Picture Books to Make You Laugh!
Looking to laugh right along with your kids?
Elementary teachers and parents of youngsters looking for funny picture book recommendations will find this post helpful.
Of course we want to have meaty, relevant, deeply intelligent conservations about literature, but this is not that post and these are not those books.
They are random, silly, and a bit farcical—but also seriously funny and cleverly written. Guaranteed to make even the stodgiest of readers stifle a giggle. Really truly there is nothing better than an author with a sense of humor and these picture books never cease to crack me up.
And who couldn’t use a good, hearty chuckle right about now? Without further ado, here are my favorite funny picture books!
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That is Not a Good Idea
A funny picture book that enraptures students of all ages. Should the duck go for a stroll with the charming, wily fox into the deep, dark woods? The chicks say, “That is NOT a good idea!” Your students will say, “That is NOT a good idea!” But both the fox and your listeners are in a for a surprise at the end that’s hilariously shocking.
There is a Bird on Your Head
Anything by Mo Willems is a winner in the funny book department, but my boys and I are huge Elephant and Piggie fans and this one is a perennial fave. Poor Gerald’s head becomes the home of a family of birds and he is not thrilled about it. It’s great fun to read aloud but it’s even funnier to have your students act it out.
Falling for Rapunzel
This one falls in the it’s-so-ridiculous-it’s-funny category. We’re not quite sure if Rapunzel is hard of hearing or if the prince doesn’t enunciate clearly. Perhaps it’s both. But when the prince calls down, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, throw down your hair,” he ends up with her frilly underwear on his head. And it only gets more ludicrous from there. Get ready for lots of laughs and an unexpected ending that is strangely satisfying.
Stuck
It all begins when Floyd’s kite becomes stuck in a tree. He tosses up his shoe in an attempt to dislodge the kite, but the shoe gets stuck too. Then other shoe gets chucked up there and subsequently stuck. His cat? Stuck. A bucket of paint? Stuck. How about a ladder, Floyd? Yep, that gets tossed into the tree too. What follows is a line of random and ridiculous things tossed into the tree that—you guessed it—all get stuck.
*The first time a playground ball gets stuck in a tree at recess I pull this book out and we all have a good laugh.
The Panda Problem
The narrator needs the panda to have a problem because all stories need a problem, right? The only problem is that the panda doesn’t have one. But what if the panda becomes the problem for the narrator? A loudly burping, banjo-playing panda with a penchant for jelly beans and aliens? Now that’s a problem.
Naughty Mabel
Oh, Mabel. How we shriek with merriment when you steal golf carts and destroy priceless works of art. How we giggle with glee when you annihilate fancy parties in one fell swoop of a tray of weenies and then proceed to clear the room with your decidedly unladylike flatulence. And although we love your inquisitiveness and your zest for life, and your canine capers are quite hilarious, we are very very glad you are not our dog.
*Also check out Naughty Mabel Sees it All
Come Home Already
Bear just wants to go camping. Alone. Duck just wants to be with his best friend Bear. Just when Bear learns that he’s not quite cut out for a solitary wilderness adventure good old Duck saves the day. We can’t get enough of Duck’s expressions such as “I found you, ‘ol buddy, ‘ol plan, ‘ol chum!” In fact, I bet you can’t get through one reading of this book without someone repeating that darn phrase and giggling. (I admit it’s always me. I’m the giggler.)
We also love Goodnight Already! and Allright Already! also by this author duo.
The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors
In the ancient and distant realm of Kingdom of Backyard, Rock hunts for a worthy foe. Meanwhile, in the Empire of Mom’s Home Office, Paper sets forth to find his match. Finally, in the tiny village of Junk Drawer, a third great warrior, Scissors, is on the prowl for a fearsome adversary. When Rock, Paper, and Scissors finally meet the “most massive and epic three-way battle of all time” ensues.
*Make sure you allow time for students to play a zillion rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
17 Things I’m Not Allowed to Do Anymore
If you’re looking to teach a lesson about the consequences of bad behavior this isn’t your book. There’s no lesson and it’s also kind of cringe-inducing reading it as a grown-up. But it’s so funny that I don’t even care that there is absolutely no moral ground whatsoever. When the unrepentant narrator isn’t busy tormenting her little brother by stapling his hair to his pillow and gluing his slippers to the floor, she is aggravating her teacher with a passionate exposition on beavers. Also, if you don’t think beavers are funny then this isn’t your book.
Chester Van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme
Trust me–you need a copy of this one for your personal library! Poor Chester can’t form a rhyming pair to save his life.
“It baffled poor Chester. He felt almost queasy. To match up two sounds, it was always so…..simple for him.” 😆
Not only is the text laugh out loud funny, but the illustrations contain so many clever little rhyming pairs for kids to discover. It’s a treasure of a book that you and your students will want to read over and over.
President Taft is Stuck in the Bath
President Taft is enjoying a leisurely bath when he discovers that his rather large body is quite stuck. Although the historical accuracy is debatable, the funny factor is not. A fair warning–the illustration of Taft’s barely-concealed naked bottom as he is flung out the window is a bit scandalous but will undoubtedly elicit a gleeful shriek from your audience. A smart, silly, and superbly funny picture book about the most famous bathtub misadventure in U.S. presidential history.
I Want My Hat Back
If you want a guaranteed laugh then Jon Klassen is your go-to guy. I personally can’t get enough of his sense of humor. It’s witty and smart (and a bit shocking) without being direct. He has amassed quite a collection of clever titles, but I Want My Hat Back is the crème de la crème of funny picture books. The poor bear’s beloved hat is gone, and he wants it back. Patiently and politely, he asks the animals he comes across, one by one, whether they have seen it. When he gets to the rabbit he responds, “I haven’t seen it. I haven’t seen any hats anywhere. I would not steal a hat. Don’t ask me any more questions.” Well of course he is guilty! We all know he took the hat since he is wearing it! But what’s not so obvious is how the bear will get his hat back. A terrific read-aloud to teach inferencing, since crafty Jon Klassen gives his readers a big wink, but doesn’t directly tell them what happens at the end.
Trouble Gum
When Grammy gives Reuben a piece of gum (perhaps to keep him quiet) Mom issues three strict rules: 1.) Don’t play with your gum. 2.) Don’t swallow your gum. 3.) No blowing bubbles. Unfortunately, Reuben breaks all three and ends up being vigorously scrubbed in the bathtub. All of the onomatopoeia makes this terrifically fun to read aloud (the best part is the super slow motion chewing and the super fast full tilt chewing!) , and a sneaky little brother scene at the end never fails to get kids laughing.
Do you know of any other tried-and-true funny picture books? I’d love to add to my collection!