His Shoes Were Far Too Tight

Gr 3—8—An enjoyable introduction to Lear, accompanied by whimsical art. Pinkwater succinctly introduces the shy, complicated poet who briefly gave drawing lessons to Queen Victoria; these lessons were cut short "possibly because his behavior was too silly to allow him to hang around the royal court." The oversize paintings reiterate Pinkwater's lighthearted introduction, and Brown's offbeat, naïf style complements Lear's comic creations. A nattily clad Owl and Pussycat set sail in their pea-green boat as the blue-handed, green-headed Jumblies take to sea in a sieve with banners flying and horns blowing. Mrs. Blue Dickey-bird goes walking with her chickies. The Pobble with no toes gazes anxiously toward his feet; later, readers see that he's found a place among the other happy denizens of the Quangle Wangle's Crumpetty Tree. There are many fine versions of Lear's poems, but libraries will want to make room for this playful celebration of his genius for nonsense.—Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA