The Owl and the Pussycat by Jan Brett

The Owl and the Pussycat Reviews

• 
  Bionic Jean

  The Owl and the Pussycat and other nonsense is a book of Edward Lear's eccentric and unique comic verse, published in 2012 to celebrate the bicentenary of the author's birth. It is lavishly illustrated with watercolour paintings by the Australian artist, Robert Ingpen. This is a happy combination, as Ingpen's depictions, based on Australian flora, seem to be a perfect fit for Lear's imagined Bong-tree Land.
  
  Edward Lear was one of 20 children. He suffered from epilepsy, and had a very unhappy childhood as an unwanted member of the family. He was largely brought up by an elder sister who encouraged him to develop his artistic talent. Interestingly, Sarah, another sister of his, was also a talented artist and writer, though she is largely forgotten now. This edition of the book is dedicated to her memory. It includes seven of Edward Lear's most popular poems:
  
  The Owl and the Pussycat
  The Jumblies
  The Dong with a Luminous Nose
  The New Vestments
  The Duck and the Kangaroo
  Calico Pie and
  How Pleasant to Know Mr. Lear
  
  It is perfectly possible to read Lear's verse in a standard collection of poetry, as words on the page without the aid of pictures. Perhaps this is how most of us remember reading him in childhood. Or perhaps you may remember them being read aloud, as hearing them aloud benefits the language enormously. I would defy anyone not to "hear" them in their head as they read. But there is another consideration with this particular book.
  
  For those adults - and some children - who find Lear's eccentric descriptions all but impossible to visualise, these illustrations are not only very attractive but also a great help with interpretation. Lear's sing-song language is easy and repetitive, the sound of his verse and his imagery will delight young children, yet his ideas are sometimes so ludicrous as to be unimaginable. Can you see a "runcible spoon" in your mind's eye? Or "The Dong with a Luminous Nose"? I couldn't - even though in this case Lear gives a detailed description of him - until I looked at the illustrations.
  
  "Far and few, far and few
  Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
  Their heads are green and their hands are blue,
  And they went to sea in a Sieve."
  
  We first hear this refrain in "The Jumblies", and it is then echoed in "The Dong with a Luminous Nose", a poignant and mournful verse. Sad though it is, it is probably my personal favourite. Perhaps though, it is as well that it is followed by "The New Vestments"; such a silly piece of nonsense that it makes the reader laugh out loud. And small children will love the "rude" and funny picture in this book.
  
  "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 where on earth did he get his odd ideas? What made him juxtapose such ridiculous items to make a more-or-less coherent whole? The answer seem to be that, in common with many comedians throughout history, he was trying to escape his own unhappiness. He started out as a draughtsman for the Zoological Society of London, making drawings of rare birds and animals. Some of his beautiful bird paintings from this time are included in the books. He entertained his employer's children with his drawings and invented nonsense rhymes, to which they showed,
  
  "uproarious delight and welcome at the appearance of every new absurdity."
  
  Imagine how welcome such approval must have been to a young man who had sadly experienced little of this in his life to date. He went on to travel throughout Europe, writing and illustrating guides to various places, and these came to the attention of Queen Victoria. She was so impressed that she promptly employed Edward Lear as her drawing master.
  
  In 1870 he published his most famous poem, The Owl and the Pussycat, with which he found his perfect niche. To the end of his days he commented on the world around him in a nonsensical style, referring most revealingly once to,
  
  "This ludicrously whirlygig life which one suffers from first and laughs at afterwards."
  
  Even writing what amounts to his own obituary, with a letter sent to a friend shortly before his travels, he ends it, typically,
  
  "Oh bother!"
  
  The text of the letter is included in the book, as is a short biography of the author. Additionally there are contributions by the illustrator, Robert Ingpen. He has written a two-page botanical study entitled "Bong-tree land", styled very much in the tradition of the time, plus another two pages about Bong-tree Land itself, reading rather like a nonsensical travel guide, starting,
  
  "Visitors to Bong-tree land must be prepared to travel by sea for a year and a day from almost any port in England."
  
