The Everyman Book of Nonsense Verse Written and Introduced by Louise Guinness; Illustrated by Mervyn Peake

This hilariously readable collection of classic nonsense poetry, delightfully illustrated throughout, is a showcase of comic talent and sheer silliness. The Everyman Book of Nonsense Versefeatures an eclectic spectrum of contributors ranging wildly from Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll to Hilaire Belloc, Ted Hughes, Ogden Nash, and Shakespeare, with illustrations by Mervyn Peake, Quentin Blake, Emma Chichester Clark, Spike Milligan, and the deliciously sinister Edward Gorey. Such old favorites as "The Owl and the Pussycat" are accompanied by "Macavity: The Mystery Cat" and "Jabberwocky," while Ted Hughes's "Wodwo" sits alone by the bank of a stream in a state of innocence and curiosity that mirrors a child's sense of wonder at the universe. Whether sweetly funny or deliciously naughty, these masterpieces of the art of the absurd will charm readers both young and old.

Louise Guinness has written for The Irish Times, The Evening Standard, The Telegraph, and Literary Review, and is the editor of The Vintage Book of Fathers (Vintage UK).