Runny Babbit

Written by Shel Silverstein

Narrated by Dennis Locorriere

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.

Welcome to the world of Runny Babbit and his friends Toe Jurtle, Skertie Gunk, Rirty Dat, Dungry Hog, Snerry Jake, and many others who speak a topsy-turvy language all their own.

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 don't miss Runny Babbit Returns, the new book from Shel Silverstein!

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Nov 1, 2005
• ISBN: 9780060889807

Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein 's incomparable career as a bestselling children's book author and illustrator began with Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back. He is also the creator of picture books including A Giraffe and a Half, Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros?, The Missing Piece, The Missing Piece Meets the Big O, and the perennial favorite The Giving Tree, as well as classic poetry collections such as Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, Every Thing On It, Don't Bump the Glump!, and Runny Babbit.

Reviews for Runny Babbit

[sweetiegherkin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This collection of poetry from Shel Silverstein focuses around one character he created called "Runny Babbit" (aka, a bunny rabbit). The entirety of the book features poems in which the first few letters of one word have been swapped with the first few letters of another. For instance, the introductory poem is as follows:Way down in the green woodsWhere the animals all play,They do things and they say thingsIn a different sort of way--Instead of sayin' "purple hat,"They all say "hurple pat."Instead of sayin' "feed the cat,"They just say "ceed the fat."So if you say, "Let's bead a rookThat's billy as can se,"You're talkin' Runny Babbit talk,Just like mim and he.One or two poems like this can be funny, but a 90-page book full of them gets tiring. This is a pity, because many of the poems would be funny on their own, as they are full of Silverstein's tongue-in-cheek wit and accompanied by illustrations that complete the joke. For example, another poem reads:One day Runny BabbitMet little Franny Fog.He said, "Let's have a nicpicDown by the lollow hog."He brought some cutter bookies,Some teanuts and some pea.And what did Franny Fog bring?Her whole fog framily.The illustration shows an overwhelmed Runny Babbit in front a tiny picnic setting being approached by nearly 20 frogs. This poem would be just as funny -- arguably, funnier -- without the letter rearrangement. I can't even imagine how frustrating this book must be to read aloud, especially for beginning readers. This book is obviously designed for those with a good grasp on reading already and thus able to appreciate the wordplay. Given how popular "pig Latin" has remained over the years, I can see how some kids might find this book hysterical. But personally it felt like reading a running gag that had outrun its humor.

[mrgan-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a book of spoonerisms, and Shel Silverstein's approach to those is maybe a bit of a letdown. For one, he preserves spelling rather than pronunciation, leading to some head-scratchers like "couldn't pull" becoming "pouldn't cull", with the second word rhyming with "full", not "dull". He also doesn't play with spponerisms' double meanings - they're just words that take a second to decode. All that said, a Shel Silverstein book is still a Shel Silverstein book, so the actual poems are great.

[carriedann · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book of poems is creative and funny. The author intrigued readers by a fun, tongue-twisting way to read words. A big collection of poem that makes this a fun read because the first letter is switched the second word. Personal ReactionI found this book be fun to read! The words are very silly!Classroom ExtensionsI would have the students create a simple poem and replace the letter as in the book.I would have the students work in groups and create a simple poem and help them identify how to write a poes.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Hilarious, esp. for little ones - but not nearly as meaningful and memorable as most of the poems in the collections or as The Missing Piece.

[tmalon4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book t is a silly collection of poems centered around the main character, Runny Babbit. The language that the author used can be describes as topsy turvy, as the letters of most of the words in the language are flipped around to create a kind of silly language that is a little difficult to understand. I liked this collection of poems because it was consistent in its focus on one character, which you don't always see with collections of poetry. However, I did not like how the made up language made it harder for me to read the poems fluidly. For example, one poem called "Runny's Hans-New Brat," discusses how "Runny" got a "lovely purple pat" (translates to purple hat." None of the poems have any kind of deeper meaning, and are just for fun so I liked this book because of that. I don't think poetry ever needs to have a specific meaning, and can just be enjoyable for readers rather than make them think too hard about what the author intended for them to get out of the piece.

[crieder95 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book of poetry shows kids that poetry can be fun. It is not the typical deep, soul searching type of poems that many young readers associate poetry with. It is silly, weird, funny, and a tongue twister to read. Shel Silverstein himself even calls this a "silly book". The poems all focus on the rabbit, or babbit, bringing the whole collection together. This would be a great collection of poems to open up a class with to get the kids smiling and laughing. Or in a classroom setting it would be a fun section to add to a poetry unit to show students that poetry can be anything they create.

[skaide1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was another great book by Shel Silverstein. It is a book about a Bunny Rabbit and all the adventures he goes on, and they don't have to connect from page to page. The writing in this book, however is what makes it even more of a winner.As expressed by the title "Runny Babbit: A billy sook," the whole book is written with a play on words. Sentences vary from standard English to words with their letters all jumbled up, yet still understandable to readers.I can't really tell if their is a main message in this book, yet if I had to say, I would say it is just to have fun, and be silly! Shel Silverstein combines his drawings and his writing to create masterpieces, and he is without a doubt, one of my favorite authors. I loved this book overall!

[grapeapril75-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic book for kids! So imaginative and creative. Easy read that children will find delightful!

Shel Silverstein is always brilliant! His rhymes are fun and entertaining! Some of my all time favorites!! Such a great way to entertain children and get them interested in reading!

