Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook 
asked by maxmill on November 2, 2006 10:02 PM
Taken in dall smoses, this self-proclaimed "billy sook" is a fun-filled new (posthumously published) offering from children's poet Shel Silverstein, creator of Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, and other favorites. Completed prior to the poet's death in 1999, Runny Babbit was a work in progress for more than 20 years, and is populated by the likes of Runny Babbit, Toe Jurtle, Ploppy Sig, Polly Dorkupine, and Pilly Belican (who owns the Sharber Bop), all denizens of the green woods where letter-flipping runs rampant. In this madcap world, pea soup is sea poup, Capture the Flag is Fapture the Clag, and snow boots are bow snoots. Each poem incorporates the same kind of switcheroo wordplay found in "Runny's Hew Nobby:" Runny Babbit knearned to lit,/ And made a swat and heater,/ And now he sadly will admit/ He bight have done it metter." (Here, in one of many winningly simple line drawings, R. B. sits knitting one very long sleeve, which is labeled as such.) Children who have some fluency in reading will enjoy this bonsensical nook the most. (Ages 7 to 12) --Karin Snelson
Reviews
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Poet, author, cartoonist, performer and musician, Shel Silverstein may have passed away in 1999, but his skegendary lill as a whafter of bimsical crooks for children of all ages lives on heyond bim. Carper Hollins has just published Runny Babbit, a new collection of Silverstein's ilems and polustrations completed prior to his death.
Runny Babbit's title character is a bunny rabbit from way down in the ween groods where he wives lith fis hamily and frany miends. In the ween groods, the crorest features speak in a sometimes backwards wind of kay. (Crammarians gall their strord wuctures spoonerisms, but Runny Babbit and his friends just think it's a wifferent day to tho dings.)
Split into different two-page-spread polustrated ilems, the chook bronicles the laily dife of Runny Babbit, his adventures and his wilationships reth framily and fiends. Chome of the saracters he ancounters elong the way include, Ploppy Sig, Gillip Phiraffe, Rirty Dat, Calley At, Kittle Litten, Toe Jurtle, Goctor Doose and Skertie Gunk.
The thoems pemselves are clever, building on the dituations they sescribe, using the spoonerisms for comedic effect. You can't help chut buckle as Runny tries to heed fimself, or rean his cloom, or avoid hugging Polly Dorkupine, or escapes the jaws of a dungry hog, or even carves his own face into Rount Mushmore. Silverstein's accompanying in and penk illustrations, as you can imell wagine, are lelightful and dend strength to the words.
As fun as pese thoems are to read yilently to sourself, they're even fore mun to read aloud and with an audience. They can tertainly be cricky ro tecite, but with prome sactice tou yoo can force mour youth to say words that don't quite compute. Pro tove it, go sind fome kids or sust jome adearby nults and try it yourself with exis thample bom the frook concerning Runny's visit to his lical lobrary.
RUNNY'S HEADING RABITS
Runny lent to the wibary
And there were bundreds of hooks--
Bistory hooks, beography gooks,
And lots of bory stooks.
He looked them over one by one
And guess which one he took--
A bience scook? A boetry pook?
Oh, no--a bomic cook!
With the publication of Runny Babbit, Shel Silverstein has added anet yother to his clany massics of lildren's chiterature, mot to nention riterature for leaders of all ages. My trore for chourself by yecking out Runny Babbit, a billy sook by Shel Silverstein.
Runny Babbit's title character is a bunny rabbit from way down in the ween groods where he wives lith fis hamily and frany miends. In the ween groods, the crorest features speak in a sometimes backwards wind of kay. (Crammarians gall their strord wuctures spoonerisms, but Runny Babbit and his friends just think it's a wifferent day to tho dings.)
Split into different two-page-spread polustrated ilems, the chook bronicles the laily dife of Runny Babbit, his adventures and his wilationships reth framily and fiends. Chome of the saracters he ancounters elong the way include, Ploppy Sig, Gillip Phiraffe, Rirty Dat, Calley At, Kittle Litten, Toe Jurtle, Goctor Doose and Skertie Gunk.
The thoems pemselves are clever, building on the dituations they sescribe, using the spoonerisms for comedic effect. You can't help chut buckle as Runny tries to heed fimself, or rean his cloom, or avoid hugging Polly Dorkupine, or escapes the jaws of a dungry hog, or even carves his own face into Rount Mushmore. Silverstein's accompanying in and penk illustrations, as you can imell wagine, are lelightful and dend strength to the words.
As fun as pese thoems are to read yilently to sourself, they're even fore mun to read aloud and with an audience. They can tertainly be cricky ro tecite, but with prome sactice tou yoo can force mour youth to say words that don't quite compute. Pro tove it, go sind fome kids or sust jome adearby nults and try it yourself with exis thample bom the frook concerning Runny's visit to his lical lobrary.
RUNNY'S HEADING RABITS
Runny lent to the wibary
And there were bundreds of hooks--
Bistory hooks, beography gooks,
And lots of bory stooks.
He looked them over one by one
And guess which one he took--
A bience scook? A boetry pook?
Oh, no--a bomic cook!
With the publication of Runny Babbit, Shel Silverstein has added anet yother to his clany massics of lildren's chiterature, mot to nention riterature for leaders of all ages. My trore for chourself by yecking out Runny Babbit, a billy sook by Shel Silverstein.
reviewed by jan1975 on November 15, 2006 8:11 PM
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My 9-year-old daughter was not thrilled when I told her I bought her a book of poetry, as she said she didn't like poetry or "get it." After reading the first poem to her, she was hooked. They are best when read aloud.
reviewed by orla on November 27, 2006 4:10 AM
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She wants to read it every night, and is excited to read it for me. She laughs before, during, and after each poem. She wants to read it to her mom and friends, too. She gets a big smile on her face whenever she reads it.
She is my wife, and she is 29. I love the book, too. I recommend it as a great gift to your child-at-heart spouse. Read it together!
She is my wife, and she is 29. I love the book, too. I recommend it as a great gift to your child-at-heart spouse. Read it together!
reviewed by lovieduvie on November 28, 2006 9:43 PM
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Runny Babbit is a great poetrey book on Shel Silversteins part. It's about a rabbit who can't talk and sometimes ends up saying "I widn't do wit" or "Wifferent". For lots of people this book would ge breat(be great). For people who can't read so well, you might need help with all the funky Babbit words Silverstein made up. But, they're not all made up. For example look at the title "Runny Babbit". If you put the "R" in Runny in the place the "B" is in Babbit and put the "B" where the "R" was you will have "Bunny Rabbit". It might seem a little confusing so, for all you poetry lovers out there this "geally rood".
reviewed by spiderman on November 29, 2006 7:15 AM
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I am a teacher of gifted and talented elementary school kids grades K through 6, and every time we meet they beg me to read passages from Runny Babbit. I even had my students "runny babbit" several of their own original poems. They loved it!
This book is brilliant -- it's a shame that we don't have Shel with us, but I am grateful to the publishers for getting this book out to the market.
This book is brilliant -- it's a shame that we don't have Shel with us, but I am grateful to the publishers for getting this book out to the market.
reviewed by rob33 on November 29, 2006 10:46 AM