Runny Babbit

Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook
by Shel Silverstein

Poems have been the rage for the six year old for the good part of last year. Especially silly poems. Poems that tickle the funny bone, poems that make her repeat the words to me and ask triumphantly, "Get it, Mama? It's funny!"

So when Nana gave her the book Runny Babbit for Xmas, it was delved into immediately. The book came with an audio CD of select poems read aloud.

As the title might suggest, we had a larrel of baughs reading this book. For a wew feeks we were salking tilly - especially Ana - learning about Spoonerism.

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.


And, the book is not all about silly. It is clever and witty and heart-warming, with Silverstein's signature illustrations, making it otterly uriginal and armingly chamusing.

Published posthumously, the book certainly has a strong kid appeal, and the jaded adult in me found it challenging to read aloud without the brain auto-correcting the words in real-time.

The book had the kids exercising themselves a bit, got them saying everyday things in the Runny Babbit way that made me stop and think for a second.

Where the Sidewalk Ends was Ana's favorite Silverstein  (the only one on our bookshelf, although not the only one we've read so far) reaching for it from our bookshelf on and off. Oggie has a few favorites in that book as well these days- mainly attracted by the drawings - especially the head rolling one, The Loser.

Runny Babbit is soon becoming a top favorite to reach for and curl up with on a lazy afternoon.


[image source: amazon.com]