This is one of the most beautiful little stories I’ve seen in a long time. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igv6q-S3sx0

Benny Booger is a picture book story we’re trying to get published.

Above artwork is by Jennifer Wood, the illustrator for the picture book

Benny Booger
by John & Shannon Dadlez

All day long Benny booger flicks.
He flicks and watches where it sticks.

Teacher says, “Yuck! Stay out of that muck!”
But he doesn’t listen and picks and plucks.

“Benny!” says Teacher. “Stop with your picking!
Nobody likes this flicking and sticking!”

One day he sneezes in Lucy Lu’s hair.
Now look at all the snot in there!
It makes her cry, but he doesn’t care.

Benny just laughs.  He thinks it’s quite fun.
He picks with his fingers, and uses each one.

Sometimes he blows
his nose
in his clothes!

And would you believe
he wipes with his sleeve?!

Benny keeps picking and while in mid-pluck
All of a sudden his finger gets stuck!

He yanks and he pulls but it doesn’t budge.
His finger is stuck in his nostril sludge!

“Teacher!” cries Benny. “I can’t get it free!”
She says, “Hold still and I’ll pull it on three.”

“One!” teacher says. Benny shakes, scared to death.
“Two!” teacher says as the class holds its breath.

Trying to stay as calm as can be,
she grabs his stuck finger and says the word,  “Three!”

Teacher pulls hard and under the strain
Out pops his finger and also his BRAIN!

Some classmates faint and others get sick.
Benny just stares at the brain he did pick.

“Goodness,” says teacher, “we’ve just made it worse!
I think that it’s time to see the school nurse!

Go to the nurse, go on the double!
You don’t want to get into any more trouble.”

So off to the nurse, down the hallway he goes,
And walks through her door, with the thing from his nose.

“Goodness!” Nurse says. “You’re the third one today!
How do you kids lose your brains this way?”
Benny won’t tell, too embarrassed to say.

“Go take a seat.  I’ll see you in a bit.”
And she points to the room where the other kids sit.

There each child sits, looking quite dumb,
a brain on a pinky, and one on a thumb.

Benny sits down, rests his hand on his chin.
Nurse hollers, “Next!” and the first child goes in.

The door shuts behind him.  They don’t hear a sound.
Time passes slowly and they feel their hearts pound.

Then the door opens, and what do you suppose?
There stands the boy with a bandaged-up nose.

“DI’m done. Dow dits dyour durn,” he says to the next.
Leaving the next child and Benny perplexed.

In goes the next one, scared, her knees knocking.
She comes out shortly, her nose in a stocking!

“Does it hurt?” Benny asks her. ”Dyou don’t dwant to dknow,”
says the girl as she leaves Benny, head hanging low.

“Next!” says the Nurse. Benny knows he must go.
He walks to her office, shuffling slow.

“Sit down,” says the Nurse as she points to a chair.
Benny sits down and he says a quick prayer.

“I told your two friends and I’ll say it again.
The way it came out is the way it goes in!”

“Uh oh,” says Benny with widening eyes
As the Nurse grabs a blowgun of humongous size.

Back in his classroom, the class does its work.
Benny walks in and all their heads jerk.

They all stop and giggle. At Benny they stare,
His nose in a splint as he walks to his chair.

“Benny?” asks teacher, “Are you OK?”
He turns to his class.  He has something to say.

They all gasp, amazed, as their bandaged-up friend
Says, “DI’ll dnever pick bmy dnose againd!”

copyright 2005 all rights reserved.