Whenever a group of kiddos comes into the library for a visit, I turn to my curated shelf of funny read-alouds. These books have been known to elicit giggles from even the most cynical third graders.
Here are a few of my favourite funny books for sharing with visiting school groups, out of school care groups, summer camps and more:
A bit of an older title (2013), this hilariously subversive picture book, illustrated in the style of a silent movie, usually gets a few gasps from shocked, unsuspecting listeners (especially grown ups). A sly fox seduces a naive, unsuspecting duck…or does he?
FLUFFY MCWHISKERS, CUTENESS EXPLOSION – Fluffy McWhiskers is so cute that anyone who sees them goes KA BOOM! This title is so ridiculously, colorfully violent, as everyone who witnesses Fluffy’s cuteness explodes into a rainbow of colorful dust. The body count keeps rising with every page, and until the satisfying conclusion. For best results, shout KA BOOM with all the vigor you can muster.
I’ve used this old standby for years, and it never fails to get kids giggling. Who could resist that shiny read button??
Darth Vader isn’t scared of anything…or is he? This works brilliantly with groups of older kiddos, tapping into their almost-universal obsession with all things Star Wars.
Grandma Marge is on her way, and the family needs to clean the house, pronto! But trust a cat to mess everything up. Yes this book has some amazingly-inclusive illustrations, but what really strikes me is how accurately it captures cats’ innate need to be little trouble-makers. 😉
I could have put several Jan Thomas books on this list, but I particularly enjoy this play on words, in which animals keep disappearing (with increasing drama) into the creepy doghouse. It’s revealed that dog is having them all…for dinner! With ice cream for dessert.
You should always pre-read every book you want to share with a group, but definitely read this one ahead of time, because it’s not for every group. It is…unconventional. But so, so funny.
Obviously this is not an exhaustive list of funny picture books by any means (this is a really great list if you’re looking for even more fun titles to share with visiting groups), but it’s a few of my favourites that have been making the rounds with me this summer.
Did I miss any of your favourite funny books to read aloud with older kiddos?
Seems like I haven’t visited your blog in a while! Hope things are going well. Funny is definitely the way to go for read alouds. The Darth Vader book is intriguing.
Welcome back, lovely to see you again!
It’s definitely a quirky one, but so many of my kiddos seem to be obsessed with Star Wars, even though I don’t think they’re even old enough to have seen any of the movies, ha ha.