Nonsense! Book 1

by Edward Lear, Etienne Delessert

Overview

Although he may have wished to be remembered as a more “serious” writer, the 19th-century English poet Edward Lear left an important legacy of limericks to the canon of nonsense verse. One of Lear’s most famous five-line poems, "There was an Old Man with a beard," here receives full illustrative treatment from Swiss-American artist Etienne Delessert, whose work celebrates and seeks to expand the imaginative capacities of children. Intended to set the stage for a forthcoming series of standalone poems, Nonsense! Book One will whet young readers’ appetites for further adventures in rhyme.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781568463933
Publisher:	The Creative Company
Publication date:	01/17/2023
Series:	Total Nonsense! Series
Pages:	14
Sales rank:	900,211
Product dimensions:	6.55(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

Editorial Reviews

2022-11-29
Birds can build nests in the strangest places.

This colorful board book, the first in the Total Nonsense! series, is a testament to that, as it features one of British limerick master Lear’s most renowned ditties, describing how a group of avians takes up residence in a bowler-hatted, pink-cheeked, light-skinned “Old Man’s” absurdly long, sumptuous, black beard. As depicted in this little volume, the assorted birds have plenty of space to do it, as the beard seems to go on forever, effortlessly trailing over hills and fields as the Old Man walks about, mostly oblivious to his pastoral surroundings. Colorful, whimsical, easy-on-the-eyes illustrations, rendered in watercolors and colored pencils, bring to life the limerick, which grown-ups might want to consider helping slightly older listeners to commit to memory; after all, limericks are a fun introduction to poetry and are brief enough to learn easily after repeated reading and listening opportunities. Children are likely going to want repeat visits to this book so they can giggle at the Old Man’s predicament. Additional teaching opportunities include helping little ones identify the various animals portrayed throughout, including the birds that are named, as well as assisting kids with counting the various creatures. Adults can gather information about Lear in the backmatter, an unusual and noteworthy feature in a board book. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Who knows? After an outing, kids may wish for birds to nestle in their hair, if not a family member’s beard. (Board book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews