Side story is better than the main one.

I should probably start a shelf called Children's Books That Are Not Good for Children. This is one of those books I would ut on that shelf. I find Lear's rhymes to be very strange. These have a very nice sound to them but I think they are inaccessible. I remember feeling the same way about Alice In Wonderland as a child. But I suppose different children feel differently so it would be better to expose them to things and let them make their own decisions. As an adult I enjoy the oddity. Dale Maxey's pictures are psychedelic and add to the feeling that the book was created while the author's were on acid. That said, I do like the pictures. Re-reading this also gave me the chance to learn what a runcible means. Apparently it is a nonsense word that Lear made up because he liked the sound of it. I Owl and the Pussycat he uses" riuncible spoon" but apparently he uses it adjectivally for other nouns too. The wiki entry I read said that he himself did not seem to have a clear meaning for the word. That's am interesting idea to me; to invent a word for sound and not for meaning. Is Lear trying to communicate something more like music and less like an idea? Anyway, the word runcible, according to the wiki article appears to have been adopted by counter culture if not by pop culture.

It is the classic and beautiful poem by Edward Lear drawn and produced in the style of a children's book. It is well done, and my only complaint is that the poem is so dated in its terms that most adults will not probably be able to keep a straight face when reading it to their children.

Oh, gosh, I LOVE the illustrations in this book! The poem itself is definitely a bit...unusual... in that nonsensical way that reminds me a bit of Lewis Carroll and can either be delightful or just plain weird depending on my mood. I think as a child I would have loved the poem better than I do as an adult. But, still, this book is pure magic! Hilary Knight does such a marvelous, marvelous job with the illustrations! I love how the little boy and girl go from listening to the story to becoming completely absorbed in it (how this happens is part of the fun of the book so I won't say more) and there are so many wonderful little clues and nuances here and there--after I read the story I went back and reviewed the first illustrations and, well, just check out the little girl's scarf and the boy's coat! ;-) This is one I will want to look over again and again!

I admit to being a bit confused by the whole Bernadette Peters thing, though. I read the book before I saw the first page with her photo and her thanks for being included. Did Knight model the little girl after Peters? If so, I didn't get that at all from the illustrations. But, no matter, they are still sublime!

Thanks to my GoodReads friend, Chandra, for the recommendation.

Weird!

It’s a lovely children’s poem.

There are many illustrated version of Edward Lear's The Owl and the Pussycat -- some are so breathtakingly gorgeous but lack the silliness of this story, some are cartoony and have no depth, and some are so deep they tread some very disturbing waters -- so far, though, this is my favorite version.

Jan Brett's illustrations, as always are colorful, well-rendered and quite lovely; and, as usual, somewhat jarring. That's what makes them so perfect for Edward Lear. Edward Lear's writings fall somewhere between Beatrix Potter and Hilaire Belloc.

On the surface, they are silly with a rhyming scheme pleasing to the ear. But scratch a little below that surface and there is something a little "off" in his work. All was not safe in Potter's world -- Peter Rabbit's father was turned into a stew -- but there was a happy ending for the protagonist. Reading Belloc can still give me nightmares. There is no safety in Lear's writing, no guarantee of a happy ending, but it is thought-inducing, not nightmare-inducing.

This book was about an Owl and a cat who are in love and get married! This was very short and quick to the point, but it was a cute little read nonetheless. The illustrations were very cute!! Very good book for younger kids!

As the reviews pertain to various editions I wanted to note that I read the utterly gorgeous edition with illustrations by Jan Brett.

‘The Owl and the Pussy Cat’ is the much loved children’s classic written by Edward Lear and the version I found in my library contains updated illustrations by Louise Voce. It follows the whimsical journey of the eponymous duo as they set to sea, get engaged and search for a ring.

The nonsense poetry has some lovely lines although some of the language has certainly dated and could be considered a tad risqué these days (“Oh lovely pussy” etc) however its main audience is unlikely to be aware of any such double entendtres at their age. The book could be used as an example of rhyming poetry although I do find the rhythm structure of some of the verses to be a little awkward.

This version is very well illustrated with the kind of pictures that will draw early years children into the story. There may be an underlying theme of acceptance of differences or it may just be a nonsense story, however I feel it has a lot to offer and I’m sure children will enjoy coming up with their own nonsense stories featuring animals that that would make unlikely friends.

I had mixed feelings about this book. It is clearly based on an old nursery rhyme, but some of the phrases and concepts were a bit confusing for the kindergarteners that I read it with. I don't think I would recommend it.

The Owl and the pussycat is an old romantic song/poem about an owl and a cat who fall in love and travel together on a boat to an island. The storyline has been adapted into MANY many versions for kids and adults.
Despite its beautiful illustrations and (in this day and age) subtle hint at diversified couples, the poetry felt very very dated and not kid (or even parent) friendly to read.
It's why it doesn't receive a higher rating. I just couldn't get over the old-style text of verse...But it is a beautifully illustrated book. (Anne Mortimer illustrated this version)