A collection of over 100 limericks with the author's original illustrations.

Edward Lear's much celebrated book of nonsense is here reproduced with all the original pictures and verse and two autobiographical letters by the author. Children and adults alike will delight in the Limerick's that here abound. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Edward Lear began his career as an ornithological illustrator, becoming one of the first major artists to draw birds from living models. During this period he was employed to paint the birds from the private menagerie owned by Edward Stanley, the 13th Earl of Derby and one of Lear’s closest friends. In 1837, Lear’s health started to decline. His deteriorating eyesight and failing lungs forced him to abandon the detailed painting required for depicting birds, and, with the help of the earl, he moved to Rome where he established himself as a poet of literary nonsense. While Lear was visiting the Earl of Derby, he wrote poems and drew silly sketches to entertain the earl’s children. In 1846, he collected together his pile of limericks and illustrations and published his first poetical book, titled A Book of Nonsense and dedicated to the Earl of Derby and his children. He decided to publish under the pseudonym Derry down Derry, but after he started making plans for more books, he republished under his real name. His next book, Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany, and Alphabets wasn’t published until 24 years later, in 1870. Lear then released More Nonsense, which contains more limericks, in 1872, and Laughable Lyrics in 1877. This final book in the series contains many of Lear’s most famous fantastical creatures, such as the Quangle Wangle. The influence of Lear’s poetry in the twentieth-century can be seen in styles like the surrealism movement and the theater of the absurd.

This hilariously readable collection of classic nonsense poetry, delightfully illustrated throughout, is a showcase of comic talent and sheer silliness. The Everyman Book of Nonsense Verse features an eclectic spectrum of contributors ranging wildly from Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll to Hilaire Belloc, Ted Hughes, Ogden Nash, and Shakespeare, with illustrations by Mervyn Peake, Quentin Blake, Emma Chichester Clark, Spike Milligan, and the deliciously sinister Edward Gorey. Such old favorites as “The Owl and the Pussycat” are accompanied by “Macavity: The Mystery Cat” and “Jabberwocky,” while Ted Hughes’s “Wodwo” sits alone by the bank of a stream in a state of innocence and curiosity that mirrors a child’s sense of wonder at the universe. Whether sweetly funny or deliciously naughty, these masterpieces of the art of the absurd will charm readers both young and old.

A funny collection of poems, rhymes, wordplay and limericks by former Children's Laureate, Michael Rosen. Filled with bright and colourful illustrations. Dive into a laugh-out-loud world of nonsense... Packed with verse that's clever and silly, this collection will inspire children to have fun with words and invent their own poetry. From dogs that live on Mars, to football, dinosaurs and so much more - everyone will find something they love to read out loud! 'The author has a child's ear for word sound and an eye for nutty humour. Clare Mackie's crackling illustrations add verve and vigour to each page' - Junior Education

The closest relative of manThey say, is the orang-utan;And when I look at GrandpapaI realize how right they are!Jam-packed with the very best nonsense rhymes and tricky tongue-twisters, this wonderfully exuberant collection contains quirky, colour illustrations from Colin West and lashings of his wildly wacky verse! Divided into sections to satisfy nonsense-lovers everywhere, this brilliant bumper book will keep children in fits for hours and may inspire them to become rollicking rhyme-makers themselves! Chapters include: Curious Creatures, Tricky Tongue-twisters, Funny Folk, Moments with Monsters, Dotty Ditties, Vicious Verses, Hopeless History, Stories in Stanzas