Funny Reads

Happy April 1st!

As it’s April Fools’ Day we thought we’d celebrate by sharing some of our favorite funny books.

Christine: First up, I can’t resist Kari Lavelle’s Butt or Face?. Hilarious photos, animal facts, and a guaranteed laugh out loud read for the whole family. Dare I say, you’ll all be cracking up? And great news, volume 2, Revenge of the Butts (name a better title, I bet that you can’t) is out tomorrow (April 2nd)!

Vicky: I’m a huge fan of I Eat Poop. A Dung Beetle Story by Mark Pett. I mean, the title itself is so funny! It’s a story about a dung beetle who loves to eat poop but doesn’t want the other bugs to think he’s gross. It’s hilarious and heartfelt, filled with poop and bug hilarity—plus an empowering message about embracing our weirdness.

Christine: I love cumulative stories and On Account of the Gum by Adam Rex, where a family’s efforts to remove gum from the child’s hair gets more and more ridiculous each page turn, is such a fun read.

Vicky: I love No, Fuzzball! and its sequel No, Snowball! by Isabella Kung. An endearing and troublemaking cat believes her name is “No, Fuzzball!” because of how often she hears this phrase addressed to her. The personality of this queen of a cat is so well portrayed through Isabella’s cleverly delivered story and charming art! (And her princess sidekick is so adorable!)

Christine: I love No Fuzzball too! A fun early graphic novel is Birtle and the Purple Turtles by Tara J. Hannon. It’s a tale of found family and discovering who you are mixed with a healthy dose of humor that kids are sure to enjoy. The sequel, Birtle and the (Very) Unwelcome Garry looks equally hilarious.

Vicky: Wombats are Pretty Weird: A (Not So) Serious Guide by Abi Cushman is so fun and funny. (She has so many funny books!) Wombat facts are presented through comical dialog and fun graphics, with humorous commentary. Plus, the next book in the series, Flamingos are Pretty Funky, releases on June 4!

Christine: Vicky actually told me about this series and it was a massive hit with my 9 year old and 11 year old: Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere by Elise Gravel. My youngest does an awesome impression of Meh, the creature that Olga discovers. Olga records all her observations of this exciting new species in her scientific notebook and makes some discoveries about herself and makes new friends along the way.

Christine: One more fun series for middle grade readers is the Cookie Chronicles by Matthew Swanson & Robbi Behr, starting with Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Doom. It’s choc-full of illustrations, humor, and heart. When Ben gets a fortune cookie that tells him to “Live each day as if it were your last” he takes the advice to heart and writes a list of things to accomplish on his last day.

Over to you, what are your favorite funny reads?