The Great Escape

When a prisoner slips out of jail through the front gate, he is pursued by several policeman down the streets of the city, across rooftops and through underground tunnels. The convict's escape takes him to the scene of a country wedding, into the fanciest of restaurants, to a near-miss with a blazing fire, onto a film set and across a circus highwire and ultimately right back into the prison yard. All the while, policemen who must be descendents of the Keystone Kops bumble and stumble after him, in a frenzied chase that comes to an end only to begin again. Dupasquier's wordless tale of distractions is even more energetic than his Jack at Sea; the artist fills each scene with boundless comic details and sprawling chains of events. Cartoon colors generate excitement in each frame of the tale; no one will be able to absorb all the fun in just one look. Ages 4-8. (March)