His Shoes Were Far Too Tight

His Shoes Were Far Too Tight   
poems by Edward Lear
masterminded by Daniel Pinkwater
illustrated by Calef Brown
published by Chronicle Books (2011)


He was a fat, goofy-looking guy with thick eyeglasses. He liked people but he was shy. He liked kids. He liked animals. He had a cat named Old Foss. His name was Edward Lear.

The book opens with the first page that introduces us to Edward Lear, beloved nonsense poet who was also a good artist who gave drawing lessons to Queen Victoria (which didn't last long).

Besides the very special How Pleasant To Know Mr.Lear, there are nine poems by Edward Lear in this picture book collection - including The Pobble Who Has No Toes, Owl And The Pussy Cat to and The Quangle Wangle's Hat, plus the Nonsense Alphabet.

The Jumblies was a favorite - how can they not be - they went to sea in a Sieve! And who so happy-- O who, as the Duck and the Kangaroo? Whose shoes were tight? Well, it was Uncle Arly's as we learn from Some Incidents in the Life of My Uncle Arly.

Illustrations by Calef Brown are quirky and funny, complementing the poems well.

Another set of wacky poems to satisfy the National Poetry Month cravings, along with Nonsense! illustrated by Valorie Fisher.

[image source: chronicle books]