His Shoes Were Far Too Tight

April 18, 2011
Pinkwater and Brown honor a fellow champion of absurdity, Edward Lear, in this frisky collection. Even before readers get to the poems, a cartoon self-portrait of Lear in the introduction (he looks a bit like a bearded balloon) hints at the revelry that's to follow. Brown's elegantly quirky collages convey the gentle lunacy of the Owl and the Pussycat (who gaze at each other adoringly, dressed in debonair threads), and lesser-known characters like the Quangle Wangle, whose gigantic hat becomes home to the toe-less Pobble (who appears separately in his own poem) and other creatures. These seasoned collaborators provide an assuring nudge for readers to embrace Lear's sumptuously silly verse. Ages 4â8.

June 1, 2011

Gr 3-8-An enjoyable introduction to Lear, accompanied by whimsical art. Pinkwater succinctly introduces the shy, complicated poet who briefly gave drawing lessons to Queen Victoria; these lessons were cut short "possibly because his behavior was too silly to allow him to hang around the royal court." The oversize paintings reiterate Pinkwater's lighthearted introduction, and Brown's offbeat, naif style complements Lear's comic creations. A nattily clad Owl and Pussycat set sail in their pea-green boat as the blue-handed, green-headed Jumblies take to sea in a sieve with banners flying and horns blowing. Mrs. Blue Dickey-bird goes walking with her chickies. The Pobble with no toes gazes anxiously toward his feet; later, readers see that he's found a place among the other happy denizens of the Quangle Wangle's Crumpetty Tree. There are many fine versions of Lear's poems, but libraries will want to make room for this playful celebration of his genius for nonsense.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2011
Grades 2-5 Edward Lear's ebullient nonsense comes to vivid, vibrant life in this large-format, picture-book anthology. The book begins with an introduction by Pinkwater, with tongue-in-cheek biographical fact and a photograph of Lear set against a vibrating patchwork of saturated pastels. Ten poems follow, some confined to a single spread, others dancing across multiple pages, all buoyed by energetic, acrylic paintings in high-contrast combinations of turquoise, puce, and tangerine. From the Jumblies' green faces and psychedelic getups to the blazing background behind the Duck and the Kangaroo, Brown matches Lear's rambling rhymes with his own chaotic creativity, interpreting the nonsense quite literally in some places, and adding his own visual wit in others. Those familiar with Lear's work will enjoy these fantastical interpretations, and those new to the party are in for an eye-opening treat.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)