Overview

Full Product Details

9780761378839

Table of Contents

Reviews

In Jakobsen's Mortensen's Escapades series, there are secret agents responsible for making sure that time travel does not disrupt the flow of history. One of those agents, Mortensen, must travel back to the Middle Ages when he discovers an illuminated manuscript from 1512 that shows an airplane landing in Scotland. Jakobsen's mash-up of sci-fi and historical fiction has an interesting premise, but the sometimes simplistic plotting and dialogue make the story better for younger or less-proficient readers. Stronger readers are likely to be frustrated that the tale doesn't offer a meatier plot or deeper drama. Readers who are not quite ready for Tintin may enjoy following Mortensen, who has as serious a demeanor and as much of a penchant for trouble as Herge's beloved boy reporter. Jakobsen's art is cartoonish but mature enough in drawing and color to keep it from becoming babyish. Tame action sequences and historical notes at the end of the book mean the series will most likely find a good home in elementary-school libraries. --Booklist Bad guys are traveling back in time, and it's up to a fixer named Mortensen to repair the damage. In this kickoff episode, a picture of an airplane in an old manuscript sends secret agent Mortensen to 16th-century Loch Ness. He goes twice, once to see the evidence (including the plane's large cargo of stolen books from many eras) destroyed, and then a second time to rescue the mute, comely, hatchet-wielding young 'witch' Blossom who had helped keep him from being burned at the stake. Looking particularly dapper in a duster and long scarf over formal evening wear, the imperturbable hero surmounts one crisis after another. Though the plot is as airy and light on internal logic as can be, readers will be carried along by both his elan and by the charged-up pace of his misadventures. Jakobsen's cartoon panels are small but discrete, and he keeps the dialogue pithy, his figures clearly drawn and the action easy to follow. A bonbon for Tintin fans. --Kirkus Reviews

In Jakobsen's Mortensen's Escapades series, there are secret agents responsible for making sure that time travel does not disrupt the flow of history. One of those agents, Mortensen, must travel back to the Middle Ages when he discovers an illuminated manuscript from 1512 that shows an airplane landing in Scotland. Jakobsen's mash-up of sci-fi and historical fiction has an interesting premise, but the sometimes simplistic plotting and dialogue make the story better for younger or less-proficient readers. Stronger readers are likely to be frustrated that the tale doesn't offer a meatier plot or deeper drama. Readers who are not quite ready for Tintin may enjoy following Mortensen, who has as serious a demeanor and as much of a penchant for trouble as Herge's beloved boy reporter. Jakobsen's art is cartoonish but mature enough in drawing and color to keep it from becoming babyish. Tame action sequences and historical notes at the end of the book mean the series will most likely find a good home in elementary-school libraries. --Booklist Bad guys are traveling back in time, and it's up to a fixer named Mortensen to repair the damage.In this kickoff episode, a picture of an airplane in an old manuscript sends secret agent Mortensen to 16th-century Loch Ness. He goes twice, once to see the evidence (including the plane's large cargo of stolen books from many eras) destroyed, and then a second time to rescue the mute, comely, hatchet-wielding young 'witch' Blossom who had helped keep him from being burned at the stake. Looking particularly dapper in a duster and long scarf over formal evening wear, the imperturbable hero surmounts one crisis after another. Though the plot is as airy and light on internal logic as can be, readers will be carried along by both his elan and by the charged-up pace of his misadventures. Jakobsen's cartoon panels are small but discrete, and he keeps the dialogue pithy, his figures clearly drawn and the action easy to follow.A bonbon for Tintin fans. --Kirkus Reviews

Author Information

Tab Content 6

Countries Available