[angelabates · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Summary:Runny Babbitt is a fun and silly book of poetry written by well known author, Shel Silverstein, however it wasn't published until after his death. This book has over 40 poems written with letters switched around to make it silly and interesting rhymes about the life of "Runny Babbitt.Personal Reaction:This was a cute book that I am sure most children would find entertaining and fun, however, as an adult I found it hard to read and time consuming and it could be frustrating for some students. Classroom Extensions:1. I would use this book at the end of the school day and I would read a couple poems a day until the book was finished just as entertainment for my students.2. I would use this book to show an alternate style of poetry for my students to learn about and I would challenge my students to write their own poem in this silly way and share with the class.

[arquay · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Shel Silverstein’s final poetry collection, Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook, published several years after his death, will surely please any fan hoping for one last laugh with the popular poet. Although not quite as successful as his other classics, Where the Sidewalk Ends or The Giving Tree, anyone faithful to the warmth and humor of Silverstein’s poetry and illustrations will not be disappointed by Runny Babbit. Runny Babbit, as you might have guessed, is a bunny rabbit. Silverstein introduces Runny’s world at the opening of the book as such: “They do thing and they say things/In a different sort of way--/Instead of sayin’ ‘purple hat’/They say ‘hurple pat’.” The entirety of the book continues in this way, with short poems typical of the author that dive straight to the joke. Runny Babbit is the sort of book with the potential to either frustrate reluctant readers or be their savior. Most likely it will be the latter, as the rhymes are simply patterned and predictable, and a child should feel safer to make mistakes since most of the words are scrambled in the first place. Silverstein’s work has a freshness to it that does not fade with rereading; just the sort of author one would want to read as a child only to find that you cannot wait to someday read it to your children and your children’s children.

[smcamp1234 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gust jot done with seading Runny Babbitt to my ron.
He said, "Lad I dove beading rooks better than tovies and mv."
And of we go to the library to bick another pook to tead rogether.

[sirisaac-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I did not like it. Cause you have to change the order. Like bunny rabbit is runny babbit.

[savannah_horton_5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a very funny book for children and parents/teachers to read together. The children will be very engaged in the text, because of how the words are different. The will be on the edge of their seat trying to see what comes next. I love this book, and highly recommend it to children.

[caitcastonguay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this book because the poems are a play on words. All of the poems involve the character "Runny" and the other animals he meets or the silly things he does. This would be a great mentor for poetry writing or learning how words rhyme. Kids could highlight the rhyming words while reading to make connections with how/why words rhyme with other words.

[lainabourgeois · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Flip-flopped consonants add to the loony, never-before-published poems of the late, legendary Silverstein.

[sarahbatte · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is written the way the title is spelled, in a backwards sort of way. Thsi is classic Silverstien. In one poem he wears a bowboy cat.

[dayehsensei · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This Silverstein collection involves a signficant amount of word play (runny babbit; fappy bamily) that students will find hilarious and fun to "unscramble." This book will inspire them to have fun with poetry, reading, and language. This book has been a hit with any age group I read it to.

[jensenc_6 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Fun idea, hard to read and follow.

[jkessluk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A collection of about forty poems with basic, cute, black and white drawings for each poem. The trading of the first letter of select words adds a cuteness to the story, but is a challenge for me to read, because I am constantly trying to place the letters in the right spaces. If you do not mind that then this is a very creative set of bunny themed poems. Pour Runny Babbit can't seam to get things quite right though.

[mrs9mackey · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

"Runny Babbit" begins with an explaination on how the author has rearranged words to make silly rhymes. It is a collection of poems with a bunny rabbit as the main character. The poems describe various things that happen in the bunny rabbit's everyday life. For example, in one of the poems the bunny decides to give himself a hair cut. He tells his mother the barber did it. When his mother scolds the barber the barber swears he didn't do it. The poem of course is written with the letters arranged abnormally. This book was very cute. I found it to be difficult to read. I had to read it very slowly in order to understand what the poem was saying.In the classroom, I would have my class try and write their own silly poem the way that Shel Silverstein wrote this one. Everyone who wanted to share their poem could. I would not grade this assignment. This assignment would just be for fun.

[omrythea_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

By switching the beginning sounds of two different words, a billy sook (silly book) is created. The animal poems are short, fun and delightful to listen to. I love this!!!

[jennyo_587543 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you have children who like wordplay and silliness, you must read them this book. If you don't, you must find some children and read it to them. But practice first. It's harder to read than Fox in Socks (another of our family's favorites). As you probably already guessed from the title, Runny Babbit and his friends have an unusual quirk, they tend to litch swetters as tey thalk. It gets sillier and sillier, and Silverstein's manic genius really shines through. My daughter (the five year old) got the giggles so bad when I said, "ficken charmer," that I was afraid she wouldn't be able to breathe.The page that sent them both completely around the bend was the one in which Runny Babbit sits down in a chair marked PET WAINT. It goes like this: His ears are stet and wicky, His taws are sticky, poo. His whiskers are all icky, His gur is full of foo. His butt is plue and burple, His rail is ted, indeed. Why? Because poor Runny Babbit Never rearned to lead.Something tells me we're going to have to read this one and the book of Ogden Nash poems we checked out from the library again tomorrow night.

[ohjanet_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I bike this look a lot. It's not roo easy to tead aloud, but it's tun to fry wany-ay.

[tripleblessings_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Grade 1 to 6? Too difficult for preschoolers. Very hard to read aloud! You either love it or don't like it at all, since it's a one-joke book.