The Owl and the Pussy-cat - Hardcover

Lear, Edward

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763690805 ISBN 13: 9780763690809

Publisher: Candlewick, 2017

Synopsis

Follow the adventures of the Owl and the Pussy-cat in a beautifully illustrated new edition of the beloved classic.

Edward Lear’s lyrical rhyme about an unusual couple who sail far, far away has delighted and captivated readers for generations. With expressive illustrations by Charlotte Voake and a forward by master storyteller Julia Donaldson, this is a book to be treasured by Lear fans young and old.

About this title

About the Author:

Edward Lear was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author, and poet who is best known today for his nonsense verse, particularly his limericks. The Owl and the Pussy-cat, which was first published in 1871 as part of Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany, and Alphabets, is Lear’s most popular work and has been loved by readers of all ages for generations.
Charlotte Voake is the author-illustrator of Ginger, which was short-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal; Ginger Finds a Home; and Hello Twins, a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year. She is also the illustrator of Charlotte Zolotow’s Say It!, Steve Voake’s Insect Detectives, and Vivian French’s Caterpillar, Caterpillar. She lives in Surrey, England.

From School Library Journal:

PreS-Gr 2—This classic poem has proved to be irresistible to generations of illustrators. In this appealing version done in lush blues and greens, Voake creates a lovely homage not just to the familiar words but to Lear's own paintings as well. The artist found multiple opportunities to expand on the whimsical text in her pen-and-ink and watercolor images—showing the lovers procuring the boat, taking part on a lengthy journey, and buying the wedding ring. The soothing colors of the sea and skies and the islands of the tropics are romanticized and dreamlike. There are also a few puzzling choices, such as pea-green accents that extend to people's skin color, and "the land where the Bong-tree grows" consists of a vignette with colonial overtones showing dark-skinned people carrying parasols. Overall, the art is more sophisticated than that of many of the picture book versions for kids, and perhaps it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it is nonetheless expertly rendered and every bit as rich as earlier interpretations. VERDICT A fanciful addition. A fun exercise would be to compare three or four different adaptations of the classic with kids and get their own take on what all this nonsense is about.—Luann Toth, School Library Journal

About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0763690805
• ISBN 13: 9780763690809
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Voake Charlotte