Two lovers, a boat (pea-green, no less), a guitar and a serenade. A voyage of a year and a day, and a pig with a ring in his nose.

My four-and-a-half year old and I read The Owl and The Pussycat together, and while I don’t know how much of the nonsense verse was truly appreciated by the younger of the two readers, both of us enjoyed this book a lot. Edward Lear’s poem is nutty and delightful, but even more enjoyable than the mere poem are Jan Brett’s absolutely gorgeous illustrations, each page a riot of colours and brilliant detail. We exulted over the Pussycat’s outfit, the multicoloured stripes of the skirt, the lace frills of the bodice, and the necklaces she wore. The vibrant, wonderful fruit they carried in their boat. The marine life that swam all around, the hanging fruit of the bong-tree. The very practical slippers the pig wore.

Classic. You can see why this is so well-loved.

Read for University.
First impressions: Fun, wacky and cute pitchers.
Review pending.

I really like this poetry book. It rhymed which made it easy to read out loud to children and also had very cute illustrations. It had a good overall story and repeated words so it could be a good book for them to read on their own.

An absolutely enchanting version of one of Edward Lear's best-loved children's poem.

The owl and the pussycat are in love and sail off together. They meet very interesting characters along the way and decide to get married.

A simple story but so beautifully brought to life by Jan Brett. She is, in my opinion, one of the best illustrators ever!

I recall the first time I saw a runcible spoon and nearly fainted with nostalgia, remembering my mother's reading of this to me from MY BOOK HOUSE. Thanks again, Mom.

Jan Brett's very finely illustrated version of the Lear poem - but on rereading I was sorry that the illustrations for the "runcible spoon" and the "ring at the end of his nose" did not stand out more. Always a highlight and a point of discussion when reading the poem aloud to a child. Lots of tropical fish and a tropical island. Where does the bongtree grow?

Read this to my son (who is currently much too young to understand language but enjoys the storytelling sounds).

The illustrations by Ruth Sanderson were lovely, and by far the best part of this little Golden Book. The poem itself was a smidge on the boring side .

2.5/5

Nice illustrations, but aside from that, not all that captivating.

It was ok, but I didn't liked it that much. I mean, how can an owl and a cat be married? I know it's supposed to be fictional and all, but I think it's just absurd. Sorry. I guess, am not artistic or creative enough.

Cute nursery rhyme

This is a lovely book, written by Edward Lear and illustrated by Anne Mortimer! I have read the poem many times, but these gorgeous illustrations made this into a spiritual book, showing the loveliness of life! Recommended to all children, plus to adults who love the cover illustration!

A Gorgeous Book: But Be SURE to ask for This lavishly illustrated 1991 edition. A collector's item if I ever saw one - Very, Very Short - but Very, Very Sweet! Your kids will love it.

The owl and the pussycat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat
They took some money
And plenty of honey
Wrapped up in a Five-pound Note.

Of such books are Lifetime Memories Made!

For when Junior discovers the world of adulthood in his or her teen years, she or he will Know already the Modern definition of Absurdity as evinced in postmodern writing.

What is the Absurd, then? I'll give you an example. Remember the comic strip Non Sequitur? The name gives a hint: it is the gateway from an Aristotelian to a Quantum Universe.

Suddenly the meaning of a world depends entirely on the point of view from which one experiences it.

Edward Lear, to go back to Owl/Pussycat, lived in a World of Hurt and Pain. So he created nonsense rhymes - the Poetry of the Absurd!

But Lear's myopic Victorian world invented the ungainly modern Box. Suddenly people were Boxed in.

Because viewpoints are different, we had to now SELECT a Box at the onset of adulthood In which to bury our pain.

Edward Lear's POV was Escape from Any Box at Any Cost.

Like at what cost, then?

The Pascalian Wager.

The Wager - or bet - in Pascal's Pensees, introduces us to the Absurdity of the whole Process: leaving our comfort zones...

In order to arrive at what you do not know
You must go the way in which you are not.

So T.S. Eliot; and Lear, in the intense pain of rejection, epilepsy and illness, and being lost in a time warp between the box of polite indifference in all around him and his personal freedom in the free absurdity of nonsense, knew the feeling!

No wonder Eliot loved Lear.

If you don't know Anguish you won't.

Kids know anguish well. Freud said the biggest obstacle to psychic growth is clinging to one's mother, all the time.

Edward Lear knew that feeling of anguish because he couldn't let go of love!

But he made the leap, the wager of simple Faith:

Through his childlike, playful Absurdity in zany poems like this...

And that took bravery, as he published them all!

And invented the Modern Limerick in the process.

And now, for your listening pleasure, is Edward Lear's nonsense poem about the brave men who sailed to sea in a sieve, to visit The Jumblies:

https://youtu.be/3_7jHCEMxZY?si=EHsSq...

AND - here's that super actress - Judy Dench - reciting The Owl!

https://youtu.be/1MtIJsxHMzw?si=LWdqg...