The Owl and the Pussycat: And Other Nonsense - Hardcover

K-Gr 5-Celebrating Edward Lear's 200th birthday, this collection features seven of his poems, including "The Owl and the Pussycat," "The Jumblies," and "The Dong with a Luminous Nose." Haunting spot art and spreads feature intriguing settings and spritely creatures, bringing out new dimensions of these beloved tales. Ingpen even devotes a couple of pages to a field guide of Bong-tree Land. The selections flow naturally from one to the next and appropriately conclude with "How Pleasant to Know Mr. Lear!" For readers who want to immerse themselves in the writer's world, there is some biographical information as well as some reproductions of his paintings and a letter. Finally, there's a recipe for Bong-fruit Chutney. Serving as a nice introduction to Lear for young readers, this thin volume has a fanciful feel that matches the works of the poet it honors.-Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

"By the time readers reach the final poem, they’ll be in agreement with its sentiment: ‘How pleasant to know Mr. Lear!'/ Who has written such volumes of stuff!/ Some think him ill-tempered and queer,/ But a few think him pleasant enough.”  —Publishers Weekly

"Those looking for an excuse to introduce Edward Lear to a child need look no farther than this handsome edition."  —The Wall Street Journal

"The imaginative, meticulously detailed drawings of Robert Ingpen breathe new life into the bong trees and pilly-wigs." -Edmonton's Child

"Serving as a nice introduction to Lear for young readers, this thin volume has a fanciful feel that matches the works of the poet it honors." — School Library Journal