Editorial Review

Edward Lear's nonsense poem about two unlikely sweethearts--an elegant owl and abeautiful cat--has found a perfect match in artist Jan Brett. She traveled to the Caribbean (the landwhere the Bong-tree grows, perhaps?) to research her illustrations as well as the settings, costumedetails, plants, and fish native to the area. Readers can follow an illustrated subplot of two yellowfish who also fall in love under the pea-green boat. A charming treatment of a classic children'spoem. Read more

Reviews (19)

Fun to Look at & Read! 10 Month Old and 22 Month Old Both Love This One!
THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT is a delightful book. If you have never read Edward Lear's poem, you are in for a treat. Edward Lear has a delightful gift for rhythm and rhyme.
A truly beautiful book
This poem needs no introduction and when paired with the colorful drawings by Jan Brett it becomes a book every child should have in their collection.
Lovely
I have always loved this poem, but Jan Brett's beautiful illustrations make it a must have! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children's poetry, English    5. Children: Grades 1-2    6. Humorous Stories    7. Juvenile Literature    8. Juvenile poetry    9. Nonsense verses    10. Poetry    11. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / General   

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Children's 9-12 - Poetry / Plays    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Nonfiction    4. Children's poetry, English    5. Children: Grades 1-2    6. Children: Kindergarten    7. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    8. Juvenile Nonfiction    9. Juvenile poetry    10. Nonsense verses    11. Poetry    12. Poetry - General    13. Poetry - Humorous    14. Preschool Nursery Rhymes / Poetry    15. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Reviews (1)

King Lear
I was given this book by my father when I was seven years old and was thoroughly enchanted by it, and remain so to this day.The Owl and the Pussy Cat has passed into children's lore - many people know the rhyme through the song (was it Burl Ives?) or through new illustrated versions of it.They know the limericks (or at least the form, if not the rather esoteric content - the old man with the Beard, for instance, and the lady with the excessively long chin who Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    2. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    3. Form - Limericks & Verse    4. General    5. Humor    6. Nonsense verses    7. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Reviews (2)

A was once an apple pie
This book covers the alphabet with lyrical poems for each letter and fun illustrations. Some choices for words won't be the best for children who don't read yet, like Lark for L (which looks like a bird and makes me think B) but the overall sing song nature of the text and lovely illustrations will engage many young readers and listeners.

Remembering My favorite book!
Grammy used to read me this book every visit.I have searched for years to bring this delight to my own three boys.Encourages early reading and poetry lasts a life time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alphabet    2. Alphabet rhymes    3. Animals - General    4. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    5. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    6. Children's poetry, American    7. Children: Kindergarten    8. Children: Preschool    9. Concepts - Alphabet    10. English poetry    11. General    12. Humorous Stories    13. Juvenile Nonfiction    14. Nonsense verses    15. Poetry - General    16. Preschool Nursery Rhymes / Poetry    17. Juvenile Nonfiction / Concepts / Alphabet   

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children's poetry, English    4. Children: Grades 1-2    5. General    6. Nonsense verses    7. Nonsense verses, English    8. Dictionaries    9. English literature: poetry texts & anthologies   

Editorial Review

"He reads but he cannot speak Spanish, / He cannot abide ginger-beer; / Ere the days of his pilgrimage vanish, / How pleasant to know Mr. Lear!" writes the 19th-century English poet Edward Lear in "Self Portrait of the Laureate of Nonsense." When Read more

Reviews (5)

Essential Nonsense!
This is a very well presented hardback containing the best of Edward Lear. Perhaps not as complete as Holbrook Jackson's Complete Edward Lear, it nevertheless contains his best work, including A Book Of Nonsense, Limericks, alphabets and his most well-known poems, The Dong With The Luminous Nose, The Quangle Wangle Quee, and The Jumblies. The author's quaint illustrations are well reproduced throughout. So You Don't Get It
I can see why Stacy of California thinks this is a weird "incomprehendable" book.The word is "incomprehensible" Stacy.It takes a person of a proper old-fashioned education to appreciate this fine piece of classic literature.We oldsters don't get weird modern art either, or some of the wacky movies Hollywood gives awards to but no one can imagine why.

Every child needs some nonsense
Edward Lear's nonsense is of the best. Read it aloud! Your kids will amaze you by how fast they can begin to recite along with you! If you remember "The Owl and the Pussycat" from your childhood, you owe it to yourself and your children to share it and "The Jumblies" with them. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children's poetry, English    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Classics    5. Juvenile Poetry    6. Limericks    7. Limericks, Juvenile    8. Nonsense verses    9. Nonsense verses, English    10. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Reviews (2)

Classic Favorites
Inexpensive and filled with gems. Enjoying old favorites and some I had never read before.

