James C. Christensen (1942–2017)

"Credendo vides" - by believing, one sees. This is the motto of this magical voyage into the world of myth and folklore. The story opens as widowed Professor Algernon Aisling, who teaches mythology and legends at the nearby university, is confronted by a skeptical colleague, who claims that such fairy stories are of little value, and have no place in the academy. Disheartened, he returns home, where his daughters Miranda (sixteen) and Cassandra (nine) await him. That night, a magical flying show more ship called the H.M.S. Basset arrives, captained by the dwarf Malachi, and the Algernon family embark on a voyage that will take them to the heart of myth. They have many adventures, encountering all many of creatures, from mermaids to dryads. But will the professor regain his sense of perspective, or will he allow the taunting he has received to prompt him down the wrong path, when it comes to how to interact with myths and the beings who inhabit them...?

Voyage of the Basset made the perfect introductory text for the class I once taught on the connections between children's fantasy fiction and folklore. It explores a number of interesting questions, from the place of myth in the academy to the proper way to approach legendary material. It makes a strong argument for the idea that myth, folklore and legend are not something that can be quantified, and proven or disproven, but that they are real and powerful, nevertheless. It does all this while also telling an entertaining tale! I am in sympathy with the spirit of the project undertaken here, I appreciated the names - Aisling, for instance, means "dream" or "vision" in Irish - and I thought the artwork was gorgeous! This is a larger format book, in the same vein as the original Dinotopia, and like that work, it spawned a series of paperback fantasies based upon it, as well as a television adaptation. Appealing in so many ways, this was almost a five-star title for me, but something - perhaps the lack of a deep emotional connection to the characters? - held me back. Still, and absolutely outstanding book for young readers who love fantasy, folklore and myth. show less

The Voyage of the Basset by James Christensen is a delightful and surprising illustrated fantasy. The recently bereft professor of mythology Algernon Aisling, irritated by his more practical colleagues derision of mythology, wishes for, and gets a magical ship to take him on a journey to collect mythological creatures. Taking along his 16 year old daughter Miranda and his 9 (and eleven months) year old daughter Cassandra, they encounter the king and queen of faeries, Oberon and Titania, and show more go on a series of adventures. Half way through, the story makes a surprising twist, at which point my interest increased. The plot becomes more and more complex, and ends with several surprising resolutions.

This is just the first of a series; I can hardly wait to read the others! show less

I read this book aloud to my son when he was in kindergarten. It was a great way to wind him down and for us to share a story. He loved being read to and *I* enjoyed reading it to him. The pictures are lovely and break up the pages nicely. And they give lots of opportunity for conversation about the parts of stories that are outside the narrative.

I read this book aloud to my son when he was in kindergarten. It was a great way to wind him down and for us to share a story. He loved being read to and *I* enjoyed reading it to him. The pictures are lovely and break up the pages nicely. And they give lots of opportunity for conversation about the parts of stories that are outside the narrative.