Runny Babbit by Shel Silverstein (Hardcover)

Starred ReviewIn 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.) (c) Copyright PWxyz", LLC. All rights reserved