’t really sure how to answer.
“I think I’m Alice, but after all this growing and shrinking, I don’t really know anymore!”
The Caterpillar just sighed and took another puff of his hookah, “Well, that’s no help, is it?”
A mad tea party
Onward Alice went, and soon she found herself at the most ridiculous tea party ever. The Mad Hatter, the March Hare, and a sleepy Dormouse were all crammed around a huge table, which was full of teapots, cups, and crumbs. “No room! No room!” they shouted when they saw Alice approaching, even though the table was clearly big enough for everyone. Ignoring them, Alice sat down and asked for tea, but instead of tea, she got a riddle!
“Why is a raven like a writing desk?” the Mad Hatter asked with a giggle.
Alice thought and thought, but before she could answer, the Hatter yelled, “Change places!”
Everyone jumped up, switched seats, and sat down again.
Alice was so confused!
The March Hare offered her butter for her watch (as if watches even need butter!), and the Dormouse kept falling asleep in his cup. It was all so silly, Alice couldn’t help but laugh!
The Cheshire Cat and a wild game of croquet
After the chaotic tea party, Alice wandered through the woods until she met the Cheshire Cat. He had the biggest, cheekiest grin Alice had ever seen, and he kept appearing and disappearing at will. One moment he was floating beside her, and the next, he was nothing but a big smile in the sky.
“Where should I go now?” Alice asked.
The Cheshire Cat grinned wider, if that was even possible, and said, “Oh, that depends on where you want to end up!” Alice sighed; this world made no sense at all, but it sure was fun!
Eventually, Alice stumbled upon the royal garden where she met the Queen of Hearts.
But this wasn’t your typical queen. Oh no, this queen had a terrible temper!
“OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!” she yelled whenever someone upset her, which was all the time.
The Queen invited (or rather forced) Alice to play croquet, but this was no ordinary game. Instead of mallets, they used flamingos, and instead of balls, they used hedgehogs! Alice tried to hit her hedgehog with the flamingo, but the flamingo had other plans—it squawked and twisted its long neck, making the game completely impossible! The Queen, of course, was not amused.
“Off with their heads!” she shouted again, but Alice was too busy laughing at the sight of all the wiggling hedgehogs and bending flamingos.
The trial and a pack of cards
As if things couldn’t get any stranger, Alice was suddenly pulled into a wild court trial where everyone was accusing the Knave of Hearts of stealing some tarts. The courtroom was full of playing cards acting as judges and juries.
The Queen bellowed, “Sentence first, verdict after!”
But Alice had had enough of this nonsense. “You’re nothing but a pack of cards!” she cried.
And just like that, the cards flew up into the air and swirled around her like a blizzard. Alice blinked and—poof!—she was back by the river with her sister, no White Rabbit, no talking cards, and no flamingos in sight.
“What a curious dream!” Alice said, laughing to herself as she remembered the wonderful and wacky adventures she’d just had in Wonderland.
Moral of the story for “Alice in Wonderland”
Curiosity can lead to amazing adventures!
Alice’s journey shows us that asking questions and being curious can open doors to new, exciting experiences. But sometimes, it’s okay to step back from the nonsense and find our way back to reality.
Questions about “Alice in Wonderland”
- What did Alice see that was strange at the beginning of the story?
- What happened to Alice after she drank the potion labeled “DRINK ME”?
- Who asked Alice riddles at the tea party?
- What was used as a mallet in the Queen’s croquet game?
- How did Alice’s adventure in Wonderland end?
Answers:
- A White Rabbit wearing a waistcoat and checking a pocket watch.
- She shrank down to the size of a mouse.
- The Mad Hatter asked Alice riddles.
- They used flamingos as mallets.
- Alice woke up and realized it was all a dream.
Words to learn from “Alice in Wonderland”
- Terribly: Very much, a lot.
- Whoosh: The sound of something moving fast through the air.
- Peculiar: Strange or unusual.
- Twisting: Spinning around or turning.
- Grinned: Smiled in a big, wide way.
- Poof: The sound of something disappearing suddenly.
”Alice in Wonderland” for young English learners (ages 2-5, Pre-A1 graded reader)
One sunny day, Alice sat in the garden. She was bored. Very bored.
Then, Alice saw something strange. A white rabbit ran past her! The rabbit had a jacket and a watch!
“I’m late! I’m late!” the rabbit said.
Alice was very curious. “A talking rabbit?” she thought. She decided to follow him. The rabbit jumped into a hole. Alice jumped too!
She fell and fell and fell. It was like a long slide! Finally, she landed softly at the bottom.
A tiny door and a big problem
Alice saw a little door and a small key on a table. She also saw a bottle with a label: “DRINK ME.”
Alice drank it. Suddenly, she became very, very small!
“Oh no! I can’t reach the key!” she said.
Then she found a little cake with a note: “EAT ME.” Alice ate the cake, and POOF! She became very, very big!
The grumpy caterpillar
Alice walked until she found a grumpy caterpillar on a big mushroom.
“Who are you?” the caterpillar asked.
“I’m Alice, but after growing and shrinking, I’m not sure anymore!” Alice said.
The caterpillar just sighed and blew smoke letters in the air.
A silly tea party
Next, Alice went to a very silly tea party. The Mad Hatter, the March Hare, and a sleepy mouse were all there.
“No room! No room!” they shouted. But there was lots of room!
Alice sat down. “Would you like some tea?” they asked, but instead of tea, they gave her a riddle!
Everyone changed seats, and the mouse fell asleep in his cup. Alice laughed and left the silly party.
The Queen’s croquet game
Alice found a big garden and met the Queen of Hearts.
“Let’s play croquet!” the Queen said. But instead of using balls, they used hedgehogs. Instead of sticks, they used flamingos! Alice tried to play, but the flamingo didn’t want to help!
The Queen got angry. “OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!” she shouted.
Alice laughed. This world was very silly!
The trial and the end
Suddenly, Alice was in a courtroom. The Queen was angry again, but Alice didn’t care. “You are all just a pack of cards!” she said.
The cards flew into the air. Then, POOF! Alice was back home with her sister.
“What a funny dream!” Alice said.
Common questions about “Alice in Wonderland”
What type of story is “Alice in Wonderland”?
Alice in Wonderland is a fantasy story, filled with strange characters, magical events, and a world where anything can happen!
Who wrote “Alice in Wonderland”?
It was written by Lewis Carroll more than a century ago! He was a mathematician, author, and photographer, best known for his imaginative stories that have delighted readers for generations.
When was “Alice in Wonderland” written?
Alice in Wonderland was written in 1865, which means kids have been enjoying it for over 150 years!
Who are the main characters in “Alice in Wonderland”?
The main characters include Alice, the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts.
Fun fact!
Did you know that Alice in Wonderland was inspired by a real girl named Alice? Lewis Carroll, who was actually a math teacher, became friends with a young girl named Alice Liddell. Alice was the daughter of one of Carroll’s work friends, and during a fun boat trip with her and her sisters, Alice asked him to tell them a story.
That’s when Carroll first made up the tale of a curious girl who falls down a rabbit hole and ends up in a magical world. Alice loved the story so much that she asked him to write it down, and the rest is history!
