Get ready to laugh, chortle, giggle, and chuckle with these funniest picture book favorites.
These funny picture books will be read aloud favorites –again and again and again. They’ll provide hours of special (and hilarious) reading time with your child.
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Who Did It? (boxed set) by Ohara Hale
If you like potty humor, these short board books are must-owns! The titles are: Who Sneezed? Who Burped? Who Farted? Who Peed? Who Pooped? Curious kids observe each two-page spread filled with talking (and pooping, peeing, burping) animal characters. I LOVE these interactive and kid-friendly board books.
Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton
All of Boynton’s board books are funny — this happens to be one of our favorites. Silly. Perfect for the under two age group.
The Little Butterfly That Could by Ross Burach
A kind whale teaches a distressed butterfly to persevere when it gets lost from its migrating group. The whale encourages the reluctant, fearful butterfly to find its gumption and courage, kicking it out of his stomach, and reminding it to keep trying. Drawn and narrated in comic panels and dialogue bubbles, this wonderful new story is funny, emotional, and poignant.
The Bear Who Wasn’t There by LeUyen Pham
Silly fun perfect for preschoolers! The story is supposed to be about a bear but where is he? Duck hopes Bear stays missing so he can be the main character of the book so Duck goes to extreme lengths to get what he wants…and it will crack up your kids!
The Panda Problem by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Hanah Marks
The narrator needs the panda main character to have a problem. But the panda doesn’t have any problems — no matter what the narrator suggests. In fact, it seems like the narrator might have a problem with the whole situation. That’s when Panda gets really silly and suggests crazy, funny ideas. Kids will be cracking up through this entire meta-story about story elements.
Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea
This is a favorite picture book – it’s absolutely hysterical! Goat is very irritated when Unicorn moves to town and makes Goat look bad. Goat made his own marshmallow squares but that doesn’t compare with how Unicorn can make it rain cupcakes. Goat rants:
“Dopey Unicorn! Thinks he’s so great!
How can anyone be friends with that guy?
Look at me! I’m Unicorn! I think I”m so-o-o cool!”
But when Unicorn prances by, he’s amazed by Goat’s cheese, goat’s ability to eat garbage, his ability to head-butt the soccer ball, and his cloven hooves. Before you know it, the two become best friends.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems
Pigeon employs the BEST stalling tactics used by kids everywhere to avoid bedtime. This is the funniest Pigeon book, but they’re all so funny! Also read: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.
I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbitt
This zany counting book with all the worms is a laugh-out-loud adventure in neon pink, yellow, white, and black. The narrator explains that he can only draw worm so that’s exactly what he does –draws lots of worms. Ten worms actually with super funny commentary.
Underwear! by Jenn Harney
Little Bear is having a hysterical adventure with his underwear much to his parents’ exasperation. Rhyming, giggle-inducing text pairs perfectly with comedic, expressive illustrations. “Under where? / Underwear. / Under there? UnderWEAR, over THERE. / Over where? / On the Chair.” Potty training kids will be able to relate to this story about a little bear who has a lot of *fun* with his underwear.
Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
The cows want changes — electric blankets and that sort of thing. So they leave Farmer Brown notes with their demands . . . The story is not only very creative but completely funny as well.
Go Sleep In Your Own Bed! by Candace Fleming and Lori Nichols
Kids will love this funny bedtime story. Here’s why — it’s got hilarity, yes, but also the repetition of text and drama. Each animal goes to bed and finds another animal sleeping in the wrong bed. “Go sleep in your own bed!” the pig orders the cow, the cow orders the chicken, the chicken tells the horse, well, you get the picture. What will happen with the kitten? She gets to stay and cuddle in the little girl’s bed.
Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
Good thing for this farming family that their chickens will help with EVERYTHING! Except on Sunday. A delightful adventure that reminds kids of the days of the week, too.
I Am Invited to a Party (Elephant and Piggie) by Mo Willems
We think all the Elephant and Piggie books are hilarious but this one is our favorite. Piggie has never been to a party before so she relies on Elephant’s help. Which is the silliest help you can imagine.
Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas
Bob just doesn’t fit in with the other rhyming dust bunnies — but that makes this book a total crack-up! Because he’s trying to warn them that there is a vacuum coming. Only his fellow Dust Bunnies just think he’s weird and can’t rhyme, ignoring his warning. Will they get vacuumed up?!
The Cat, the Dog, Little Red, The Exploding Eggs, the Wolf, and Grandma by Diane and Christyan FoxAbsolutely hilarious! Cat begins to read the story of Little Red Riding Hood to Dog but she doesn’t get far before Dog starts to interrupt with his ever so interesting thoughts about what might happen next “So kindness is her special power? Does she hypnotize bad guys into being nice?” Cat is not amused. . . And Dog just can’t help himself . . . “How does she fight crime, then? Does she have a cool kind of flying gadget basket? Are they exploding eggs?” . . . “I think the Wolf needs to think bigger if he’s going to be a super-villain. Maybe he could rob a bank on the way to Grandma’s house.” Your kids will love Dog and Cat — and their unique and different personalities.
Bob, Not Bob! by Liz Garton Scanlon & Audrey Vernick, illustrations by Matthew Cordell
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! Everyone in my family laughed so hard at this hysterical story about a boy with a very stuffy nose. Every time the boy, Louie, tries to call his mom, instead of “mom” it sounds more like “Bob” — which is the dog’s name! The dog always comes running and slobbering but Louie just “wan by bob!” Poor Louie. Everything he says comes out in cold-speak. And we all can relate to that! I love the way the authors differentiate what Louie is saying with a heart in the letter O when he’s trying to say mom.
Pirates vs. Monsters by David Crosby, illustrated by Lee Cosgrove
Silly, rhyming pirates tell tall tales about brave feats defeating monsters. “The Crunk,” she spat, “was a two-headed beast. While one head would sleep, the other would feast. How did I beat it? With my sneaking skills. I sprinkled its grub, with crushed sleeping pills.” But when the monsters arrive, they all run away. Now it’s the monsters turn to tell tales that aren’t lies, about scaring pirates. Jaunty and funny!
The Chupacabra Ate the Candelabra by Marc Tyler Nobelman, illustrated by Ana Aranda
I adore this goofy story about three scared goats who are terrified of the chupacabra who is coming to eat them. But don’t worry, it turns out much differently than they expect when the chupacabra arrives! Because the chupacabra eats the candelabra, cucarachas, and goat…cheese. Funny dialogue and a surprising new friendship.
Walrus in the Bathtub by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Matt Hunt Things I love about this funny story:
The worst thing about this family’s new home is the walrus in the bathtub. Why? Because:
This family tries lots of clever things to get the walrus to leave the bathtub but with no luck. So they decide they’d better move. Again. Until the walrus shows them his list — “How to Make Your New Family Feel Welcome” — which, surprisingly, includes all the things that annoyed the family. It turns out the walrus was just trying to be nice! So the family stays. With a few new rules. And a new perspective about all the good things that come with having a walrus in the bathtub.
The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak
This is a funny picture book you must read aloud because everything the words say, the person reading the book has to say, even if it’s totally weird. Like, “my head is made of blueberry pizza” or “My only friend in the whole wide world is a hippo named BOO BOO BUTT.” Side-splitting to listeners and the reader alike, this is a fantastically fun book.
The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith, illustrated by Katz Cowley
The credit for the success of this book is largely due to the Scottish granny whose viral video reading it was a total crack up! Of course, it’s a great, silly (very silly!) cumulative story filled with onomatopoeias like “stinky dinky lanky honky tonky winky wonky donkey.” This wonky donkey is walking down the road, he hasn’t had any coffee, and he’s always getting up to mischief.
Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by Adam Rex
HILARIOUS — and a guaranteed new read-aloud favorite for your kids. The narrator is trying to find out if Darth Vader is scared of anything. Is he scared when the wolfman pops out? Or bites him? Or a vampire? Or a ghost? Black cats? “I AM NOT SCARED. I WILL NEVER BE SCARED. WHO COULD POSSIBLY SCARE LORD VADER?” Apparently, nothing will scare Darth Vader. Then a surprise ending with what actually displeases, er, scares Darth Vader. What do you think it is? And wait for it — there’s a second surprise ending with Darth Vader using the force to try and stop YOU from closing the book.
Pacho Nacho by Silvia Lopez, illustrated by Pablo Pino
This hilarious story begs to be read aloud. It’s about a family that has two sons, the oldest son has a VERY long name that his parents insist everyone use, Pacho-Nacho-Nico-Tico-Melo-Felo-Kiko-Rico. This name appeased the family who suggested all the names but when he falls into the river, it takes so long for his brother Juan to say his name and get help that the parents decided to shorten his name. Based on an old Japanese folktale, you’ll love the retelling set in Mexico interspersed with Spanish words. LOVE this book!!
This Is a Taco! by Andrew Cangelose, illustrated by Josh Shipley
Our narrator wants to tell you all about squirrels — with the help of Taco, a squirrel who love tacos and interjects his opinion about the narrator’s facts in comic dialogue bubbles in the illustrations. Taco gets more irritated as he hears the facts like “squirrels love to eat nuts, acorns, and even tree bark“. (He only agreed to be in the book because he thought there would be tacos.) Serious facts are paired with hilarious commentary make this a memorable story filled with squirrel facts and a surprise ending.
Read the Book, Lemmings! by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Zachariah OHora
Foxy’s book specifically says that lemmings (small, fuzzy, illiterate rodents) do not jump off cliffs. Which he explains to the lemmings on his arctic ship, the S.S. Cliff. Unfortunately, the lemmings don’t listen and they all jump off the Cliff. Fox is so annoyed because THE BOOK SAYS that lemmings don’t jump off cliffs. Finally, after a third icy water rescue of the lemmings who are not supposed to jump off the boat, the lemmings explain why they don’t do what the book says — they can’t read. See how reading fixes everything? Foxy and these not-too-smart lemmings will crack you up.
This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Richard Byrne
Yikes – Bella was taking her dog for a stroll across the page when the dog disappears into the book. Help comes but they all get sucked into the book, too! Bella goes to investigate herself because this book is being very naughty. Your kids will laugh through this entire story — it’s quite funny!
OH, Great Now We’ve Got Barbarians! by Jason Carter Eaton, illustrated by Mark Fearing
Mom says if he doesn’t clean his room, he’ll get pests . . . which aren’t all that bad, right? Only things go downhill when barbarian “pests” start arriving. Because they eat everything, use his toys to clean out their ears, and steal blankets and pillows. So there is only one thing to do — CLEAN up. 🙁 Bummer. Funny with the perfect forgot-to-clean-up twist at the end.
XO, Exoplanet by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Jorge Lacera
Get ready to laugh at this hysterical story with a poignant message about seeing multiple perspectives! When our solar system’s planets write a friendly letter to an exoplanet, their communication turns into a funny argument when the exoplanet tells our planets that THEY are actually the exoplanets. A visiting comet helps our planets to see that depending on how you’re looking at things, both arguments could be true. Letters, dialogue bubbles, and expressive illustrations capture the planets’ strong emotions.
Over Bear, Under Where? by Julie Hedlund, illustrated by Michael Slack
You will laugh your way through this darling story about two friends, a bird named Under and a mole friend named Over. It’s a silly “Whose on First?” preposition-filled story about these two friends, Over and Under, who stand, cook, and play with each other. When they see Bear (who is between and behind) he and Dog join Over and Under at the park.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
In a domino effect of craziness, we learn that one thing leads to another when you give a mouse a cookie. Funny!
Z is for Moose by Kelly Bingham
We love this hilarious alphabet book about a very impatient moose and his kind friend, Zebra.
