In 1962, the book was published in Britain. Siriol Hugh-Jones wrote for "The Times Literary Supplement", ""The Phantom Tollbooth" is something every adult seems sure will turn into a modern "Alice" ... The obvious guess is that the appeal of this sort of writing is directed towards just the sort of adults who derive a perfectly grown-up pleasure from regularly rereading the "Alices". As one might expect, it is illustrated by every grown-up's favourite child-like pictures with the built-in sad sophistication, the work of Jules Feiffer." Jennifer Bourdillon reviewed it for "The Listener", "This is the story of an imaginary journey, a sort of "Pilgrim's Progress" of a little boy in his car ... One would hardly have thought from the sound of this that it would have so magnetic an appeal, but the brilliant verbal humour and the weird and wonderful characters (the Dodecahedron. the Watchdog, Faintly Macabre) make it that rare delight, a book which parents and children can share." It reached Australia in 1963; "The Canberra Times'" reviewer, J.E.B., deemed it memorable, causing readers to quote from it and leaf through its pages again.