  Robert Ingpen has captured the essence and style of Edward Lear very nicely, and this provides an unexpected extra tribute to the author. Edward Lear has influenced a host of writers and comedians ever since, including Gilbert and Sullivan, A. A. Milne, Spike Milligan, The Goons, Dr. Seuss and Monty Python's Flying Circus. If you have a penchant for the ridiculous, don't make the mistake of thinking him outdated, and pass Edward Lear by - give him a try. Perhaps he wrote his own epitaph with the words,
  
  "Nonsense is the breath of my nostrils."
• 
  Calista

  This was a fun little nursery rhyme with beautiful artwork. Jan does not use her famous panels on the side, but we do see the Owl in the Pussycat in the boat most of the story and you can always see the two of them in the boat and then everything that is happening in the water with all the sea life. It creates a sense of wonder. The Owl and the Pussycat are going to get married and it’s the story of how they go about it. I would rather find a different ring than they found.
  
  The nephew thought this book was funny. He asked, “why would a cat want to marry an owl? That’s weird.” He thought the story was funny and weird. He thought buying the ring out of the pigs nose was rather gross and funny too. He thought this story was odd, so he gave it 4 stars.
• 
  C. (Never PM. Comment, or e-mail if private!)

  When a story is short; I enjoy acquainting its authors, artists, and origin. I had never heard of “The Owl And The Pussycat”, nor of Edward Lear. His inspiration for this odd titular pairing is as whimsical, as it is an enlightening explanation for quite a suite of factors that of course, are nonsense. Small birds are prey to cats, owls can carry small cats, and animals do not marry ceremoniously; never mind mingling species. It is a treat to learn from whence this came. I obtained it recently in a country thrift store, as a 1984 Canadian retelling by Canadian artist, Ron Berg.
  
  The nice thing about retellings is clueing our modern generations into poetry and stories from all the way back in 1871! It seems Edward was well-known, with a fun and educational bent. Our poem was published in a compilation entitled: “Nonsense, Songs, Stories, Botany, And Alphabets”. He composed the poem for a friend’s 3 year-old daughter; which justifies an emphasis on cute rhymes and images instead of science. I imagine reading this with a lilt.
  
  Ron is from Toronto and has a graceful, pretty, fancy style suited to his concept. He imagined this tale as a romance set on a cruise ship. I get the impression the owl and pussycat are an established couple who made this trip together, because they marry on an island after they disembark. As a matter of fact, they must have made quite a trustworthy boat rental with regard for their nautical ability, because they row themselves the rest of the way to the ship’s destination. It is lovely that the ship catches up shortly and the passengers are their wedding guests. There is a plentiful banquet in a lush jungle. Ron’s elegant, dreamlike tableaux make up for the bizarre subject.
• 
  Karen Witzler

  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?
• 
  Ms. B

  Nonsensical nursery rhyme by Edward Lear about an owl who weds a pussycat. It was originally published in the 1800s. I do not remember it from my childhood in the 1900s. Reading it in the 2000s, it's easy to see it's from a different era.
  Give this one to fans of Jan Brett's illustrations or classic nursery rhymes.
• 
  Maria

  I have no words for this book. It's wierd and not at all what i expected.
  And the stanza that goes something like this; oh what a lovely pussy you are. say what? who would write that in a childrens book. Not good, not good
• 
  Dolly

  We recently read
  Miss Smith Under the Ocean, which references a lot of classic tales. Our oldest was intrigued by the mention of the poem of "The Owl and the Pussycat", so I borrowed a couple of different picture-book versions of this classic poem so she could hear the whole thing.
  
  This version has colorful mixed-media illustrations that are very expressive and abstract. It's very different from
  Jan Brett's illustrated version of the poem, and we enjoyed comparing the two books. Later on, we read
  Hilary Knight's interesting take on the story, too.
  
  Overall, this classic poem has been illustrated by several different people and we enjoyed reading three of the different versions.
• 
  M.M. Strawberry Library & Reviews

  I've read several illustrated versions of the Owl and the Pussycat, and hands-down, this one has the MOST GORGEOUS illustrations I've ever seen! My only complaint about this book is that it wasn't bigger, because the illustrations really do merit closer study (the dimensions of this book are relatively small, the pages are not paper, but cardboard, so this is a book designed to stand up to wear and tear from smaller kids, and these kinds of books usually tend to be smaller length and width-wise for easier handling by smaller hands)
  
  There is not one single page that does not have beautiful illustrations. The feathers on the owl are individually-drawn, and the cat looks too adorable in her dress. The poem itself might be silly, but the illustrations really do bring the words to life.
• 
  Florencia

  And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
  They danced by the light of the moon,
  The moon,
  The moon,
  They danced by the light of the moon.

