HarperCollins Children's Books to Publish RUNNY BABBIT RETURNS

Today HarperCollins Children's Books announced the publication of RUNNY BABBIT RETURNS, a never-before-published book of spoonerism poems by the legendary Shel Silverstein and follow-up to the 2005 publication, RUNNY BABBIT. Antonia Markiet, Senior Executive Editor at HarperCollins, acquired U.S. and Canada rights, and publication is scheduled for September 19, 2017.

RUNNY BABBIT RETURNS takes us back to the green woods of RUNNY BABBIT with 41 never-before-published poems and drawings. Compiled from completed but unpublished works in the Silverstein archive, this next installment encompasses beloved themes such as friendship, kindness, family, and, of course, food. The first RUNNY BABBIT is a charming and witty collection of spoonerisms written and illustrated by Silverstein before his death and his first book published posthumously, in 2005. Filled with creative words and phrases with letters or syllables swapped (bunny rabbit becomes Runny Babbit), this poetry book follows the warm, insightful, and laugh-out-loud adventures of an endearing cast of characters. Maurice Sendak said of RUNNY BABBIT, "I wish I had done this book!"

RUNNY BABBIT has sold over 770,000 copies and spent 39 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. This companion book, RUNNY BABBIT RETURNS, features extraordinarily imaginative poems that embody Silverstein's iconic humor and style, with tongue-twisting wordplay and uproarious characters. New and old readers alike won't want to miss their chance to revisit their favorite Runny and meet even more of his woodland friends.

"We're delighted to continue the legacy of the extraordinary Shel Silverstein, a household name for over fifty years," said Suzanne Murphy, President and Publisher of HarperCollins Children's Books. "This never-before-published collection of poems and drawings will be cherished by readers of all ages and is a wonderful companion book to follow RUNNY BABBIT."

Generations have grown up with the works of Shel Silverstein, known not only as a poet and illustrator but also for his work as a cartoonist, playwright, performer, recording artist, and Grammy Award-winning songwriter. Silverstein's children's books have sold more than 39 million copies in the U.S. alone and have been translated into 46 foreign languages. He has encouraged children to dream and dare to imagine the impossible with his exceptional poetry and unforgettable characters.

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ABOUT SHEL SILVERSTEIN

Shel Silverstein is the author of Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back; A Giraffe and a Half; The Giving Tree; Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros?; Don't Bump the Glump!; Where the Sidewalk Ends; The Missing Piece; A Light in the Attic; The Missing Piece Meets the Big O; Falling Up; Runny Babbit; and Every Thing On It. He was a cartoonist, playwright, poet, performer, recording artist, and Grammy-winning/Oscar-nominated songwriter. Shel Silverstein's children's books have sold more than 39 million copies in the U.S. alone and have been translated into 46 foreign languages. You can learn more about Shel and his books by visiting http://www.shelsilverstein.com.

ABOUT HARPERCOLLINS CHILDREN'S BOOKS

HarperCollins Children's Books is one of the leading publishers of children's and teen books. Respected worldwide for its tradition of publishing quality, award-winning books for young readers, HarperCollins is home to many timeless treasures and bestsellers such as Charlotte's Web, Goodnight Moon, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Where the Wild Things Are, The Graveyard Book and series including The Chronicles of Narnia, Ramona, Warriors, Pete the Cat, Fancy Nancy, Divergent, and The Selection. Consistently at the forefront of digital innovation, HarperCollins Children's Books delights readers through engaging storytelling in all formats, including e-books and apps. HarperCollins Children's Books is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, which is the second largest consumer book publisher in the world, has operations in 18 countries, and is a subsidiary of News Corp (NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). You can visit HarperCollins Children's Books at http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com and http://www.epicreads.com and HarperCollins Publishers at corporate.HC.com.

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