Runny Babbit

"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. Taken in dall smoses, this self-proclaimed "billy sook" is a fun-filled new (posthumously published) offering from children's poet Shel Silverstein. 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, and children who have some fluency in reading will enjoy this bonsensical nook the most.

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.

Ideal Audience: Ages 7 to 12

Poem Index

- And-Baid Problem, The
- Bittle Lady for Runny, A?
- Callet At's Kittle Litten
- Do Whid It?
- Funny Bamily, The
- He Thought It Mean "Dit Sown"
- His Kajesty, the Ming
- Killy the Bid
- Kugs and Hisses
- Kungle Jing, The
- Ploppy Sig Reans His Cloom
- Runny and Dankee
- Runny and Dungry
- Runny and the Pig Barade
- Runny and the Sea Poup
- Runny and the Skancin' Dunk
- Runny and the Worty Finks
- Runny Bakes a Tath
- Runny Cooks for Linderella
- Runny Heeds Fimself
- Runny Hets Gandsome
- Runny Huts His Own Cair
- Runny Loes to Gunch
- Runny on Rount Mushmore
- Runny Shearns to Lare
- Runny Stets Gretched
- Runny the Ficken Charmer
- Runny Bight Toots
- Runny's Brig Beakfast
- Runny's Cat and Hoat
- Runny's Garty Pames
- Runny's Hand-New Brat
- Runny's Heading Rabits
- Runny's Hew Nobby
- Runny's Hind Keart
- Runny's Jig Bump
- Runny's Mancy Feal
- Runny's Nicpic
- Runny's Rig Bomance
- Runny's Rittle Leminders
- Way Down in the Green Woods