THE OWL AND THE PUSSY-CAT

by Edward Lear ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 20, 1987

This popular nonsense rhyme has been illustrated by such talented artists as Barbara Cooney, Hilary Knight and Lear himself. Here, in one of his final projects, Galdone provides signature touches to his own version, earning it a well-deserved place on bookshelves. In splashy, double-spread, vibrantly colored pictures spilling over with riotous action, Galdone shows his protagonists in a pea-green sailboat called the HMS Nonsense dressed in the mid-Victorian costume of Lear's era. They careen across a billowy turquoise sea surrounded by leaping fish, the owl popeyed and lovesick, the cat appropriately coy. Bong-land is a tropical paradise, and the Piggy-wig who provides the ring is dressed as an admiral of the fleet, playing a drum while they ""dance by the light of the moon."" The poem is printed in large, clear type; the action swirls around it, full of happy detail: even the moon smiles. This is a literal version--each detail mentioned in the poem is precisely illustrated--but Galdone has used his imagination to extend Lear's ideas, creating a memorable version suitable for the youngest.

Pub Date: April 20, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Clarion/Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1987

Categories: CHILDREN'S