Teacher's Viewpoint
After looking through this poetry book, I decided that it would be a great book for my first grade students to own. Our classical Christian School encourages poetry memorization, and I know that my students could read manyof the poems, and their parents could read the others to them.What agreat bargain for classic children's poetry. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American poetry    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    3. Children's poetry, American    4. Children's poetry, English    5. Children: Babies & Toddlers    6. Collections    7. English poetry    8. Poetry - General    9. English literature: poetry texts & anthologies    10. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Subjects:  1. Children: Kindergarten    2. English literature: poetry texts & anthologies    3. Nursery rhymes   

Editorial Review

Read more

Reviews (2)

fun to read AND listen to
the reviewer below is right--this ISN'T your average kids' book and that is what makes it so much fun!its silly rhymes make my 2 year old laugh out loud and although he can't say all the words, he does like to try. stick with winnie-the-pooh if you like, but if you want some bright,nonsensical fun, try this book.

A vibrant romp through the alphabet.
Vladimir Radunsky captures all the true spirit of Lear's alphabet verse by pasting up this classic into a virtual scrapbook--full of colors and images for the next milennium.The dumpiest of pumps, a goose-steppinglittlegoose kickingoff his boots, and even Edward Lear himself runs wildthrough the pages.But this is not just an expression of virtuosity, it'sa lot of fun, too.A wonderful introduction to the alphabet and the workof two masters. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alphabet    2. Alphabet rhymes    3. Children's 4-8 - Poetry / Plays    4. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Nonfiction    5. Children's poetry, English    6. Children: Grades 3-4    7. Concepts - Alphabet    8. Juvenile Nonfiction    9. Nonsense verses    10. Nonsense verses, English    11. Poetry - General    12. Poetry - Humorous   

Reviews (2)

Love this book/CD-rom
This is a work of art. The book itself is quite simple, but the CD-ROM is absolutely charming - a combination of simple yet sophisticated animations, incredible music and narration. This isn't just for kids - this is something someone of any age can enjoy. It truly brings out the "story" inherent in Lear's charming drawings. Delightful cd renderings as well
The book itself has three sections: Absurd ABC, Crazy Colors (all limericks include a reference to color), and Funny Faces (primarily noses). All vintage Lear.Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    2. Children's poetry, English    3. Computer Books: Desktop Publish    4. English poetry    5. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    6. Limericks, Juvenile    7. Nonsense verses    8. Nonsense verses, English   

Subjects:  1. Children's All Ages    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    4. General   

Features

• Illustrated

Subjects:  1. Classical languages: poetry texts & anthologies    2. Fiction    3. Picture books    4. Poetry - Humorous    5. ANIMALS_POETRY    6. CHILDREN'S POETRY    7. Juvenile Nonfiction / Poetry / General    8. NONSENSE VERSES   

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Nonfiction    2. Children's poetry, English    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. English poetry    5. Juvenile Nonfiction    6. Juvenile Poetry    7. Nonsense verses, English    8. Poetry - Humorous    9. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children's poetry, English    3. Children: Kindergarten    4. Classics    5. English poetry    6. General    7. Imaginary creatures    8. Juvenile Nonfiction    9. Nonsense verses    10. Poetry    11. Poetry - Humorous    12. Preschool Nursery Rhymes / Poetry    13. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children's poetry, English    5. Children: Babies & Toddlers    6. English poetry    7. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Single Title    8. Humorous Stories    9. Nonsense verses    10. Poetry    11. Baby books    12. Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Single Title   

Features

• Audiobook
• Unabridged

Subjects:  1. Children's All Ages - Fiction - General    2. Children's Audio - 9-12    3. Children's audiobooks    4. Children: Kindergarten    5. Humorous Stories    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Literary Criticism & Collections    8. Nonsense literature, English    9. Nonsense verses    10. Juvenile Fiction / Humorous Stories   

Reviews (1)

The last word in Nonsense - a timeless classic for children
The Complete Book of Nonsense by Lear is a broad compilation of Limericks, Poems, Ballads and other forms which celebrates the fantasy world of the child.Lear creates simple visions of exaggeration with a man's beard so large as to have birds nesting in it, or some one who's legs were so long as to leap from Turkey to France in one prance.Included also are a number of love stories or stories of devotion such as the exquisite "The Owl and the Pussycat" who went to sea in a beautiful pea green boat.Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Poetry / Plays    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    3. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    4. Poetry    5. Poetry - Humorous    6. English literature: poetry texts & anthologies    7. Humorous verse, doggerel, limericks, etc    8. Sale Books   

