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.

Combining the best qualities of both storytelling and poetry, this rare collection has a special magic that will enchant readers. From the suspense of "The Listeners" to the sadness of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin," the humor of "The Train to Glasgow" to the sheer entertainment of "The Dong with a Luminous Nose," this beautifully illustrated book will delight all tastes.

Edward Lear (1812-1888) was an English artist, illustrator and writer known for his literary nonsense, in poetry and prose, and especially his limericks, a form which he popularised. At the age of 19 his first Illustrated work Family of Psittacidae; or, Parrots was published in 1830. His paintings were well received and he was favourably compared with Audubon. In 1846 Lear published A Book of Nonsense, a volume of limericks which went through three editions and helped popularise the form. In 1865 The History of the Seven Families of the Lake Pipple-Popple was published, and in 1867 his most famous piece of nonsense, The Owl and the Pussycat, which he wrote for the children of his patron Edward Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby. Many other works followed. His nonsense works are distinguished by a facility of verbal invention and a poet's delight in the sounds of words, both real and imaginary.

A sparkling biography of the poet and artist Edward Lear by the award-winning biographer Jenny Uglow Edward Lear, the renowned English artist, musician, author, and poet, lived a vivid, fascinating life, but confessed, “I hardly enjoy any one thing on earth while it is present.” He was a man in a hurry, “running about on railroads” from London to country estates and boarding steamships to Italy, Corfu, India, and Palestine. He is still loved for his “nonsenses,” from startling, joyous limericks to great love poems like “The Owl and the Pussy Cat” and “The Dong with a Luminous Nose,” and he is famous, too, for his brilliant natural history paintings, landscapes, and travel writing. But although Lear belongs solidly to the age of Darwin and Dickens—he gave Queen Victoria drawing lessons, and his many friends included Tennyson and the Pre-Raphaelite painters—his genius for the absurd and his dazzling wordplay make him a very modern spirit. He speaks to us today. Lear was a man of great simplicity and charm—children adored him—yet his humor masked epilepsy, depression, and loneliness. Jenny Uglow’s beautifully illustrated biography, full of the color of the age, brings us his swooping moods, passionate friendships, and restless travels. Above all, Mr. Lear shows how this uniquely gifted man lived all his life on the boundaries of rules and structures, disciplines and desires—an exile of the heart.

From much-quoted classics like 'The Owl and the Pussy-cat' and 'Jabberwocky' to the epic adventure 'The Hunting of the Snark', the nonsense poems of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear have a freshness and a sense of fun that still speak to children of all ages. These two masters of the absurd created characters that have entranced generation after generation: the Walrus and the Carpenter, the Dong with the Luminous Nose and the Quangle Wangle Quee are just a handful of the remarkable creatures to be found in these pages. Whether shared aloud or enjoyed on your own, these verses will continue to delight for years to come.

Edward Lear's beloved poem has charmed readers since it was first published in 1871. 4+ yrs.

'Nonsense is the breath of my nostrils', wrote Edward Lear (1812-88), and this collection demonstrates the wonderfully varied ways in which he pursued his philosophy of life. He created an extraordinary world filled with bizarre creatures - from the Dong with a luminous nose to the Pobble who has no toes - who misbehave with joyful abandon. Here can be found such exuberant and timeless verse as 'The Owl and the Pussy-cat', 'The Quangle Wangle's Hat' and numerous comic limericks, along with stories, letters, alphabets and recipes, all accompanied throughout with his fantastical line drawings. Gently pointing out human follies and the absurdities of the conventional Victorian society in which he lived, Lear's nonsense has enchanted children and adults alike for generations.

An illustrated collection of nonsense verse by Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll, including "The Mock Turtle's Song," "Jabberwocky," "The Jumblies," and "The Dong with a Luminous Nose."