The Owl and the Pussy-Cat and Calico Pie, a Singable Book

Posted by: Sing Books with Emily on: March 20, 2010

• In: Heartfelt Musings | Lyrics | Poetry | Sing Along Tracks | Singable Book Title | Singable Poem | Singable Poetry | Song History | Vocal Tracks
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I can’t recall how I came upon this charming little book. 

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat and Calico Pie
Poems by Edward Lear
Illustrated by Irma Wilde

It’s just 6.5 inches tall and 4.75 inches wide. But its vintage charm is enormous. I love the sweet (but not too sweet) illustrations.  My copy has a red triangle in the corner with white text:  “This Start-Right Book is EDUCATIONALLY SOUND, see statement opposite title page.”  The statement opposite the title page gives a “Message to Teachers and Parents” from the National College of Education (Evanston, Illinois) about the mission for printing the book.  All this gives the books a kind of “Leave it to Beaver” feeling.

The Roman Numerals MCMLXII in small print lead me to believe it was printed in 1962.

You betcha, both poems, “The Owl and the Pussycat” and “Calico Pie” can be sung!

I’ve written about and sung “The Owl and the Pussycat,” one of my very favorite Singable Poems: http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2009/12/18/the-owl-and-the-pussycat-a-singable-book-and-all-the-fix-ins/

“Calico Pie” is new to me.

“Calico Pie” was originally published in Edward Lear’s 1871 book: 

Nonsense Songs (Stories, Botany, and Alphabets With One Hundred and Fifty Illustrations)
Words by Edward Lear
Illustrated by Edward Lear

“Calico Pie,” sung by Lucy Simon, is singable and fun.  My goal will be to get an arrangement of this setting worked up a little faster and more cheerful.  But it is still fun to sing-along:
http://www.amazon.com/Sing-Songs-Children-Carly-Simon/dp/B001I1SFRA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1268410711&sr=1-1

“Calico Pie”  is featured in an anthology of children’s pems,

The Golden Books Family Treasury of Poetry
Selected with Commentary by Louis Untermeyer
Illustrated by Joan Walsh Anglund
(“Calico Pie” is printed and illustrated on p. 221)

Calico Pie
Poem by Edward Lear
Illustrated by Edward Lear

Calico Pie,
The little birds fly
Down to the calico-tree:
Their wings were blue,
And they sang “Tilly-loo!”
Till away they flew;
And they never came back to me!
They never came back,
They never came back,
They Never came back to me!

 

Calico jam,
The little Fish swam
Over the Syllabub Sea.
He took off his hat
To the Sole and the Sprat,
And the Willeby-wat:
But he never came back to me;
He never came back,
He never came back,
He never came back to me.

 

Calico Ban,
The little Mice ran,
To be ready in time for tea,
Flippity flup,
They drank it all up,
And danced in the cup,–
But they never came back to me!
They never came back!
They never came back!
They never came back to me!

Calico Drum,
The Grasshoppers come,
The Butterfly, Beetle, and Bee,
Over the ground,
Around and around,
With a hop and a bound,–
But they never came back to me!
They never came back!
They never came back!
They never came back to me!

A great place to find poems and information about Edward Lear: http://www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/
Check out www.gutenberg.net for Edward Lear e-books!

Natalie Merchant wrote a song based on the poem “Calico Pie,”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1VgS0BThJ0

Tags: Edward Lear, Irma Wilde, Joan Walsh Anglund, Louis Untermeyer, Lucy Simon