A Pun-derful Tale

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

I have a confession to make. Yes, The Phantom Tollbooth is a children's book. And I'm sure that the fourth copy of the book that I recently bought will someday end up in a child's hands. Until then, I just can't stop reading it and laughing over it.

I first read it when it should be read--in childhood. It was delightful. I spent many hours creating new stories in which I traveled through the tollbooth and met the fantastic creatures of Norton's creation. Never again would I use the phrase "killing time" without hearing Tock howling in the background. Rhyme and Reason will always be a pair of long-haired princesses to me, kept at bay by such demons as procrastination.

My favorite part of the book comes early--when Milo enters Dictionopolis and attends a feast where he must eat his words and he learns what each one tastes like. If only all dinner speeches were as juicy and sweet as the ones in this book.

Perhaps I'm not alone in my confession. Last week at a business convention, the keynote speaker--the vice president of a major hotel corporation--used an anecdote from this book to illustrate how to be a good manager. I bet he's got a copy under the mattress too!

--B. Redman