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    2. Children's poetry, English    3. Children: Grades 3-4    4. English poetry    5. Humorous poetry    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Literary Criticism & Collections    8. Nonsense verses    9. Nonsense verses, English    10. Poetry - Humorous    11. English literature: poetry texts & anthologies   

Reviews (2)

Who? is a great question in this book.
I used to think that I knew the words of the Scroobius Pip in this poem, more or less, since each word could have been the same as in the verse before it, simply repeating a line at the end of each verse, as the words of the chorus of a song have a tendency to show up, one at a time, each in their proper places; but when the Scroobious Pip has something to say, like "Chippetty flip!Flippetty chip!My only name is the Scroobious Pip!" it might come out, "Flippetty chip!Chippetty flip!" or "with a liquid sound, Pliffity flip!Pliffity flip!" or "with a whistly sound, Wizzeby wip!Wizzeby wip!" or "Chippetty tip!Chippetty tip!"My dictionary had a lot of definitions for pip which weren't much help in understanding what this poem is all about.I thought a pip would be something small, but the dictionary thought it might even be British slang for a "metal insigne of rank on the shoulders of commissioned officers."There is an interpretation of the word, pip, as a verb, applying to a young bird chipping a hole in the shell of its egg.The pictures of the Scroobious Pip in this book don't look like it just crawled out of a shell, but the curiousity which is expressed might apply to something which has just been born as well as to something which is unusual because it defies classification.If wearing glasses and having a feathery beard, horns like a goat and a beak like a parrot or owl might be considered signs of wisdom, the hero of this book is being shown as a wise whatever it is, as well as being impeccably dressed in a coat and vest.The illustrations by Nancy Ekholm Burkert in the edition that I have (Harper & Row, 1968) are excellent, and she also did the Foreword, which says, "It is this ideal of harmony between ourselves and nature which I feel is present in the rhythmic verses of The Scroobious Pip and which made me so want to illustrate them."

The Scroobious Pip
This is one of the most memorable books from my childhood. The illustrations are wonderful,and I spent many hours trying to find all the different animals, birds, fish and insects mentioned in the poem.It is a neat poem, too.I would recommend this book for second or third gradechildren or older.A young child might find the picture of the ScroobiousPip just a little bit scary. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's All Ages    2. Children's poetry, English    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    5. General    6. Nonsense verses, English   

Reviews (3)

So lovely, so irreverent...
This is a wonderful rendition of Lear's poem. Knight's artwork is absolutely splendid, with glorious detail that will delight children and adults over and over again. I've been reading this book for ten years to my children, and I still linger over the drawings.
Amazing artwork!
I am not a huge fan of old "nursery rhyme" type poetry, but this book caught my eye and my 3 yr old boys and I love it! The illustrations are simply amazing as each page unfolds from 2 children visiting an eccentric, storytelling neighbor to the children becoming the owl and pussycat. My boys immediately noticed the firepole in the man's house among other curiosities. As the children enjoy a snack and the man reads the poem, the floor turns to water and the window seat to a pea green boat. The bespeckled little boy becomes an owl and girl becomes a cat. The poem is read a second time with them as the main characters and the illustrations cleary 'telling' the story. Just as fluidly, the children return to human form and their mothers call them for dinner as the poem winds down. This book would certainly be a wonderful addition to a classic nursery rhymes collection.

Another Great Entry in the Knight Revival
If you're a fan of Hilary Knight's artwork (and if you're not, you ought to be), you will definitely want this book.Those who are only familiar with Knight's wonderful pen and ink drawings for Eloise and Mrs. Piggle Wiggle will be amazed at the beauty of his full color illustrations. This book is good enough for either your child's/nephew's/niece's bookshelf, or (in my case) your own. The illustrations of a young boy and girl slowly becoming part of the tale are beautifully rendered. I am glad to see so many Knight books on the market again, and hope that i will get to see some more. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Action & Adventure - General    3. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    4. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    5. Children's poetry, English    6. Children: Grades 1-2    7. Classics    8. English poetry    9. Juvenile Nonfiction    10. Love & Romance    11. Nonsense verses    12. Poetry - Humorous    13. Juvenile Nonfiction / Poetry / Humorous