From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 1-5–These 15 limericks are accompanied by wonderful pictures that mirror their consistency and their surprise. Each poem is given a spread, with the words on the left (inside a fancy, scroll-like box set against patterns reminiscent of old wallpaper) and the illustration on the right. Fisher's artwork is technically remarkable; she photographs scenes made from an assemblage of old toys and figurines, cutouts of old prints, patterned paper, and hand-drawn figures, all arranged and composed to simulate a look of almost palpable depth. The "Old Man of Berlin," for example, who was baked in a cake, is shown with a paper leg sticking straight out of what appears to be a real dessert. The artist has a great feel for a mix of elegance and goofiness, of Victorianism and modernism. Her characters conduct themselves with dignity while in some decidedly undignified situations (like riding a goose out to sea or walking on flower-draped stilts). The definitions of unfamiliar words are cleverly integrated into the design of each page. An afterword and a map add some biographical information about Lear and show where the poems are set. Treat your readers to Nonsense!, a book that they will return to again and again.–Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Book Description
What's as deliciously silly as Edward Lear's verse? Valorie Fisher's sly, imaginative illustrations, that's what! Using everything from etchings to ephemera to her own wildly patterned artwork, Fisher re-creates Lear's world -- where people waltz with flies, ride geese out to sea, and build balloons to examine the moon -- in a fresh and ever-so-fanciful way.

ANNOTATION

A selection of nonsense verses, each beginning with the phrase "There was an old. . ." or "There was a young. . .," with photographic illustrations.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

What's as deliciously silly as Edward Lear's verse?

Valorie Fisher's sly, imaginative illustrations, that's what!

Using everything from etchings to ephemera to her own wildly patterned artwork, Fisher re-creates Lear's world -- where people waltz with flies, ride geese out to sea, and build balloons to examine the moon -- in a fresh and ever-so-fanciful way.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Full of visual wit and sparkling good humor, Fisher's illustrations offer a fresh view of Lear's limericks. Appropriately eschewing the poet's more ribald offerings, Fisher selects verses that will appeal to a young reader's love for the ridiculous, and her inspired artwork embellishes the preposterous comedy at every turn. A young lady from Welling fishes with her toes as she plays a harp, while an old man from Dumbree serves tea to a parliament of owls. Like the striped and patterned leaves of a wall-paper book, the left-hand pages set off each verse with a scrolled black, silent movie-style border. The dark font set on a solid background makes the text pop against the riot of color that surrounds it. Opposite, Fisher builds on the style she established with Ellsworth's Extraordinary Electric Ears with her full-bleed illustrations; she photographs diorama-like scenes that combine Victorian cartoons, newspapers, signs and etchings, alongside captivating characters with whimsical expressions. At the book's close, Fisher includes a brief bio of Lear and a map of the places named in the rhymes as well as of personal significance to the poet; definitions of more unusual words appear as signposts, labels and the like. A pert lady "whose shoe-strings were seldom untied" and who "frequently walked about Rhyde," for instance, sports a dress whose ribbons define the words "seldom - not very often" and "frequently - very often." Youngsters will be entranced ("Entranced - filled with delight and wonder") by this perfectly nonsensical and inventively imagined volume. Ages 4-9. (Nov.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

The silly rhymes of Edward Lear have amused readers since their publication in 1846 and have inspired illustrators to modernize the original illustrations Lear himself made. Others may have improved on his limerick formula as well, but the "old person of Wilts,/ Who constantly walked upon stilts;" or the "young lady of Firle,/ Whose hair was addicted to curl;" and the others still can make us smile, and have given Fisher a chance to employ color and more contemporary production techniques. Her collages, including colored drawings, photographs, and sketches set on strange backgrounds are no less nonsensical or humorous than Lear's. They pay homage to the 19th century clothing and artifacts but nevertheless reflect today's esthetic sensibilities. The lyrics are set in ornate frames on what appear to be different wallpaper patterns on one side of the double page, while the zany illustrations on the other side include inserts explaining some of the less common words. There are further facts on Lear and a map of his world is included. Be sure to peek through the cut-out with the young girl on the jacket to see the different cover beneath. 2004, An Anne Schwartz Book/Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, Ages 4 to 9.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-5-These 15 limericks are accompanied by wonderful pictures that mirror their consistency and their surprise. Each poem is given a spread, with the words on the left (inside a fancy, scroll-like box set against patterns reminiscent of old wallpaper) and the illustration on the right. Fisher's artwork is technically remarkable; she photographs scenes made from an assemblage of old toys and figurines, cutouts of old prints, patterned paper, and hand-drawn figures, all arranged and composed to simulate a look of almost palpable depth. The "Old Man of Berlin," for example, who was baked in a cake, is shown with a paper leg sticking straight out of what appears to be a real dessert. The artist has a great feel for a mix of elegance and goofiness, of Victorianism and modernism. Her characters conduct themselves with dignity while in some decidedly undignified situations (like riding a goose out to sea or walking on flower-draped stilts). The definitions of unfamiliar words are cleverly integrated into the design of each page. An afterword and a map add some biographical information about Lear and show where the poems are set. Treat your readers to Nonsense!, a book that they will return to again and again.-Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews