Donaldson pays homage to British poet Edward Lear in this new follow-up to Lear's poem "The Owl and the Pussy-Cat." This time, Owl and Pussy-cat, happy married, have their shared wedding ring stolen in the middle of the night. In singsong, occasionally rhyming verse, they travel to find the nocturnal thief: "But down flew a crow who unraveled the bow / And flew off with the ring in his beak, / His beak, / His beak, / And flew off with the ring in his beak." Never fear: the duo is able to come up with a solution that satisfies everyone. Voake's pen-and-watercolor illustrations are a charmingly quirky fit for the text, with scenes often taking up a two-page spread, some of them gentle, and others quite exciting (as when the Owl and Pussy-cat take off in a hot-air balloon over the sea). Those who love Lear's poems will delight in seeing familiar characters. They'll also be glad to know Voake has illustrated Lear's original The Owl and the Pussy-cat, too, put out by the publisher simultaneously with this volume.

Voake illustrates both Lear's classic poem and Donaldson's sequel to it; her eye-pleasing, loose-lined pen and watercolor style includes unique if somewhat head-scratching details (e.g., the green-skinned natives of the "land where the Bong-tree grows" in Edwardian-esque garb). Further Adventures's meter, made-up words, and nonsensical story line spun off from a sea voyage pay passable homage to Lear.

Newlyweds Owl and Pussy-cat are ready for another adventure in this continuation of Edward Lear's classic poem.Picking up the Owl and the Pussy-cat's story immediately following their nuptials, Donaldson's new tale involves a crow's theft of the Pussy-cat's wedding ring and the couple's acquisition of a hot air balloon in which to search for the thief. Freedom from the narrative constraints of Lear's original work enables her to maintain the style of his original verse while introducing a host of new characters, including a Pobble with no toes, glove-knitting Doves, and a Dong with a brightly shining Nose. Though not as well-defined as the original cast, the new additions are whimsically illustrated by Voake, whose ink-and-watercolor drawings aptly convey both the Owl's and the Pussy-cat's sorrow at losing the ring and their adventurous spirits during the journey to recover it. Best of all, her renderings of the protagonists highlight their abiding love. The endpapers in particular set the tone of the new story and express to readers the difference between initial romance and married love. Using only soft blue hues, she depicts the married couple in a heart surrounded by birds and balloons, indicating that their love is unvarying and soaring. An enjoyable piece that will entice readers back to the original tale (conveniently re-illustrated by Voake and publishing simultaneously). (Picture book. 2-6)

At the close of Edward Lear-s classic poem, first published some 145 years ago, the Owl and Pussy-cat were newly married and dancing to the light of the moon. But what happened next? Donaldson (The Gruffalo) picks up in the immediate aftermath of that tale as a crow makes off with the Pussy-cat-s ring. The two give chase -in a beautiful blue balloon,- and Donaldson seeds their travels with references to nonsense places and creatures (the Chankly Bore, the Jelly Bo Lee) from other Lear poems; indeed, the cat-s ring winds up with none other than the Pobble Who Has No Toes. Donaldson-s graceful rhymes and rhythms are respectfully true to Lear-s original, and Voake-s wispy ink-and-watercolor artwork strikes a similarly fine balance between honoring Lear-s illustrations while bringing new life to this ever-charming pair of lovers. Ages 3-7. (Jan.)

K-Gr 3 Donaldson, beloved author of The Gruffalo and professed fan of Edward Lear, tackles a sequel to one of his most famous nonsense poems. A fleet rhythmfaithful to Lear's elliptical meter and similarly peppered with internal rhymepropels readers through the absurdist landscape, gently rendered by illustrator Voake (who provided the artwork for a previous edition of the original poem). At more than twice the length of Lear's creation, Donaldson's poem packs in more story—not necessarily the point of fantastical verse. New characters and several new destinations send the romantic pair on a whirlwind quest with less of the wandering lilt of the original. Voake's warm watercolors enrich the tale, evoking the atmosphere of each stop as the pair search for their missing wedding ring from the rocky beach of Chankly Bore to the precipitous slope of Jelly Bo Lee. Charming extratextual details, such as a spiral tree ramp traversed by doves, invite readers to spend more time rambling through Voake's imaginative world. And while Donaldson offers no indelible neologism in the vein of the runcible spoon, she proves deft with existing language, trippingly delivering phrases such as "impeccable gossamer gloves" and "the luminous Nose." VERDICT A sprightly piece of insubstantiality, suitable for nonsense lovers with a bit of an attention span.— Robbin E. Friedman, Chappaqua Library, NY