Are you familiar with, “Want to read a book? Book done read.”?

I just received this email from Jennifer…

My husband has started repeating the following rhyme (a call and response type of thing) with our 3 children. He is sure that it is “real”? and thinks he has seen it in print. I have never heard it. Unfortunately, he can’t remember all of it. Any takers? Here is what I know…

“Want to read a book? Book done read.
Want to go to bed? Bed not made.
Want some lemonade? Lemonade sour.
Want to climb a tower? Tower too high.
Want a piece of pie? Pie too sweet.
Want a piece of meat? Meat too tough.”?

…..this is the part he can’t remember…

And then…

“Want to say Goodbye? Goodbye.”?

If anyone is familiar with this rhyme, please comment below.

Thanks!

Lisa

This article was posted on Friday, May 12th, 2006 at 5:26 pm and is filed under English, English Nursery Rhymes, Languages, Questions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

109 Responses to “Are you familiar with, “Want to read a book? Book done read.”?”

  1. Aia Says:

    This is the one I used to do:

    Winston smells just like a coconut just like a

    Ooh ah
    I wanna piece of pie
    Pie too sweet, I wanna piece of meat
    Meat too tough, wanna ride the bus
    Bus too full, wanna ride a bull
    Bull too fat, want my money back
    Money back to me, wanna jelly bean
    Jelly bean not cooked, wanna read a book
    Book all read, wanna go to bed
    Bed not made, want some lemonade
    Lemonade too sour, wanna take a shower
    Shower too cool, wanna go to school
    School too dumb, wanna suck my thumb
    Thumb too dirty, wanna ride a birdie
    Birdie too slow, that’s all I know

    So close your eyes and count to ten, whoever messes up has to start again

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

    No one messed up so that’s the end

  2. Sandra Says:

    The version I remember is sung to the old Winston cigarette jingle.

    Winston taste good like. A cigarette should . Winston taste. Like ahh I want a. A piece of Pie. Pie too sweet. Want a piece of . meat. meat too tough. Want to ride the bus. . bus too full. Want to ride a bull. Bull too black Want to go back to my old Cadillac. Bonk Bonk.

    We sang this along with clapping like patty cake. And I learned this version sometime between 1971 & 1973, when I was in the 5th and 6th grade.

  3. Summer Says:

    I learned,

    Winston smells good
    just like a coconut
    just like a oh ah,
    I want a price of pie,
    pie too sweet
    I want a piece of meat
    meat too tough
    I want to ride a bus,
    bus too fast
    I want my money back,
    money too green
    I want a jelly bean,
    jelly bean not cooked
    I want to read a book,
    book not read
    I want to go to bed,
    bed not made
    I want some lemonade,
    lemonade too sour
    we got the power
    to start all over again.

  4. MATTHEW MESHEKOFF Says:

    Learned this in 6th grade inner city NYC school. 1967. It was performed as a Black Rap. OO i wanna piece of pie, pie too sweet, wanna piece of meat, meat too tough wanna ride a bus, bus too full wanna ride a bull, bull too black want my money back, Winston tastes bad like the one i just had no filter no taste just a god damn .40 cent waste.

  5. Christy Says:

    the actual one is
    Winston smells good just like a
    coconut smells good just like a
    ohh ah
    I wanna peace of pie
    Pie too sweet I wanna piece of meat
    meat too tough I wanna ride a bus
    Bus too full I wanna ride a bull
    Bull too black I want my money back
    Money back too green I wanna jellybean
    Jellybean not cooked I wanna read a book
    book not read I wanna go to bed
    Bed not made I wanna lemonade
    Lemonade too sour I wanna take a shower
    Shower too cool I wanna go to school
    School too dumb I wanna suck my thumb
    Thumb too dirty I wanna ride a birdy
    Birdy too small and that is all
    Now close your eyes and count to 10
    the first one to mess up starts all over again
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

  6. myiah Says:

    I was born in 2009 and i learned:

    Winston smells good just like a coconut just like a ooh ahh I wanna ride a bus, bus too full I wanna ride a bull. Bull too black I want my money back. Money back, too green, I want a jellybean. Jellybean not cooked, I wanna read a book. Book already read, I wanna go to bed. Bed not made, I want some lemonade. Lemonade too sour, I wanna take a shower. Shower too cool, I wanna go to school. School too dumb, I wanna suck my thumb. Thumb too dirty, I wanna ride a birdy. Birdy too small and that’s all I know so let’s close our eyes and count to 10 and whoever messes up starts all over again! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ,7 8, 9, 10! We didn’t mess up so now we’re best friends!

    And when you say “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ,7 8, 9, 10!”, you close your eyes.

  7. Harmony Says:

    Oh my
    I wanna piece of pie
    Pie’s too sweet I want a piece of meat
    Meat’s too red I want to go to bed
    Bed’s not made
    I want some lemonade
    Lemonade’s too sour I wanna take a shower
    Shower’s too cool
    I wanna go to school
    Schools too dumb
    I wanna piece of gum
    Gum’s too awesome
    I wanna buy a possum
    Possum’s too dirty
    I wanna buy a birdie
    Birdie’s too slow and that’s all I know so close your eyes and count to ten If you mess up you do it again 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

  8. eli briaryers Says:

    winston smells good just like a coconut just liek a oh ah i wanna peice of pie pie to sweet i wanna peice of meat to tough i wanna ride a bus bus to full i wanna ride a bull bull to black i want my money back money to green i wanna jelly bean jelly bean not cooked i wanna read a book book all ready read i wanna go to bed bed not made i want some lemonade lemonade to sour i wanna take a shower shower to cool i wanna go to school school to dumb i wanna suck my thumb thumb to dirty i wanna ride a birdy bridy’s to slow and thats all i know so close your eye’s and count to 10 who ever messes up starts over again so 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10!

  9. Ashley Says:

    ABC, as easy as 1, 2, 3,
    My mama takes care of me,
    My daddy watches MTV*
    Ooh ah, I wanna piece of pie,
    Pie too sweet,
    I wanna piece of meat,
    Meat not cooked,
    I wanna read a book,
    Book not read,
    I wanna go to bed,
    Bed not made,
    I wanna lemonade,
    Lemonade too sour,
    I wanna take a shower,
    Shower too cool,
    I wanna go to school,
    School too dumb,
    I wanna suck my thumb,
    Thumb too dirty,
    I wanna ride a birdie,
    Birdie too slow
    And that’s all I know,
    So close your eyes
    And count to ten,
    Whoever messes up
    Starts over again.
    1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!

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