I Am Not a Penguin: A Pangolin’s Lament by Liz Wong
What a hysterical story! We witness a conversation between an increasingly frustrated pangolin trying to explain what he is to a group of animals who don’t understand what a pangolin is. Is he a skunk? A penguin? Maybe an armadillo? Then, an actual penguin arrives and the animals rush off to go surfing, leaving behind a kid who knows about the pangolin. But now he’s confused. Is she a goat?
Be Quiet! by Ryan T. Higgins
Rupert tells his two exuberant and talkative friends that the book is supposed to be wordless but the friends just cannot stop “helping” with ideas for the book, infuriating Rupert and cracking up the reader. Cartoon conversation bubbles, hilarious dialogue, and a funny storyline will keep you entertained from cover to cover.
You’re Finally Here by Melanie Watt
Silly, silly, silly! A bedtime story to read over and over again! A bunny bounces through a range of emotions in this funny picture book about how difficult it is to wait for things. At first, he’s ecstatic that you, the reader, has arrived. But then he can’t help letting you know that waiting for you took TOO LONG, was way too boring, and even becomes insulting to you. The bunny is ready to forgive everything if you will promise to stay. But hold on–he has to take a phone call. Wait! Come back! Where are you going?
Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas
We are addicted to Ready for Fun –it’s a great book for reading together and practicing your silly voices.
Riding a Donkey Backwards Wise and Foolish Tales of Mulla Nasruddin retold by Sean Taylor and the Khayaal Theatre, illustrated by Shirin Adl
Mulla Nasruddin stars in hilarious short stories that will appeal to children of all cultures, although he’s well-known already in many different Muslim countries. He’s goofy, witty, endearing, tricky, and wise and you can’t help but adore his personality. The collage illustrations capture the emotion (and goofiness) of Mulla with a delightful humor of their own. This is a captivating book of short stories you won’t want to miss.
The Donkey Egg by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel
Impressively educational while being funny, charming, and warmhearted! Fox tricks Bear to “hatch” a donkey egg for only $19.94. While Bear sits and sits on the so-called Donkey Egg we learn helpful information about time. But of course, it doesn’t hatch so now what will Bear do?
You Will Be My Friend by Peter Brown
I love how hilarious this book is! Really seriously funny. Lucy, God-love her, is very enthusiastic about making friends with a forest critter. Her good intentions go awry and soon Lucy is yelling at animals — “Come back here and have fun with me” and “You WILL be my friend.” A sit turns out, that isn’t such a great way to make friends, either. Will Lucy ever make a friend?
How to Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps by Nicola Winstanley, illustrated by John Martz
Want some advice for giving your cat a bath? Read this hilarious book with simple text and funny illustrations that shows readers how pointless it is to even attempt at giving a cat a bath. It’s sure to be a new read-aloud favorite!
King Hugo’s Huge Ego by Chris Van Dusen
You will LOVE this funny rhyming book about a king who thinks VERY highly of himself and is cursed by a witch. The curse means that every time he utters more self-important words, his head inflates. Surprisingly, he doesn’t mind because that means there is more of him to love. How will the king ever learn his valuable lesson in humility? What a delightful story with an important moral and great ending. (We read this book EVERY night for months.)
I Got a Chicken For My Birthday by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Sarah Horne
SUCH a funny story! A little girl asks Abuela Lola for tickets to an amusement park for her birthday. Much to her surprise, Abuela Lola gets her a chicken instead!! Weird. And, it’s a chicken who is too busy to eat, too busy to lay eggs, and steals her dog and cat. But don’t worry. The new chicken is actually a genius. Kids will love this hilarious story about the best birthday present ever — a chicken who builds an amusement park. Stunning illustrations throughout. (And I predict you’ll want a chicken like this for your birthday, too.)
Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner
Your kids will love Skippyjon who is a Siamese kitten who likes to pretend he’s a Chihuahua (in the comfort of his own closet) having crazy adventures and speaking in an accent.
Dragon Was Terrible by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Greg Pizzoli
What a funny story with fantastic illustrations! Kids will love this naughty dragon who scribbles in books, steals candy from baby unicorns, and even burps in church! The king will reward a brave knight, er, anyone, with a nice gift if only they can tame the terrible dragon. But it’s one boy who knows just what to do — lure and tame the dragon in with a STORY.
