Description

Sonny Sez! contains one hundred one-minute stories from Sonny Eliot, popular broadcaster and Detroit personality. Well known for his weather segments on WWJ-TV (now WDIV) and for hosting a variety of programs including At the Zoo and the annual Hudson’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast, Eliot’s unique weather presentation can currently be heard on WWJ Newsradio 950 in Detroit. The stories included in this volume were carefully selected from over 750 that Sonny broadcast on his syndicated radio show over the years and concern “the strange, the humorous, and the useless.”

Sonny’s stories address questions like, why do empty rooms get dusty? What is the meaning and origin of the phrase “the whole nine yards”? And why is a dog’s nose moist? The answers are often fascinating, and Sonny promises that they are also mostly true. Sonny’s trademark wit and wisdom is enhanced by over seventy amusing illustrations from renowned political cartoonist Draper Hill. Hill’s intricate and humorous drawings bring Sonny’s stories to life, guaranteeing that they will bring a smile, raise an eyebrow, and satisfy the reader’s curiosity at the same time. A foreword by famed cartoonist Dick Guindon completes this one-of-a-kind collection. Sonny Sez! will make a truly unique keepsake, perfect for displaying or giving as a gift.

This volume will appeal to everyone from longtime Sonny Eliot fans to first-time readers.

Illustrations

Reviews

Reviews

“When I was a young boy, the greatest early influence on my life was a Detroit weatherman named Sonny Eliot. If it wasn’t for Sonny Eliot, I would be in prison. God bless you, Sonny Eliot. I hope someone buys this book.”

—Dave Letterman

“I assumed Sonny Eliot’s book would be funny; it’s also informative and I liked it a lot. You know Sonny’s funny. Well, he’s also an entertaining writer. Wait till you read his explanations of how popular references and sayings came about—things like ‘son of a gun,’ ‘pie in the sky,’ ‘the whole nine yards.’ The book is fascinating.”

—Elmore Leonard, author of Out of Sight and Get Shorty

“Sonny Eliot and Draper Hill—a double play combination that’d make Abner Doubleday smile. A treasure trove of trivia, humorously illustrated, satisfying, and ideal for small talk or large cocktail parties. It’s the kind of book that you’d buy to give someone you like, then change your mind and keep it yourself. All hits, no errors.”

—Ernie Harwell, Hall of Fame baseball announcer and author of Tuned to Baseball and other books

“It’s as close to a ‘Hat-Trick’ as Sonny Eliot can get. He has a flair for comedy, an ear for the obscure, and his similes are perfect. He even beat me on a ‘one on one’ play. Having the talented Draper Hill as his defenseman to illustrate this interesting little slice of wonders and blunders is a ‘heads up move’—the cartoons are marvelous. They both skate up ice and really score!”

—Gordie Howe, “Mr. Hockey”

“I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun reading a book. It’s vintage Sonny Eliot and thoroughly enjoyable.”

—Neal Shine, former editor and publisher of the Detroit Free Press

More Info

Sonny Eliot is a radio and television broadcaster and beloved Detroit personality. Some of the many awards and citations that Eliot has received include an Emmy for Best Weathercaster, 50-year Screen Actors Guild Award, Silver Circle Award from the National Academy of TV Arts and Sciences, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame.

Draper Hill is a noted political cartoonist who has enjoyed a thirty-five-year career at newspapers in Arkansas, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and most notably at the Detroit News, where he produced an average of six drawings each week for more than twenty years. Hill graduated magna cum laude from Harvard, where he was the art editor of the Harvard Lampoon. He is a Fulbright scholar, has authored a number of books and articles on James Gillray and Thomas Nast, and been called “the leading authority and historian of the English-language cartoon.”

Stanley D. Williams, Ph.D., is an award-winning writer, author, speaker, producer, and director for video, television, stage, and film. He is also the owner of a small media distribution company, Nineveh’s Crossing.

DOWNLOAD MEDIA KITS:

• Press Release
• Reviews
• About Sonny Eliot
• About Draper Hill
• About Stanley Willims