School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Inspired by the Norwegian folktale "The Troll with No Heart in His Body," which will probably be unfamiliar to most U.S. readers, this graphic novel is the story of how a king's youngest son leaves home to attempt to rescue his brothers. Along the way he encounters different animals and tries to save a princess from a huge troll. Prince Fred keeps up his spirits and maintains his sense of humor throughout, and the narrative is fast-paced and fun. Cartoon sketches are mostly in black-and-white but also contain frequent splashes of color to add energy and action to the story. The book is oversize, which will appeal to readers who want to lose themselves in the illustrations but will make it more difficult to carry. The tale is filled with humor and adventure, and readers will enjoy Prince Fred's witty banter with his reluctant horse, the hungry wolf, the spirited princess, and the evil troll. VERDICT A cute and charming option for fans of fairy tales.-Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Torseter (Why Dogs Have Wet Noses) builds this marvelous graphic novel on the scaffolding of a traditional fairy tale in which a king loses six of his seven sons to an evil troll and reluctantly sends the seventh out to search for them. Readers join Prince Fred as he sets off in a floppy hat astride an unwilling horse. "Goodbye, father!" Prince Fred cries. "Do we really have to go?" murmurs the horse. "I'm sure they can find their own way home." Prince Fred makes his way deep into the troll's lair, littered with skulls and bones, and discovers a cool-headed princess being held against her will. The two defeat the troll with a smooth team effort that involves-among other things-distracting an octopus with a saxophone. The delicate, spidery lines and dark landscapes of Torseter's panels combine the energy of Ralph Steadman, the effervescence of Jules Feiffer, and the charm of the Moomintrolls. Mordant grotesquerie (a broken table leg replaced with a femur) vies with hilarity as Prince Fred is shown perched miserably on the rim of the troll's gigantic, bone-filled commode. Dickson's translation shines as well. Ages 10-up. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.