Runny Babbit Returns

Gr 1–4–Eighteen years after the author's death and 12 years after the publication of the first collection of Runny Babbit spoonerisms, a new book of 41 "completed but unpublished works" has surfaced from Silverstein's archive. In this volume, Runny Babbit makes discoveries, enjoys himself, and finds his way out of more than a few scrapes. Each situation becomes wackier and more entertaining with the transposed first parts of words and syllables that create the spoonerisms: "Runny porgot his farachute/And plumped out of a jane./He landed right on Doc Ocrile/Who was randin' in the stain." Well-chosen words come together to form lines with natural rhythm and punch as well as endless opportunities for amusement. In one verse, a dragon tells Runny, "If I'm inpited to your varty,/then I'll fart your stire for you.'" The distinctive line illustrations provide not only more humor but also lovable personalities to wide-eyed Runny and the other characters he interacts with on the page. Readers can choose to dip in and out of this book, or, if they have real stamina for silliness, they can plow straight through. The volume ends as all great days do, with Ramma Mabbit reading stories like "Dumpty Humpty" and "Loldigocks and the Bee Threars" and a final good night poem to Runny Babbit "and all his foodland wriends."