Celebrating with The Reading Connection

On March 9th my friends and I will travel with the owl and the pussy-cat! Since our pea-green boat is out of the water for the winter, we’ll take the Honda just across town to “Of Wine and Words,” the silent auction to benefit The Reading Connection. This year’s party features food by local chefs plus a wine and beer tasting, and the auction money goes to bring books and a love of reading to children throughout the Washington region.

I’m donating this painting to the auction.  I first read “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat” by Edward Lear in the Anthology of Children’s Literature published by Houghton Mifflin in 1948.

You probably remember the first verse:

The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea

   In a beautiful pea-green boat,

They took some honey, and plenty of money,

   Wrapped up in a five-pound note.

The Owl looked up to the stars above,

   And sang to a small guitar,

“O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,

    What a beautiful Pussy you are,

         You are,

         You are!

What a beautiful Pussy you are!”

The anthology includes a short biography of Lear, who was born in 1812 as one of twenty-one children. He began his career as an illustrator of nature studies and was known for his colored drawings of birds. While living in the home of the Earl of Derby, he entertained the children with silly rhymes and drawings, and those high spirited activities lead to the publication of his first  Book of Nonsense.  As a landscape painter, Lear divided his time between Britain and the Mediterranean. The article in the Anthology of Children’s Literature says that he taught drawing to Queen Victoria, but using a quick internet search, I’ve been unable to confirm the fact. Please let me know, if you find a source that gives an account of teaching the queen!

Lear is famous for his limericks, and you can find more information about his life and writing at the web site for the Poetry Foundation. One of my favorite poems is this verse about the Quangle Wangle. In March my first grade students will learn about animals and their homes. I hope to have them draw their own version of the tree with the Quangle Wangle and his houseguests!

The Quangle Wangle’s Hat

by Edward Lear

I

On the top of the Crumpetty Tree

      The Quangle Wangle sat,

But his face you could not see,

      On account of his Beaver Hat.

For his Hat was a hundred and two feet wide,

With ribbons and bibbons on every side

And bells, and buttons, and loops, and lace,

So that nobody every could see the face

            Of the Quangle Wangle Quee.

II

The Quangle Wangle said

      To himself on the Crumpetty Tree, —

“Jam; and jelly; and bread;

      ”Are the best of food for me!

“But the longer I live on this Crumpetty Tree

“The plainer than ever it seems to me

“That very few people come this way

“And that life on the whole is far from gay!”

            Said the Quangle Wangle Quee.

III

But there came to the Crumpetty Tree,

      Mr. and Mrs. Canary;

And they said, — “Did every you see

      ”Any spot so charmingly airy?

“May we build a nest on your lovely Hat?

“Mr. Quangle Wangle, grant us that!

“O please let us come and build a nest

“Of whatever material suits you best,

            ”Mr. Quangle Wangle Quee!”

IV

And besides, to the Crumpetty Tree

      Came the Stork, the Duck, and the Owl;

The Snail, and the Bumble-Bee,

      The Frog, and the Fimble Fowl;

(The Fimble Fowl, with a corkscrew leg;)

And all of them said, — “We humbly beg,

“We may build out homes on your lovely Hat, —

“Mr. Quangle Wangle, grant us that!

            ”Mr. Quangle Wangle Quee!”

V

And the Golden Grouse came there,

      And the Pobble who has no toes, —

And the small Olympian bear, —

      And the Dong with a luminous nose.

And the Blue Baboon, who played the Flute, —

And the Orient Calf from the Land of Tute, —

And the Attery Squash, and the Bisky Bat, —

All came and built on the lovely Hat

            Of the Quangle Wangle Quee.

VI

And the Quangle Wangle said

      To himself on the Crumpetty Tree, —

“When all these creatures move

      ”What a wonderful noise there’ll be!”

And at night by the light of the Mulberry moon

They danced to the Flute of the Blue Baboon,

On the broad green leaves of the Crumpetty Tree,

And all were as happy as happy could be,

            With the Quangle Wangle Quee.

————————

Note added February 27, 2012: I amended the biographical info to say that I was unable to confirm that Lear taught drawing lessons to Queen Victoria. Also, I have seen his first book called both Nonsense Book and Book of Nonsense.

Note added February 26, 2012:

The Anthology of Children’s Literature, which, since my childhood, has been  one of my favorite books of stories and poems, was edited by Edna Johnson, Carrie E. Scott and Evelyn R. Sickels and illustrated by N.C. Wyeth. It was published by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. The copyright for the first edition was 1935, and my edition was copyright 1948.

watercolor painting copyright Liz Macklin 2012

The Reading Connection

Blue shibori silk chiffon scarf

Join literary honoree Rosemary Wells, creator of favorite picture book characters Max and Ruby, at the reception and benefit auction for The Reading Connection!

Thursday, March 11th — 6:30 pm — Arlington, Virginia

My blue shibori silk chiffon scarf will be available at auction — along with books by Ms. Wells and many other items! Tickets are available online.

Hickory Dickory Dock

Hickory Dickory Dock | watercolor | copyright Liz Macklin 2005

At my house it’s been the coldest January since 1994. I wake up to the glow of streetlights on what remains of the December snow. Last week I saw a fox run run down the street in the moonlight. Even a sly hunter might find it hard to catch a midnight snack when ice coats the hedges and all the squirrels have hidden in hollow trees.

This month my illustration Hickory Dickory Dock is on display at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C.  The exhibit includes work by artists who teach and volunteer with the Arts and Humanities Program at the hospital.

You probably remember the nursery rhyme:

Hicklory dickory dock
the mouse ran up the clock
the clock struck one
the mouse ran down
hickory dickory dock