A have a weakness for puns, but found something even better in the "language" embodied in Willian Steig's _CDB!_ book, a favorite for children of all ages first published in 1968. Steig was _New Yorker_ magazine's longest-running contributor and cartoonist. He got his start by supporting his family in the Great Depression by penning funny drawings he sold on street corners. In a 1987 interview at age 89, he said, "I don't care how I'm remembered because I won't be there to enjoy it".
In _CDB!_, letters are phonetically sounded to substitute for words. For more complex words, letters are joined by hyphens and sounded consecutively. The cartoons and situations are charming and most comprise visual puns.
One of my favorite scenes from the book shows a little boy with a nail, a box, and a board, saying, "O 4 A 2-L". A little girl in the background helpfully offers, "E-R S A M-R".
In another, a little boy leans sleepily against a tree and tells his friend, "I F-N N-E N-R-G".
A little boy looks through the knothole in a fence and declares, "I M C-N U!", to which his neighbor replies, "N-D U R. U R P-K-N!"
I feel sure my Pee-Aitch-Dee has been enhanced considerably by reading it and the book brings such childish and childlike cheer, I can't bear to part with it after so many years. If you can find a copy -- and enjoy puns and word-games -- get it! You won't regret it. The ISBN number is 0-671-66689-4
Even *better* than puns. I'll go quietly now....
Best,
Dan.