  
  The "nonsense" part must be largely related to the fact that the entire story is about a marriage taking place.
  A decent poem, but I prefer
  this one (even though I would read "The guy with" to kids), so the rating is mostly based on Brett's magnificent illustrations.
  
  
  Feb 16, 19
  * Maybe later on
  my blog.
• 
  Cynda

  For this poetry to still stand the test of time means people are still striving to find places to love safely. The peagreen boat on the ocean was safe in the time of Edward Lear. In the art of Stephane Jordisch, a small ship with a few just tolerant others might serve, and Paris the city of lovers also seems to serve. (Paris cafe scene depicted on cover, so I am not giving anything away, promise.) Many forms of adult human love are waiting for acceptance. May more find it.
• 
  Shirley Revill

  The times I have read this book to my children and then my grandchildren are many.
  Well loved book for children that has given much enjoyment over the years. Recommended.
• 
  Abigail

  The Owl and the Pussy-Cat, illustrated by Charlotte Voake.
  
  Edward Lear's classic children's poem, originally included in his 1871 collection,
  Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany, and Alphabets, is here presented in picture-book form, with lovely watercolor illustrations by Charlotte Voake. As the story unfolds, the titular strigine and feline heroes head to sea in a pea-green boat, serenading and then proposing to one another, before wedding in a tropical paradise. The poem concludes as the happy pair dances by the light of the moon...
  
  Although long aware of The Owl and the Pussy-Cat, which was recently named Britain's favorite children's poem, I had never had the pleasure of reading it, before picking up this edition illustrated by Voake. I'm glad that I finally got around to it, as it is a wonderful little work, one that is immense fun to read to aloud, and one whose imaginative nonsense leaves the reader wanting more. Fortunately for them, popular British children's author Julia Donaldson recently penned a sequel,
  The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussy-cat, also illustrated by Voake.
• 
  Kathryn

  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.
• 
  Addee

  I read the version with the illustrations by Wendy Straw and yes, it is a children's book.
  
  Ricky Gervais spiked my interest when he quoted the line "In a beautiful pea-green boat:" referring to one of Karl Pilkington's ramblings that fuse reality with fantasy.
  It sounded to me like this story should be common knowledge. I looked up the book and author and decided I wanted to know more. As I am a fan of Spike Milligan I found that Edward Lear is right up my alley.
  The Owl And The Pussycat is a romantic nonsense poem that I found funny and the little one found engaging. The illustrations done by Wendy Straw are comically beautiful.
  I will definitely be reading more of Edward Lear's work.
• 
  Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl

  "O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
  What a beautiful Pussy you are,
  You are,
  You are,
  What a beautiful Pussy you are!"
  -Edward Lear
  
  "Our mother was a Pussycat,
  Our father was the Owl,
  So we are partly little beasts
  And partly little fowl . . . ."
  -Edward Lear
  
  The wording might be a bit dated but we must take into account that the lyrics were written in the 1800's. This classic is well worth reading.
  
  
• 
  Deanna Sutter

  Okay dumb. I have a hard time imagining an owl and a pussycat getting married by a turkey...wierd....I'm sure I'm reading way more into it. Yes, I know it's all "nonsense" but some nonsense I struggle with.
  
  Good illustrations though...
• 
  Agnė

  I am not a fan of dressed up realistic-looking animals. Therefore, I liked this poem better when I first read it in a plain text format without any illustrations. Nonetheless, Jen Brett's illustrations are gorgeous, and I loved the side story she told in her artwork.
• 
  Andrea

  23 pages
  
  I was supposed to pick out a Golden Book for a baby shower, the one with the oldest publication date wins a prize, so I stumbled across this book and I was so flustered by the title I put it down to think about. I was also turned off by the owl and “pussy” cat marriage I said to my sister how perverted that was and it put an image in my head that wasn’t pleasant. I always find interspecies mating to be perverse, no matter that these two only got married, it still put an image of the two of them together in my head and might give kids the wrong idea that different animals can mate together, or just put kids to thinking about what the babies would be like and just create all kinds of problems. But the copyright date was 82, the oldest, so I ended up buying it days later. The beautiful pictures with all the different colors is what attracted me to the book because they were pretty to look at.
  