The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Adam Rex
Don’t miss this uproarious adventure of epic proportions that will merit reading and rereading then playing round after round of rock, paper, scissors in honor of these great warriors. Rock, Paper, and Scissors battle it out and are actually happy to lose to someone worthy; they become best friends even. I particularly love the hilarious conversations between the three warriors and their opponents such as, ““I have come from the far reaches of Kitchen to battle you, O bizarre and yummy breaded dinosaurs!“” Adam Rex’s illustrations really bring the action and drama of this story alive.
7 Ate 9: The Untold Story by Tara Lazar, illustrated by Ross MacDonald
6 bangs on Private I’s door for help to escape 7 who he hears ate 9. But what really happened to 9? Pitch perfect tongue-in-cheek number and word humor will have you cracking up throughout this suspenseful and funny must-own story for readers ages 4 and above.
I Am NOT a Chair by Ross Burach
Poor giraffe! All the other animals think he’s a chair — no matter what he does. He even tries to tells the hungry lion sitting on him but the lion is so scared to hear a talking chair that he runs away. Will giraffe ever get the others to see him as an animal? The light-hearted and silly humor will keep your kids giggling throughout.
The Butt Book by Artie Bennett
A perfect just-enough-potty humor kid book to gives kids an excuse to say butt. Seriously, what kid (or husband) doesn’t like to say butt? (Remember when you learned how to spell butt?) Hilarious stuff!
Unstoppable by Adam Rex, illustrated by Laura Park
The animals join forces to be better at everything. First, the crab and the crow work together so they can be a flying clawing creature. They call themselves a crabbird or a birdrab. They add on a turtle and a bear and now are an UNSTOPPABLE Birdraburtlebear! Suddenly, they notice construction workers digging up their forest for a shopping mall. How can they combine with other creatures to stop them? Their solution is both HILARIOUS and MEANINGFUL, involving both the President and Congress.
The Cook and the King by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by David Roberts
Kids will think this book is SOOOO funny! Because the main character, a scardey-cat chef, tricks the king. When the chef is too scared, the king catches the fish, digs for potatoes, chops up the food, and cooks the food. When the king loves the meal and hires the cook, it’s even funnier because he should have just hired himself!
The Princess and the Frogs by Veronica Bartles, illustrated by Sara Palacios
I adore this hilarious twist on a fairy tale story!! In this version, the princess wants a pet — but every frog she gets, turns into a prince when she kisses it goodnight– and we all know that princes do not make good pets. Soon the princes are everywhere but one is sad, he wants to be a frog again. Which is good because the princess still needs a pet!
Nanette’s Baguette by Mo Willems
In this funny rhyming story, Nanette, an adorable frog, gets sent to the store to get a baguette for her and her mom. It’s a big responsibility but she’s up for the challenge — until the baguette is just too tempting. Now, what will she do? Don’t worry, Nanette’s mom isn’t mad and in fact, can’t resist the delicious baguette either. Another fabulous story from the talented Mo Willems with beautiful paper illustrations!
Princess Cora and the Crocodile by Laura Amy Schlitz, illustrated by Brian Floca MARCH
Princess Cora’s life is learning, bathing, training, and more bathing and she’s sick of it. That’s when she asks her fairy godmother for a pet. Surprise — she gets a crocodile. ?! Although he isn’t exactly what she has in mind, Cora agrees to let the crocodile trade places with her so she can have a day off. And the results are HILARIOUS.
There Are Cats in This Book by Viviane Schwarz
You’ll love searching for cats in this laugh-out-loud book — it’s one of our favorites.
Big Bunny by Rowboat Watkins
RUN out to get this book — it’s totally hilarious. The reader keeps interrupting the narrator who is trying to tell the story of a big bunny who no, doesn’t live on a ginormous floating carrot! He lives on a round planet where he eats lots of carrots. There’s more –trucker penguins and giraffes and a scary ending that requires you to pay close attention to the illustration!
