Timothy Tunny Swallowed a Bunny by Bill Grossman

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

And so begins this hilarious collection of verses by Bill Grossman. The eighteen poems are about people caught in unusual situations and are accompanied by an illustration by Maine artist Kevin Hawkes.

Hannibal
“Good morning,” said Hannibal,
Greeting the cannibal.
“I’m Hannibal. How do you do.”
“At the moment you’re Hannibal,”
Responded the cannibal,
“But soon we’ll be calling you Stew.”

My favorite is Poor Dad. A witch has imprisoned poor Dad in a bottle of pop. The children can’t free Dad, “and were sad when we had/To return him for the nickel deposit.”

Each verse has a tongue-in-cheek twist that will have families roaring out loud with laughter.

Celebrate National Poetry Month by reading Grossman’s other book,  My Little Sister Ate One Hare, also illustrated by Hawkes and is equally entertaining.