  Upon reading the book I’m even more convinced I should’ve stayed away from it. One page in particular had me feeling really weird about it. The one where the owl is singing “O lovely Pussy, O Pussy, my love, What a beautiful Pussy you are, You are, You are! What a beautiful Pussy you are!” Talk about awkward. Even saying it in my head was embarrassing, saying it out loud to my sister, because I just had to share it with her, even more so! I would never read this aloud to anyone else and I certainly can’t give this to a baby. I wish I hadn’t bought it; the pictures do not make up for these terrible word choices. I don’t know what was going on in the 80’s but today we have a different connotation with the word “pussy” and I for one have never and will never call a real cat a pussycat. Oh, this p word I will not use! Then there “to the land where the bong-tree grows.” There again, a bong is not something I want to read about because that’s drug paraphernalia and I wonder if it was back then too. It might be a type of tree but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to use it in a children’s book. Bongs and pussies, just what you want kids repeating! I can’t give this to a baby because I doubt parents would appreciate their kids repeating these words that in today’s world reference drugs and the female body. Then were words that kids just don't know. I never understand when authors use these big words that they know in their adult lives and expect young children to know. Like "They dined on mince and slices of quince, which they ate with a runcible spoon." I can't even follow that! I did like some of the lines, like: “They sailed away, for a year and a day” and “they danced by the light of the moon.” All in all, I think this book was for another time but today just brings up awkward subjects.
• 
  Lisa Vegan

  I remember this poem from my childhood, but it was not one of my favorites. However, this edition makes it shine. The story within the story really makes it work. There’s also sheet music included in the front of the book, composed by Douglas Colby.
  
  Turning this poem into a part of a story about two children and their imaginative play, or fantasy land, however the reader wants to interpret it, makes it so much fun, and less weird. Frankly, it is a bit of a strange poem when it’s put out there on its own.
  
  The illustrations are spectacular. They’re intricate and engaging and really help tell the story. There are many amusing and sweet touches. [Hilary Knight:], who illustrated the [Eloise:] books, and whose work I’ve always enjoyed, does a magnificent job here, and his art style in this book seems somewhat different from other art by him that I’ve seen. It’s easy to spend a lot of time looking at all the pictures; readers are likely to notice something new with each viewing.
  
  Delightful. Thanks to Goodreads friend Chandra who alerted me to this book. Her review of it (
  http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...) is wonderful and well worth reading, and it convinced me to read the book.
• 
  Becky

  Jan Brett's Caribbean-inspired illustrations for the classic Edward Lear poem are teeming with life, and the effect is stunning. The colors, textures, and shapes are a visual treat. Each page also has a different pattern of "straw" border, adorned with a different tropical flower.
  
  The pictures overflow with detail, to the point where there's even a sub-story (pardon the pun) involving two yellow fish.
  
  I didn't give it the full 5 stars because the way the text is broken up across spreads makes it difficult to read the poem with any kind of flow, and because some of Brett's admittedly gorgeous illustrations could (and perhaps should) have had more of a connection to the text. For one notable example -- there's no pot of honey on the boat, and we never get a look at the money wrapped up in the five-pound note!
  
  But there's no denying the beauty of the illustrations, and the Caribbean theme works surprisingly well. This is a great book for anyone -- for newcomers to the splendid silliness of the poem as well as for old fans of the poem who are looking for an edition with fabulous illustrations.
• 
  Karen

  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.
  
• 
  Amy Layton

  Honestly, this is the first time that I'd ever fully read any edition or version of The Owl and the Pussycat, and that surprises me.  I mean, this is basically a HUGE millennial/Gen X piece of literature.  I mean, yes, Lear is from a different century, BUT this is probably the most iconique poem I have ever read.  Not to be that guy, but just two quotations make my case for me: 1) "What a beautiful pussy you are" and 2) "They sailed away for a year and a day / To the land where the Bong-Tree grows".  Not to be crass but...come on, y'all.  Iconique, like I said.  
  
  But besides all of that...have yet ANOTHER declaration of my love for James Marshall.  He adapts this poem so wonderfully, making this a cute and jovial tale about falling in love and being happy.  His cartoon-style really pops, making the absurdity of an owl and pussycat getting married much more believable--not to mention charming and funny.
  
  Review cross-listed
  here!
• 
  Madhulika Liddle

  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.
• 
  Aleta

  It's impossible to tell here, but the specific edition I'm reviewing is The Owl & the Pussy-Cat & Other Nonsense by Edward Lear, with illustrations by Owen Wood (1978, Viking Press). It includes eight short verses by Lear in addition to TO&tPC. Wood's intricate illustrations are gorgeous, and invite return visits, as I have done many a time over the years. This was one of the books that my parents kept on their shelves, and I'm glad they did - it survived where some of our other childhood books did not always.
  
