Lear's pea-green boat sails again, this time with the inimitable James Marshall at the helm. Envisioned as the S.S. Dorabella, this cruise ship will escort the Owl and his fianc‚e, the profoundly clothes-conscious Pussycat, from Pier 23, laden with suitcases marked for ports of call around the world. On calm seas, tuxedoed Owl serenades the flapper-inspired Pussycat seated in her deck chair; in rougher waters, Owl braves the weather to photograph his windblown beloved. Owl and Pussycat join the legion of goofy original Marshall creations: in their grass skirts and leis, the exaggerated portly twosome (he with his signature wide-owl eyes; she with coy looks and rouge-dotted cheeks) highstep it by the light of the moon. At his wacky best, watercolorist Marshall limns a huge priestly turkey, all seriousness with his pince-nez glasses and preposterous wattle; outfitted with a regal purple headdress and matching scarf, the extravagant turkey marries the dapper couple. Lear's famous poem, here calligraphed in white and black crayon, receives an irreverent, gently playful rendition. In a deeply personal afterword, dear friend Maurice Sendak pays homage to Marshall, who shared with him the "sketches" that became Marshall's final largess to his devoted following. Sendak is exactly right when he pronounces that, with this last book, Marshall's "charming slap-happiness [is] now wed to an odd poignancy that conjure[s] a sweet new essence."
Hague gives free rein to dark whimsy in this eclectic sampling of Lear's verse, which includes such favorites as the title poem as well as "The Courtship of the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo," "The Cummerbund" and a host of limericks. Lear's menagerie of odd creatures and peculiar persons (e.g., the "Young Lady whose eyes/ Were unique as to color and size") provide rich material for Hague to work with, and he exploits it with robust comic grotesqueries. Saturated earth tones mix with fiery flashes of red and orange in a combination that's instantly identifiable as pure Hague, as is the profusion of detail. Ending, tongue firmly in cheek, with the limerick "There Was an Old Man of the Hague," the artist includes what just might be a sly self-portrait. Ages 5-8. (Nov.)
Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
The blissful pairing of the owl and the pussycat isn't the only marriage made in heaven here-Wilson's (The Beautiful World that God Made) punchy collage art proves an exuberant partner to Lear's classic nonsense verse. Combining patterned papers printed with rich inks, the artist concocts a beguilingly off-kilter setting that, like the text, up-ends convention. The starring characters have a surface simplicity, but in fact each is highly stylized. Bronze and copper circles and curves adorn the paper from which Pussy is cut, while Owl is more complicated: gold squiggles thinly drawn on orange suggest the feathers for his head and wings, an orange oval printed with an open-weave-type design creates the texture on his breast and his face is a streamlined assemblage of simple solid shapes. However elaborate the components, the illustrations are remarkably harmonious, unified by subtly geometric motifs. When, for instance, the loving couple sails away, "for a year and a day," Wilson shows the two in their peapod-like craft ascending a circular horizon; the half-oval of sea they cross to reach "the land where the Bong-tree grows" is echoed in the ovoid shapes of those trees, each of which boasts detailed, bright designs. Elsewhere, curved lines of type reinforce the structure of the composition. Witty, fresh and rhythmic, Wilson's illustrations mirror Lear's whimsy and capture his musicality. Ages 3-7. (Apr.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
"Galdone uses his imagination to extend Lear's ideas, creating a memorable version suitable for the youngest."
PreS Up-While many library shelves are already populated by lush editions of Lear's classic poem, a fresh treatment of a time-proven favorite is always welcome. Wilson's mixed-media paintings sing with bright colors, and her abstract shapes capture the joy in Lear's nonsense. Like the experiences of the owl and the cat themselves, this edition is an exuberant celebration of the improbable in life-Kathleen Whalin, York Public Library, ME Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
The illustrations are what make this latest edition of Edward Lear's classic poem about two unlikely lovers worth a second look. Although several editions interpreted by different illustrators exist, there may be room for one more, especially since this poem hasn't been redone as often as some other childhood chestnuts. The text is Lear's own, but the collage illustrations provide a modern, textured look that other editions do not. Whimsical colors and patterns awaken the imagination, particularly in the land of the "Bong-trees"; after all, everyone knows what a cat, an owl, and a boat look like, but an illustrator has free reign to portray the imaginary trees any way he or she sees fit. Here, they are suitably fantastic oval shapes growing in pink and red grass, adorned with stylized swirls and leaf patterns in turquoise, purple, red, yellow, and orange. The "Piggy-wig" with the ring in his nose that the owl and pussycat find there is larger than life, covering an entire spread, in bright, bubble-gum pink. Seas are purple, skies are blue, purple, red, or yellow, sometimes adorned with stars in contrasting colors; sand is bright orange. The riotous colors and patterns reflect the joy of the love story and the fun of the nonsense verse, and breathe new life into a classic. (Picture book. 4-7)
