Wednesday 31 December 2014

Scorper (back cover)


Scorper, a novel by Rob Magnuson Smith with illustrated back cover by John Vernon Lord
Designed by Dan Mogford, Granta, 2014.

Tuesday 30 December 2014

Scorper (front cover)


Scorper, a novel by Rob Magnuson Smith with illustrated front cover by John Vernon Lord
Designed by Dan Mogford, Granta, 2014.

Monday 29 December 2014

'The Tyger'

'The Tyger', a poem by William Blake' , illustrated by John Vernon Lord 
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young Children, chosen by Ruth Craft, 
Collins, 1989, page 119.

The Text:

Tyger Tyger, burning bright, 
In the forests of the night; 
What immortal hand or eye, 
Could frame thy fearful symmetry? 

In what distant deeps or skies. 
Burnt the fire of thine eyes? 
On what wings dare he aspire? 
What the hand, dare seize the fire? 

And what shoulder, & what art, 
Could twist the sinews of thy heart? 
And when thy heart began to beat, 
What dread hand? & what dread feet? 

What the hammer? what the chain, 
In what furnace was thy brain? 
What the anvil? what dread grasp, 
Dare its deadly terrors clasp! 

When the stars threw down their spears 
And water'd heaven with their tears: 
Did he smile his work to see? 
Did he who made the Lamb make thee? 

Tyger Tyger burning bright, 
In the forests of the night: 
What immortal hand or eye, 
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Sunday 28 December 2014

'Upon the Snail'


'Upon the Snail', a poem by John Bunyan illustrated by John Vernon Lord 
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young Children, chosen by Ruth Craft, 
Collins, 1989, page 117.

note: gare mens stare about.

Saturday 27 December 2014

'The Caterpillar'


'The Caterpillar', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Christina Rossetti
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young Children, chosen by Ruth Craft, 
Collins, 1989, page 109.

Friday 26 December 2014

'Full of the Moon'


'Full of the Moon', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Karla Kuskin
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young Children, chosen by Ruth Craft, 
Collins, 1989, page 100.

Thursday 25 December 2014

'The Night will Never Stay'


'The Night will Never Stay', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Eleanor Farjeon 
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young Children, chosen by Ruth Craft, 
Collins, 1989, page 99.

Wednesday 24 December 2014

'Wha Me Mudder Do'

'Wha Me Mudder Do', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Grace Nichols,
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 
chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 95.

Tuesday 23 December 2014

'My Dad's Thumb'



'My Dad's Thumb', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Michael Rosen,
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 
chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 89.

Monday 22 December 2014

'I share my bedroom'



'I share my bedroom', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Michael Rosen,
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 
chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 86.

Sunday 21 December 2014

'The Fox Rhyme'

 
'The Fox Rhyme', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Ian Serrailler,
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 
chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 81.


Saturday 20 December 2014

'I Sometimes Think'


 'I Sometimes Think', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for an anonymous poem
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 
chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 71.

Thursday 18 December 2014

'Frog Went A'Courtin' '

 'Frog Went A'Courtin' ', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a traditional poem
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 
chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 66.

Wednesday 17 December 2014

'Calico Pie'


 'Calico Pie', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Edward Lear
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 
chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 63.

Tuesday 16 December 2014

'On John Bun'


 'On John Bun', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for an anonymous poem
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 
chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 53.

The Text

Here lies John Bun;
He was killed by a gun.
His name was not Bun, but Wood;
But Wood would not rhyme with Gun, and Bun would.

Monday 15 December 2014

'Rapunzel'

 'Rapunzel, an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by James K Baxter
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 
chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 49.


Saturday 13 December 2014

'The Boy Fishing'


 'The Boy Fishing', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by EJ Scovell
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 
chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 37.

'London City',


 'London City', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Russell Hoban
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 
chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 38.

Thursday 11 December 2014

'Marigold Pie'

 'Marigold Pie', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Dennis Doyle
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 
chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 35.

Wednesday 10 December 2014

'Mushrooms'

 'Mushrooms', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Sylvia Plath 
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 
chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 30.

Tuesday 9 December 2014

'Pink Azalea'

 'Pink Azalea', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Charlotte Zolotow
in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 
chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 26.

Monday 8 December 2014

'The Sea'


An illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem  by James Reeves, entitled 'The Sea' 
in 
The Song that Sings the Bird, Poems for Young Children
chosen and selected by Ruth Craft, Collins, 1989, page 23.

Wednesday 3 December 2014

'The Key of the Kingdom'


An illustration by John Vernon Lord for an anonymous poem entitled 'The Key of the Kingdom' 
in 
The Song that Sings the Bird, Poems for Young Children
chosen and selected by Ruth Craft, Collins, 1989, page 20.

Tuesday 2 December 2014

'The Penny Fiddle'

An illustration by John Vernon Lord for Robert Graves' poem 'The Penny Fiddle' 
in 
The Song that Sings the Bird, Poems for Young Children
chosen and selected by Ruth Craft, Collins, 1989, page 17.

Monday 1 December 2014

'The Dragon Speaks'

An illustration by John Vernon Lord for CS Lewis's poem 'The Dragon Speaks' 
in 
The Song that Sings the Bird, Poems for Young Children
chosen and selected by Ruth Craft, Collins, 1989, page 14.

Sunday 30 November 2014

The Song that Sings the Bird (the cover)


The Song that Sings the Bird, Poems for Young Children, chosen and selected by Ruth Craft, Collins.
The cover designed by John Vernon Lord, 1989.

