Best Selling Books by Edward Lear

Edward Lear was the greatest nonsensicalist of all time. He was the inventor of the limerick and created the Jumblies and The Owl and the Pussycat. This complete edition of Lear''s nonsense verse - including the limericks, longer verses, alphabets and his own illustrations - is lovingly restored and beautifully presented, for adults and children to enjoy together.

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. So wrote Edward Lear upon the first publication of these Nonsense Songs in 1871, and few poets indeed have captured the imagination of children as he has. His playful use of language, his celebration of the absurd, his love of pure nonsense have secured his place on the shelves of childhood libraries for generations. This new edition of his Nonsense Songs has all the favorites--the romantic "Owl and the Pussy-Cat" and the silly "Jumblics"--as well as many other rhymes that may be new to young readers--"The Pelican Chorus" and the hilarious "New Vestments." Newly commissioned illustrations by Jonathan Allen and an introduction by Naomi Lewis make this the edition of choice for a new generation of readers. His Waistcoat and Trousers were made of Pork Chops;-- His Buttons were Jujubes, and Chocolate Drops;-- Hi Coat was all Pancakes with Jam for a Border, And a girdle of Biscuits to keep it in order.

Edward Lear (1812 - 1888) was an English writer of nonsense, the most famous piece of which is The Owl and the Pussycat. He is also credited with popularizing the limerick, though there was some speculation as to whether his patron, the Earl of Derby, simply used Lear as a pseudonym for his own writings. Lear was also a successful illustrator and even spent some time tutoring Queen Victoria in drawing before his improper behaviour had him thrown out of court.

Edward Lear''s poetry and prose celebrates the joy of living, and has influenced writers and illustrators from Terry Gilliam to Spike Milligan and Ricky Gervais. Although the subject and form of his works varies greatly, all of Lear''s poems can be characterized by his irreverent view of the world, and many critics view Lear''s nonsense books as his way of undermining the all-pervasive orderliness and industriousness of Victorian society. However, regardless of his inspiration or impetus, the appeal of Lear''s poems and illustrations has proved timeless. Nonsense Songs and Stories contains some of Lear''s best-known poetry, as well as stories and songs about real and imagined creatures. Poems include "The Owl and the Pussycat," "The Jumblies," "Calico Pie," and the stories are "The Story of the Four Little Children Who Went Round the World" and the "History of the Seven Families of the Lake Pipple-Popple."

On a sea voyage, the owl and the pussycat decide to marry as soon as they can find a ring.

An illustrated collection of twenty-four nonsensical poems by Edward Lear.

Edward Lear, born in 1812, was a British artist, illustrator, author, and poet, renowned today primarily for his literary nonsense, in poetry and prose, and especially his limericks, a form that he popularised. Lear produced the illustrated poetry collection Book of Nonsense (1846) for the Earl of Derby''s grandchildren. His other works include Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany and Alphabets (1871), containing The Owl and the Pussy-Cat, and Laughable Lyrics (1877). This beautiful facsimile features a short introduction about Edward Lear, and how he refused to acknowledge the ''nonsense'' work in the earlier years because he wanted to be taken seriously as a landscape artist. Following this is a replica of each page, featuring the letters of the alphabet with the short poem underneath each drawing. This will be accompained by the poem again, this time written in a more accessible font so that children may read this too. The Ashmolean recently acquired an 1860s edition of the Alphabet of Nonsense, and it is this original that they have utilised in order to recreate this stunning classic.

A collection of 236 limericks and other nonsense poems including "The Owl and the Pussycat" as well as "The Nutcrackers and the Sugar Tongs."

An illustrated collection of limericks by the well-known nineteenth-century English writer.