  Update: I have now read the edition with illustrations by Stéphane Jorisch. I don't find them as pretty in style as Wood's, but I appreciate the emotional contrast they provide to the lightness of the poem.
• 
  Ash

  So, I bought this at a used bookstore, because the pictures were absolutely beautiful. I suppose this is why I should learn to prescreen the books I buy my daughter. When reading this one, neither me nor my daughter were very impressed. I almost put it down to start a new one, because of how squirrely she started to get (she's two) but I finished it. It's not a horrible book, but it's just a meh one. I'm happy I didn't buy it new. Though I make a point to only buy books I have previously read when buying them new.
  
  As an added note, I did have to giggle a little when a few nights later my husband had picked it out, and I heard his awkward tone when reading the part where the owl is singing about "what a beautiful Pussy" she is.
• 
  Deborah

  This version offered in the Visions in Poetry edition beautifully illustrates and captures the essence of Edward Lear's nonsensical and whimsical relationship of the owl wooing the pussycat and their journey of discovery around the world to find the perfect ring.
• 
  Heather

  Wow. They're dressed way too fancy.
  She’s way taller than that owl! Looks ridiculous to see a cat walking on two legs.
  It says it’s a ‘beautiful pea-green boat’ but that’s a ship. Of course, I realized on the next page they called it a boat so it would rhyme with “note.”
  ‘they took some honey, and plenty of money.’ Oh boy. Bad rhyming.
  Wow. Mice walking on two legs carrying luggage.
  This makes me wince: “O lovely Pussy, O Pussy, my love,
  what a beautiful Pussy you are,
  you are!
  You are!
  What a beautiful Pussy you are!”
  Pretty page, though. Nice green&blue colors and the stars reflected in the owl’s eyes.
  
  Seeing that cat (I refuse to call her Pussy) wrapped up in that pink robe&kerchief while looking on sexily at the owl singing is so weird.
  Then her swinging from the rigging with her skirts fanned out.
  
  They sailed on that ship for a year and a day looking for a ring? And you stop on an island where a pig lives. I thought it was kinda odd to use the year and a day--obviously it sounds romantic--because it's generally used in historical novels, &was a tradition of handfasting, to stay with someone for a year and a day, and after that time, you can either get married or part ways.
  oh, a bong-tree! sure, drop another word in here that sounds bad!
  pussycats, bong-trees. I guess I'd expect no other kind of tree than a bong-tree in this perverse book.
  
  
  ‘&there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood,
  With a ring at the end of his nose,
  His nose,
  His nose,
  With a ring at the end of his nose.’
  
  Tell me they’re not getting this ring from this pig’s nose.
  flips the page.
  Yep, they are. They’re totally asking this pig for his nose ring.
  
  Couldn’t you have stopped at a portside town and bought a ring??!
  Their richness has oozed off the page from the very start.
  
  “Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
  Your ring?” Said the Piggy, “I will.
  -The pig’s lines should have been on the next line.
  I thought the pig asked himself for his ring.
  This pig’s ears are crazy. There's curls all around it.
  
  Ah! So you do have money that could have been spent on a ring!
  Wait, they boarded the ship loaded with “honey and money.” Now where’s their money at? Why couldn’t you buy a ring??
  
  Married by a turkey. Well, she’s a cat, he’s an owl, a rat helped them board the ship, and they got their wedding ring from a pig’s nose. Why not get married by a turkey, who’s wearing pants with a hole for his tail?
  I hope they disinfected that ring.
  
  Seeing them sprawled out on the ground makes me uncomfortable. Like the concept of the book does. That wing peeking out of his sleeve looks like a lightweight, flimsy peacock feather painted gray. That is not the wing of an owl. &that thing couldn’t hold a spoon, much less fly this guy anywhere. But I guess he doesn’t fly. No, he walks everywhere like a man.
  The word “runcible” should not be in a kid’s book. I don’t even know what that is!
  
  I guess we should all be thankful this book just ended off with them dancing by the light of the moon,
  The moon,
  The moon,
  Instead of their wedding night…
  Can I get an Amen?
  
  Some pages were pretty and done well. The pig looked weird. &let's point out the elephant in the room, or in this case the Pussy, this story is just weird. an owl and a cat? how does that work? kind of like in Shrek with donkey and the dragon...
  hm. my, my, people like pairing animals together, don't they?
  I love animals, but I don't like making animals into people &dressing them in clothes like people. It's just weird.