Friday 28 November 2014

'The Old Person of Cassel'

'The Old Person of Cassel', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 
in The Nonsense Vesrse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reprinted in 2012, page 10.

Thursday 27 November 2014

'The Old Man of West Dumpet'


'The Old Man of West Dumpet', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 
in The Nonsense Vesrse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reprinted in 2012, page 10.


Wednesday 26 November 2014

'The Old Man with a Nose' (repose)


'The Old Man with a Nose' (repose), an illustration by John Vernon Lord 
in The Nonsense Vesrse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reprinted in 2012, page 8.

Tuesday 25 November 2014

'The Old Man with a Nose' (suppose)




'The Old Man with a Nose' (suppose), an illustration by John Vernon Lord 
in The Nonsense Vesrse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reprinted in 2012, page 8.

Monday 24 November 2014

'The Owl and the Pussy-cat'


'The Owl and the Pussy-cat', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 
in The Nonsense Vesrse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reprinted in 2012, page 2.

Saturday 22 November 2014

'The Old Derry down Derry'


'The Old Derry down Derry', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 
in The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reissued in 2012, page 1.

(Note: this is a portrait of Edward Lear himself with the children at Knowsley Hall where the poet invented his first set of nonsense limericks that were first published in 1846.)

Thursday 20 November 2014

The Belly and the Members

'The Belly and the Members', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 
in Aesop's Fables, Jonathan Cape, 1989, page 151.
The Text:


The Belly and the Members
THE members of the Body rebelled against the Belly, and said, “Why should we be perpetually engaged in administering to your wants, while you do nothing but take your rest, and enjoy yourself in luxury and self-indulgence?”  The Members carried out their resolve and refused their assistance to the Belly.  The whole Body quickly became debilitated, and the hands, feet, mouth, and eyes, when too late, repented of their folly.

Moral: United we stand; divided we fall.

Text: George Fyler Townsend (p54, 1868).

Selected parallels: Alluded to in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 12/11-27. Said to have been told by Menenius Agrippa to the poor citizens of Rome, who had revolted against the Senate when they had been oppressed by taxes and severe laws against debtors.  Plutarch, Coriolianus 6. Livy 1/30;3. Caxton, Romulus 3.16. Shakespeare, Coriolanus 1/2. La Fontaine 3/2. L’Estrange 1/50. Chambry 159. Perry 130. Daly 130. TMI J461.1.

Note:
The person on the bed looks suspiciously like the one who drew the illustration!

Tuesday 18 November 2014

'The Fox and the Grapes'

'The Fox and the Grapes', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 
in Aesop's Fables, Jonathan Cape, 1989, page 114.
The Text:

The Fox and the Grapes
Bunches of grapes were hanging from the vines in a vineyard. A fox came across them and was tempted to acquire some. The purple grapes looked delicious and they were perfectly ripe to eat. The fox jumped up and down trying to reach a bunch but failed after many attempts. Finally he gave up and declared that they were probably sour anyway.

Moral: Sour grapes!

Text: JVL (2014)

Selected Parallels: Phaedrus 4/3. Babrius 19. Caxton, Romulus 4/1. La Fontaine 3/2. L’Estrange 129. Chambry 32. Perry 15. Handford 3. TMI J871.

Sunday 16 November 2014

'The Fox with a cropped Tail'

'The Fox with a cropped Tail', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 
in Aesop's Fables, Jonathan Cape, 1989, page 149.
The Text:

The Fox with a cropped Tail
A CUNNING old fox, of plundering habits,
Great crauncher of fowls, great catcher of rabbits,
Whom none of his sort had caught in a nap,
Was finally caught in somebody’s trap.
By luck he escaped, not wholly and hale,
For the price of his luck was the loss of his tail.
Escaped in this way, to save his disgrace,
He thought to get others in similar case.
One day that the foxes in council were met,
‘Why wear we,’ said he, ‘this cumbering weight,
Which sweeps in the dirt wherever it goes?
Pray tell me its use, if anyone knows.
If the council will take my advice,
We shall dock off our tails in a trice.’
‘Your advice may be good,’ said one on the ground;
‘But ere I reply, pray turn yourself round.’
Whereat such a shout from the council was heard,
Poor bob-tail, confounded, could say not a word.
To urge the reform would have wasted his breath.
Long tails were the mode till the day of his death.

Moral: Distrust those who give advice out of self-interest,  particularly when they try to turn a defect into a fashion.

Text: Elizur Wright (La Fontaine 5/5, 1841).

Selected Parallels: La Fontaine 5/5. L’Estrange 101. Chambry 41. Perry 17. Daly 17. TMI J758.1.

Saturday 15 November 2014

The Flea and the Man


'The Flea and the Man', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 
in Aesop's Fables, Jonathan Cape, 1989, page 135.
The Text:

The Flea and the Man
A FLEA bit a Man, and bit him again, and again, till he could stand it no longer, but made a thorough search for it, and at last succeeded in catching it. Holding it between his finger and thumb, he said - or rather shouted, so angry was he - “Who are you, pray, you wretched little creature, that you make so free with my person?” The Flea, terrified, whimpered in a weak little voice, “Oh , sir! pray let me go; don’t kill me! I am such a little thing that I can’t do you much harm.” But the men laughed and said, “I am going to kill you now, at once: whatever is bad has got to be destroyed, no matter how slight the harm it does.”

Mortal: The persistent aggravations by the small on the powerful can result in destruction.

Text: V.S. Vernon Jones (p32, 1912).


Selected Parallels: Caxton, Remicius 15. L’Estrange 1/139. Chambry 357. Perry 272.