Like to Laugh? Check Out These Humorous Picture Books

If you’re like me, you open your library browser and put a passel of new books on hold every time you read good book reviews. Well, here’s a passel of funny picture books you’ll want to add to your holds list!

GO TO: Big List of the Funniest Picture Books for Kids

Like to Laugh? Check Out These Humorous Picture Books

Duck by Meg McKinlay, illustrated by Nathaniel Eckstrom
So funny! All the animals misunderstand duck’s command to “duck” and get madder and madder at him. But readers are in on the secret — something is coming. Finally, duck decides to say something different to make the animals understand. He says, “run” instead of “duck” — which works. This book reminds me of Rhyming Dust Bunnies, one of my all time favorite picture books.

I Am Not a Fish! by Peter Raymundo
This is a must-read story about a jellyfish’s identity crisis that will also teach kids about fish and other sea creatures (—that are NOT fish.) You’ll love this story for its humor as well as the balance of dialogue bubbles and narrative text. Maybe this will be your newest read-aloud favorite! It’s a hilarious romp in the ocean that we think is awesome! (Teachers, this also could be a mentor text for teaching voice.)

Dragons Eat Noodles on Tuesdays by Jon Stahl, illustrated by Tadgh Bentley
The big blue monster begins a story with “once upon a time” only to immediately add, “the end.” Little by little, his yellow monster friend helps the blue monster improve his story so that there is a dragon, a knight, a super smart damsel, and …a plot!! Which makes the story much better. But wait! The dragon from the story arrives in real life. Yikes. Luckily for the monsters, they remember from the story’s details that dragons only eat noodles on Tuesdays. Hooray! Except– it’s Wednesday! Ut-oh! This unexpected ending will totally crack you up. Added to: Best Picture Books About Writing a Story.

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.

Alfred’s Book of Monsters by Sam Streed
Alfred loves monsters spending time reading his monster book — pages which we can read, too. However, his aunt does not approve of his interest in monsters. Equally, Alfred does not enjoy teatime with his Aunty. So, after a few really borings tea times, Alfred has a brilliant idea…he’ll invite monsters from the graveyard to tea. And when they come, they all have a terrible (=wonderful) time (except for Aunty). The pages are dark brown with mostly black, white, and yellow colored illustrations creating a dramatic ambiance.

Look! I Wrote a Book! (And You Can Too) by Sally Loyd Jones, illustrated by Neal Layton
A little girl with a big personality narrates the basics of writing a story from coming up with an idea to knowing your audience, thinking of titles, creating problems and solutions, writing endings, revising, and publishing. Not only that, the girl even gives tips for how to sell your book. (This involves friendly persuasion or, if that doesn’t work, tying someone to a chair.) Her suggestions are very funny. I like how her story ideas are written in a handwriting typeface. I’m sure this silly story will inspire many young writers to get started on their own stories immediately. Added to: Best Picture Books About Writing a Story.

What Does an Anteater Eat? by Ross Collins
On his journey to find out what he eats, you’ll meet many kinds of animals. What does an anteater eat anyway? The funny ending just might surprise you.