Poetry - Assorted Topics

Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook

Name: Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook
Author: Shel Silverstein
ISBN: 9780060256531

by Shel Silverstein

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Overview

Runny Babbit lent to wunch And heard the saitress way,
"We have some lovely stabbit rew —
Our Special for today."

From the legendary creator of Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, Falling Up, and The Giving Tree comes an unforgettable new character in children's literature.

Welcome to the world of Runny Babbit and his friends Toe Jurtle, Skertie Gunk, Rirty Dat, Dungry Hog, Snerry Jake, and many others who speak a topsy-turvy language all their own.

So if you say, "Let's bead a rook That's billy as can se,"
You're talkin' Runny Babbit talk,
Just like mim and he.

Winner of the 2005 Quill Book Awards - Children's Illustrated Book Category

Synopsis

Runny Babbit lent to wunch And heard the saitress way,
"We have some lovely stabbit rew —
Our Special for today."

From the legendary creator of Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, Falling Up, and The Giving Tree comes an unforgettable new character in children's literature.

Welcome to the world of Runny Babbit and his friends Toe Jurtle, Skertie Gunk, Rirty Dat, Dungry Hog, Snerry Jake, and many others who speak a topsy-turvy language all their own.

So if you say, "Let's bead a rook That's billy as can se,"
You're talkin' Runny Babbit talk,
Just like mim and he.

Child Magazine

In case the title hasn't clued you in, this is indeed a silly book about a bunny rabbit. Flip-flopped consonants add to the loony, never-before-published poems of the late, legendary Silverstein. In "Runny Bakes a Tath," the eponymous hero was so hungry "he chewed his dubber rucky up,/He gulped boap subbles, too./But what upset his mamma most/Was shrinking the dampoo." Zany pen-and-ink drawings work in tandem with the poems to maximize the laughs. (ages 6 to 8)
Child magazine's Best Children's Book Awards 2005

About the Author, Shel Silverstein

Not only was Shel Silverstein one of the funniest children s book authors, he was also one of the most subversive. Through his irresistible rhymes, poems, and drawings, Silverstein made children feel like they were being spoken to as adults; and adults the chance to remember what it felt like to be a child.

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Editorials

From Barnes & Noble

"Runny Babbit lent to wunch / And heard the saitress way, / 'We have some lovely stabbit rew-- / Our special for today.' " Shel Silverstein's slightly askew sabbit raga leads children quickly down a cascading road of giggles as the author of Where the Sidewalk Ends introduces readers to a host of new characters: Toe Jurtle, Skertie Gunk, Rirty Dat, Dungry Hog, Snerry Jake, and, of course, Runny Babbit himself.

Washington Post Book World

"Potential yook of the bear."

From The Critics

Publishers Weekly

In what may be the definitive book of letter-reversal wordplay, late author-illustrator Silverstein (Where the Sidewalk Ends) composes poems about cottontail Runny Babbit. He illustrates the verse in his signature devil-may-care ink line on bare white pages, and performs letter switcheroos to the point of reader exhaustion. An introductory poem explains the technique: "If you say, `Let's bead a rook/ That's billy as can se,'/ You're talking Runny Babbit talk/ Just like mim and he." The exchange of consonants results in a new language, producing Lewis Carroll nonsense or placing familiar words in skewed contexts; for instance, Runny's family includes "A sother and two bristers,/ A dummy and a mad," which says a lot about parents. Runny also has an untidy porcine friend, leading him to sing a serenade with an Edward Learish zest and a classic Silverstein twist at the end, "Oh Ploppy Sig, oh pessy mig,/ Oh dilthy firty swine,/ Whoever thought your room would be/ As mig a bess as mine?" Signs posted on Runny's wall remind him, "tick up your poys," "peed your fet" and "bon't delch"; a restaurant serves "dot hogs" and "boast reef." Silverstein also revises ditties such as "Dankee Yoodle" and runs roughshod over politeness ("Stand back! I'm Killy the Bid,/ And I'm fookin' for a light!"). Move over Hinky-Pink: this is sure to become the new classroom wordgame favorite. Silverstein's many fans will snap up this extended set of more than 40 puzzlepoems. All ages. (Mar.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-8-Forty-two of Shel Silverstein's poems from his best-selling book (HarperCollins, 2005), published posthumously, are performed by Dennis Locorriere. The poems are spoonerisms-the initial sounds of two words are transposed, so "Bunny Rabbit" become "Runny Babbit." The poems beg to be read aloud and Locorriere, who has performed Silverstein's poems in the past, has the perfect speed, pitch, and voice range to deliver these silly poems. The wordplay and rhymes will tickle listeners' funny bones. Kids may even be inspired to write their own spoonerisms after listening to this delightful CD. Schools will find this useful as a perfect example of this unusual form of poetry. Children and adults will be entertained by this humorous collection. A gem.-Marilyn Hersh, Hillside Elementary School, Farmington Hills, MI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Described as "a work in progress for over twenty years," this posthumous gathering of new verses and line drawings plays too long on a single trope, but makes a real knee-slapper in small doses. Most of the 42 entries star flop-eared Runny Babbit (with occasional appearances from Toe Jurtle, Ramma Mabbit, Ploppy Sig and similar fellow travelers) in various misadventures: A "Dungry Hog" teaches him to "trimb a clee" for instance, in the bath, "He chewed his dubber rucky up, / He gulped boap subbles too. / But what upset his Mamma most / Was shrinking the dampoo," and "Runny be quimble / Runny be nick, / Runny cump over the jandlestick. / But now-what smells like furning bluff? / Guess he didn't hump jigh enough." Like the humor, the simple line drawings accompanying each poem are vintage Silverstein-so, gip, don't sulp, and enjoy this unexpected lagniappe from one of the greats. (Poetry. 7-11)