For a lot of kids, reading can feel like hard work. Reading skills are only acquired through a lot of practice, patience, and hard work! But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun, too. These 14 funny books for kids will help them to see the joy in reading!
Reading is incredibly beneficial for learning. Strong reading skills have a knock-on effect for your child’s whole school life! After all, reading is needed for every single subject. Even math and science are ‘language heavy’, and as kids get older, independent reading and tricky vocabulary in all subjects become the norm.
When kids enjoy something, they are so much more motivated to work at it. What better way to help them practice reading than to hook into their sense of humour? When they enjoying what they are reading, they won’t even notice that it’s ‘learning.’
If your child needs a little encouragement, why not read along with them? Most of the books on this list are ones that adults will find funny, too!
15 FUNNY BOOKS FOR KIDS
The following books are some of my absolute favourite funny books. They’re creative, inventive and in a lot of cases, downright hilarious!
The books are arranged in order from those suitable for early readers (about aged 3), all the way for those more suitable for older readers (middle grade age).
BE QUIET! BY RYAN T. HIGGINS
- Age Range: 3 – 5 years
- Grade Level: Preschool – Kindergarten
BE QUIET! is a book that’s all about book-making. IT features Rupert, an ambitious mouse who longs to star in a beautiful, wordless picture book. He has plenty of ideas about what makes a great book, but his friends just WON’T. STOP. TALKING.
THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT BY DREW DAYWALT
- Age Range: 3 – 7 years
- Grade Level: Preschool – 2
The Day the Crayons Quit is a quirky imaginative story about a boy who opens his crayon box to find that the crayons have quit! Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Blue needs a break from colouring all those bodies of water. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true colour of the sun. Duncan has to figure out how to appease the crayons and get them back to what they do best.
TICKLY OCTOPUS BY RUTH GALLOWAY
- Age Range: 3 – 7 years
- Grade Level: Preschool – 2
Eight twisty, twirly arms make Octopus really good at tickling. But most of his friends are beginning to find his tickling tiresome, especially when one teeny, tiny tickle lands Octopus in BIG trouble! Octopus tickles Oyster and causes her to lose her precious pearl. How will Octopus get it back?
GIRAFFES CAN’T DANCE BY GILES ANDREAE
- Age Range: 4 and up
- Grade Level: Preschool – 3
Giraffes Can’t Dance is the touching but funny tale of Gerald the giraffe, who wants nothing more than to dance. With crooked knees and thin legs, it’s harder for a giraffe than you would think. Gerald is finally able to dance to his own tune when he gets some encouraging words from an unlikely friend.
SNAPPSY THE ALLIGATOR (DID NOT ASK TO BE IN THIS BOOK) BY JULIE FALATKO
- Age Range: 4 – 8 years
- Grade Level: Preschool – 3
Snappsy the Alligator is having a normal day when a pesky narrator steps in to spice up the story. This is a funny book about story telling and friendship.
INTERRUPTING CHICKEN BY DAVID EZRA STEIN
- Age Range: 4 – 8 years
- Grade Level: Preschool – 3
Interrupting Chicken is the story of little red chicken’s bedtime story- that he just can’t help but interrupt! The story is charming, funny, and could be the perfect bedtime read for your little one (and is sure to make bedtime more entertaining for parents, too!)
DIARY OF A WORM BY DOREEN CRONIN
- Age Range: 4 – 8 years
- Grade Level: Preschool – 3
The Diary of a Worm is a hilarious picture book that tells the adventures of a worm through his daily diary entries. The worm lives with his parents, plays with his friends, and even goes to school. This sweet but hilarious book is one of the funniest books for kids.
I WANT MY HAT BACK BY JON KLASSEN
- Age Range: 4 – 8 years
- Grade Level: Preschool – 3
I Want My Hat Back is an incredibly inventive story told completely in dialogue. The bear’s 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. Each animal says no, some more elaborately than others. But just as the bear begins to despair, a deer comes by and asks a simple question that sparks the bear’s memory and renews his search with a vengeance.
I NEED A NEW BUTT BY DAWN MCMILLAN
- Age Range: 6 – 10 years
- Grade Level: 1 – 5
I Need a New Butt is a modern day classic, telling the funny story of the boy who discovers the crack in his bottom and sets off to find a new one! This silly story is told in clever rhymes with hilarious illustrations.
THE SEVEN SILLY EATERS BY MARY ANN HOBERMAN
- Age Range: 4 – 7 years
- Grade Level: Preschool – 3
The Seven Silly Eaters is a comical rhyming story that will quickly become the new family favorite! Parents of picky eaters will relate to this book. The pictures capture the “realities” of day-to-day life with a house full of children. Kids will enjoy the simple, ridiculous story and the easy to read rhymes.
DRAGONS LOVE TACOS BY ADAM RUBIN
- Age Range: 3 – 7 years
- Grade Level: Preschool – 2
Dragons Love Tacos is a story about what can go wrong at a taco party for dragons. It’s a laugh-out-loud tale of friendship, dragons.
THE TWITS- ROALD DAHL
- Age Range: 8 – 12 years
- Grade Level: 3 – 7
The Twits is a funny books about a horrible couple who play mean tricks on each other. It’s certainly a classic, but fully deserves it’s place on a list of funny books for kids! It’s an absolute must-read that even adults will love.
GANGSTA GRANNY BY DAVID WALLIAMS
- Age Range: 8 – 12 years
- Grade Level: 3 – 7
Gangsta Granny is the story of a boy made to stay at his Granny’s house. She loves to play scrabble and eat cabbage soup. But things take a turn when he discovers his Grandma’s past as an international jewel thief… and a mad plot to steal the Crown Jewels for which she needs Ben’s help.
THE TERRIBLE TWO BY MAC BARNETT
- Age Range: 8 – 12 years
- Grade Level: 3 – 7
The Terrible Two is a story about rival pranksters who team up to pull off the greatest prank that Yawnee Valley has ever seen. It’s offbeat and funny, with spectacular illustrations.
THE HERO’S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM BY CHRISTOPHER HEALY
- Age Range: 8 – 12 years
- Grade Level: 3 – 7
Christopher Healy’s Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is a completely original take on the world of fairy tales, the truth about what happens after “happily ever after.” This is a witty and funny book adventure book, perfect for middle grade readers.
AND THAT’S IT!
I hope you find some inspiration and help in these kids’ books to foster an amazing love of reading.
Remember that it’s never too early to start reading with your kids!
Thanks for reading! Do you know some more funny books for kids? Comment and let me know.
Please also share if you enjoyed this post- it’s always much appreciated!
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