Timothy Tunny Swallowed a Bunny

Full Title: Timothy Tunny Swallowed a Bunny
Author / Editor: Bill Grossman, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Publisher: Laura Geringer Books, 2001

 

Review © Metapsychology Vol. 5, No. 27
Reviewer: CP
Posted: 7/2/2001

Timothy Tunny
Swallowed a bunny
The bunny got lodged in his throat
“That bunny looks funny,”
His mom said, “but Honey,
Be thankful it isn’t a goat.”

You can’t beat this wonderful silliness, and most small kids love weirdness, violence, and misfortune. These limerick/poems deal with bizarre fears, cannibals, accidental dismemberment, loss of a father, disfigurement, laziness, self-destruction, fatness, thinness, and distorted communication. All are illustrated with hilarious rich color pictures that fill the pages. Together, the poems and pictures will fuel children’s imagination and creativity.

Some parents might think that the stories go too far and may scare children. But Grimm’s Fairy Tales and Tom and Jerry cartoons are just as violent, and kids are fascinated with these themes even without any encouragement. There’s no reason to think that books like this could do any harm, and there’s every reason to think that the giggles that Timothy Tunny will cause are very healthy.

Categories: Fiction