The Funniest Picture Books for Kids

Get ready to laugh, chortle, giggle, and chuckle. Here are my favorite funny picture books for kids. I hope you love them and read them many, many times.

The Funniest Picture Books for Kids

Who Did It? (boxed set) by Ohara Hale
If you like potty humor, and I do, 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.

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! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

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 shows up Goat. Goat made marshmallow squares but Unicorn makes 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 are best friends. Goat says, “You know something, Unicorn? I had a feeling we’d be friends.” :)

There Are Cats in This Book by Viviane Schwarz
You’ll love searching for cats in this laugh-out-loud book.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems
I think this book cracks me up more than it does kids — because these are the BEST stalling tactics employed by kids trying to stay away everywhere. Super funny.

Click, Clack, Moo Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin
The cows want change — electric blankets and that sort of thing. So they leave Farmer Brown notes with their demands . . . Very creative and funny.

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.

Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
Good thing for this farming family that their chickens will help with EVERYTHING! Except on Sunday. Delightful.

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 possibly imagine.

Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas
Bob just doesn’t fit with the rhyming dust bunnies — but that makes this book a total crack-up!

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. If you only buy one book this year, buy this one. It’s a keeper!

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 but things go downhill when the 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.

Muddle and Mo by Nikki Slade Robinson

Toddlers and preschoolers will love this giggle-inducing story about a duck who very carefully explains to his friend Mo how his body parts are very funny for a duck. Readers, of course, know that Mo is not a duck but a goat which makes this so funny. Not only is this a charming story, the illustrations are beautiful, soft and warm.

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 she 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, Naneette’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. 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 ending with a more understanding king and queen relax on all that they demand from Princess Cora.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
In a domino effect of craziness, we learn that one thing leads to another when you give a mouse a cookie. Funny!

Guess Again! by Mac Barnett
This is such a funny book. You think it’s going to rhyme only to be surprised with a delightful twist. This is probably my personal favorite picture book ever.

The Nonsense Show by Eric Carle
What a delightfully crazy book, just perfect for the absurd, bizarre, and ridiculous in all of us, especially children. In this silly nonsense show, you’ll see a bird in the water, tennis played with apples, and a lion taming acrobats but what else would you expect in a nonsense show? Love it!

Z is for Moose by Kelly Bingham
We love this hilarious alphabet book about a very impatient moose and his kind friend, Zebra.

Fairly Fairy Tales by Esme Raji Codell
Another favorite bedtime read – it’s hilarious! Gifted writer and educator Esme Raji Codell has written a book that incorporates fractured fairy tales with this kind of parent-child interplay to create a pitch-perfect combination of bedtime read-aloud and fairytales that will delight children and parents.

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. 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 became insulting. 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
If you haven’t become a Jan Thomas aficionado, where have you been? I can’t figure out why she’s not as popular as some other writers. She’s hilarious!! We are addicted to her newest book, Ready for Fun, which is a great book for reading together and practicing your silly voices.

Edwin Speaks Up by April Stevens and Sophie Blackall
My kids think this picture book is absolutely hilarious! Which is true because Edwin, even though he’s a baby, is one smart kid who talks a lot. The problem is his family doesn’t understand what he’s saying. We can understand Edwin though, even when he says, “Fringle dee ROOFY plowck.” You’ll see . . .

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. Well intentions go awry and soon Lucy is yelling at animals — “Come back here and have fun with me.” and “You WILL be my friend.” Turns out that isn’t such a great way to make friends, either. Will Lucy ever make a friend?

King Hugo’s Huge Ego by Chris Van Dusen
A funny rhyming book about a king who thinks too highly of himself and is cursed by a witch so that every time he utters more self-important words, his head inflates which, to him, is just more to love. How will the king ever learn his lesson? A delightful story with a moral and great ending. (We read this book EVERY night for months.)

Doodleday by Ross Collins
One of our favorite books of all time! SOOOO clever and funny! Mom has just one thing to tell Harvey on Doodleday-no drawing allowed! But surely drawing one little fly can’t hurt. Not until Harvey’s fly comes to life and starts to wreck the kitchen, that is! What can Harvey draw that will catch it? A spider! But the spider proves to be even more trouble. Only one thing is capable of stopping Harvey’s rampaging doodles… Mom!

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 being to disappear one by one. We think maybe the lion is eating them. (Eew!) But, I won’t ruin the surprise by telling you the plot. Darkly hilarious!

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.)

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.

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.

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 comes from the Kingdom of Backyard where he easily defeats all his opponents (a clothespin and an apricot). He needs a worthy foe. In the Empire of Mom’s Home Office, the super smart Paper discovers the same thing — no one can beat him either. And in the Kitchen Realm, no one can best Scissors, not even the fearsome breaded chicken dinosaurs. Each of these warriors sets off to find a worthy opponent. Finally Rock meets Scissors, Paper meets Rock, and Scissors meets Paper for epic battles. They are so happy to lose to someone worthy, they become best friends and keep battling. 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!“” and ““If by “battle pants” you mean “no pants, but I’m willing to fight you,” then yes . . . yes, I am wearing my battle pants, weird scissory one!”” 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-and-cheek number and word humor will have you cracking up throughout this suspenseful and funny must-own story for readers 4 and above.

Bob and Joss Get Lost! by Peter McCleery, illustrated by Vin Vogel

Two friends decide to go sailing on a boat. Joss has a chill attitude while Bob is a worrier. Sure enough like Bob predicted, the pair get lost, encounter a storm, and are shipwrecked, all with amusing interactions between the friends. It’s especially funny when they get to the not so deserted island!

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 (because he has to pee!) 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.

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