A Runtamuffin Tale is a children’s book that showcases a bucolic farm life and relationships between animals with an anthropomorphic flair. Semi-centered on a tiny hen called Runtamuffin (“Runti”), author Melissa Taylor based the story on the adventures of her real-life chickens on the farm. Melissa Taylor | 2017 | Hardcover | Illustrated by Marc Beauregard | 57 pp
The story begins with a group of girls surprising a farmer with a clutch of chicks. The chicks are named one by one: Nessie, Phatty, Patty, Sally, Scrambled, Benedict and so forth. When they came to the smallest chick, they decided to name her Runtamuffin and gave her lots of special attention.
The chicks grow into hens, go from a coop to a cozy hen house, and are able to be let outside. From there, the story moves into the direct relationships between Runti and the other animals on the farm. Initial impressions fail to solidify with a dog, a horse, and a new puppy. We watch as Runti goes from apprehension to appreciation for a dog, from jealousy to camaraderie with a horse, and from annoyance to acceptance with a new puppy.
Runti may be a tiny creature, but her size doesn’t keep her from making herself known and following up on her natural curiosity. A Runtamuffin’s Tale is a sweet and simple story filled with lessons on friendship and the different worlds we can live when a new friendship is cultivated.
Currently only available on the author’s website, A Runtamuffin Tale can be downloaded or ordered in hardcover.
A Runtamuffin Tale
By Melissa Taylor
