Runny Babbit- Silly Poems

Title- Runny Babbit:  A Billy Sook

Author-  Shel Silverstein

Illustrator- Shel Silverstein

Publisher- Harper Collins

Copyright Date- 2005

Number of Pages- 96

Awards- 2005 Quill Award winners- Children’s Illustrated Book

Reading Level- Ages 4-10

Genre- Poetry

Summary

Runny Babbit is a book about Runny Babbit, and his friends Toe Jurtle, Skertie Gunk, Rirty Dat, and many more.  They experience real world events and go on silly adventures together.  Runny and his friends speak their own language, they switch the first letters around in words.  Reading this book isn’t easy, but as you become familiar with their language it becomes easier.    Runny cuts his own hair and lies to his mom about it, he reads a book, pretends to be Yankee Doodle, gets a girlfriend, shows kindness to smaller animals, and much more.  Many of the poems contain important ideas for children to learn, and some are just fun and silly.   The pictures help the poems move along and show details you just cannot fully comprehend just reading the poems.   

Teaching Idea

I would use this to help with correcting of sentences.  I think it would be a great way to introduce poetry and at the same time work on editing sentences.  I would put the poems up on the board with some added errors in punctuation.  Then I would have students make the poems grammatically correct.  After that I would have the students read both versions of the poems.  The original poems by Silverstein with the made up language, and their modified (corrected) versions.  I think it would add a fun element to correcting sentences. 

Here is the link to more lesson ideas:

Silverstein Lessons

I particularly like the activity in this link that has the students act out the poems.  They are up and moving around, and at the same time working on poetry.

Rating

Element of Literature	Excellent	Average	Inadequate	Not Addressed	Rating
Plot	The plot is engaging; the reader is invested in the outcome.  Contains conflict, a climax and a resolution.    The reader buys into the story line; it is believable to the reader.	The plot is average it contains some of the essential elements such as conflict, climax and resolution.  One element is either missing or poorly developed.  The reader may or may not buy into the storyline, it is just not that believable.	Multiple essential elements, conflict, climax and/or resolution are missing or poorly developed.  It is not believable and overall a bad plot.		The plot is average, it has some hints of conflict, climax and resolution.  They are not fully developed.  The reader may or may not buy into the story line.
Characters	Characters are unique and believable.  The characters come to life when the reader is engaged in the story.  When the book is done, the reader still connects with the characters of the book.  Characters have personalities, flaws, and feelings. There is a protagonist, possibly an antagonist and some supporting characters.	Characters are similar to other books, have little to no uniqueness.  When the reader is done with the book, they are also done with the characters, there is no lasting connection.  Characters display little in terms of personality.  There are no supporting characters, or no clear protagonist.	Characters are dull and lifeless, there is no connection to the characters.  There is no clear protagonist and no supporting characters.  The characters are too farfetched.		Characters are similar to other books; they could easily be replaced or removed.  There was no lasting connection to the characters.  Though they do have personalities.  The antagonist is clear and he has a strong supporting staff of characters.
Illustrations	The illustrations share in the story telling. The pictures help to develop the characters, establish the mood, and setting.  They contain some of the following elements, hidden details, facial expressions, different viewpoints, interesting asides, action depiction, or supporting details.  The pictures themselves may be created out of different mediums in order to support the plot.  Visual elements are used effectively (line, shape, color, texture and composition).	The illustrations support the story telling.  The pictures help with some but not all of the following, establish mood and setting, and developing characters.  They contain few if any of the following elements, hidden details, facial expressions, different viewpoints, interesting asides, action depiction, or supporting details.  The pictures are basic and do not use visual elements effectively.	The illustrations are in conflict with the story.  The pictures do not develop or establish anything in relation to the book.  There are no additional elements in the illustrations.  Visual elements detract from the plot.		The illustrations are great; they add depth to the poems.  At times you can see emotion, varied viewpoints, interesting asides, supporting details and action depiction.  The pictures add an extra element to the poems.  They also provide visuals to support the content of the poems.
Word Choice	There are a more than two of the following elements used effectively, precise vocabulary, figurative language, dialogue, and music in language.	There are one or two of the following elements used effectively, precise vocabulary, figurative language, dialogue, and music in language.	There are none of the following elements or they are not used effectively, precise vocabulary, figurative language, dialogue, and music in language.		There is precise vocabulary, figurative language, and multiple areas of music in the language.