A Hungry Lion or Dwindling Assortment of Animals written and illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins
This book tricked me — and it will trick your kids too. First, we meet a hungry lion and an assortment of animals, who all begin to disappear one by one. We think maybe the lion is eating them. (Eeew!) But, I won’t ruin the surprise by telling you the plot. Darkly hilarious!
101 Reasons Why I’m Not Taking a Bath by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Joy Ang
A hilarious book about a boy (maybe you know him?) who has 101 reasons he can NOT take a bath. He’s allergic to water. None of his friends have to take a bath. Aliens might attack when he’s in the bath. That’s not dirt, it’s a freckle. The kid is a genius with excuses! But you won’t believe what happens when he finally gets in the bath. Okay, you might believe it. Since you and I know this kid. NOW he won’t get out!
Circle, Square, Moose by Kelly Bingham, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
Moose is up to his usual antics and this time it’s in a shape book. Zebra, the narrator, can’t get Moose to get out of the book!! But they will always be good friends no matter what. HILARIOUS.
No Bears by Meg McKinlay, illustrated by Leila Rudge
Ella, our spunky narrator tells us a story — one that’s going to be good, she explains due to the fact that there are NO BEARS in it. It starts out Once Upon a Time . . . and has a princess, a castle, a fairy godmother, but of course NO BEARS. (Except we, the readers, can clearly see that there is a bear who is peering around the edges of the book — who takes the fairy godmother’s wand and saves the princess from the bad monster who tries to steal her.) It’s great fun to be in on the secret which Ella never realizes. “Wow! This turned out to be a pretty good book, don’t you think? In fact, I think this has been the prettiest, most exciting, scariest, and funniest book ever. And I know why! Because there were NO BEARS in it.”
Little does she know. . .(This book is a favorite around our house — it just cracks JJ up!)
Something’s Wrong! A Bear, a Hare, and Some Underwear by Jory John, illustrated by Erin Kraan
Hilarious! Kids will crack up watching a bewildered Jeff (the bear) wander around the woods wearing underwear and wondering why he’s feeling like something’s wrong. He overcompensates for this nagging sense by talking too much and talking LOUDLY. The other animals wonder, “Why is that bear wearing underwear?” Finally, his friend Andres bravely asks Jeff why he’s wearing underwear. And as the other animals look on, Anders joins him in the new style of animals wearing underwear.
Chez Bob by Bob Shea
Perfect kid humor with plenty of heart, too! Bob the alligator has a devious plan to open a bird restaurant with birdseed so he can attract his next meals and eat his delicious customers–but, there’s a problem…he likes his new bird friends. What a dilemma! What will Bob do?
XO, Exoplanet by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Jorge Lacera
Hysterical with a poignant message of seeing multiple perspectives! When our Milky Way solar system planets write a friendly letter to an exoplanet, their communication turns into a funny argument when the so-called exoplanet tells our planets that THEY are actually the exoplanets and it isn’t. A comment helps both sides to see that they are both correct depending on how you’re looking at things. Letters, dialogue bubbles, and expressive illustrations capture the planets’ strong emotions. The author writes a letter to the reader explaining a bit more about exoplanets (stars orbiting a sun other than our sun).
Interrupting Chicken: Cookies for Breakfast by David Ezra Stein
Little red chicken loves when his dad reads aloud to him–and he loves to modify the stories, too. This morning, he really wants cookies so he helps his dad read the nursery rhymes adding new rhymes with cookies in them. For example, “Hickory, Dickory, Dock,” reads the dad. Then little red chicken jumps into the story and adds, “I sure like cookies a lot!” Eventually, Papa suggests that instead of cookies for breakfast, they have cake…a pancake. Entertaining, funny, and playful.
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4 Responses
Try THE DINOSAUR THAT POOPED THE BED. My grandkids love it.
Thanks — I’ll check it out.
Fantastic collection! Thanks!
I hope you find lots of good books!