Groundhog Gets a Say

Groundhog Gets a Say, as told to Pamela Curtis Swallow and illustrated by Denise Brunkus, is a hilarious story told from the point of view of a Groundhog (who also tells us other names for his kind).  If you and your children like facts told in humorous ways, this will be a great book for you!  There’s so much to learn about groundhogs, which is the whole point of the book.  Children who like to read about animals and their characteristics will enjoy this book.  It’s a fun book to read---especially around Groundhog Day!

Question Collection:

*What new facts did you learn about groundhogs?

*Do you think the book was more interesting told from the groundhog’s point of view?  Why or why not?

*What was the funniest part of the book to you?

Here Comes Trouble!

If your child likes reading humorous books, Here Comes Trouble!, written by Corinne Demas and illustrated by Noah Z. Jones, is a great read!  A dog, named Toby, very clearly doesn’t like cats.  The author uses great descriptions of the kinds of cats Toby doesn’t like.  Trouble starts when his owner, Emma, agrees to keep the neighbor’s cat, Pandora, when they go on vacation.  Toby tries to get Pandora to notice him by doing various mischievous things.  Of course, Pandora doesn’t notice, but she starts doing things and nobody notices.  Toby is not happy about all of the things Pandora does until he discovers Pandora can’t get down from the tree she has climbed.  Then Toby does everything to get Emma’s attention so that Pandora can be rescued.  Pandora is rescued, and it is quickly apparent to the reader that Pandora and Toby become friends. 

This book would be a great mentor text for children in writing discussions.  The author uses alliteration to describe the kinds of cats Toby doesn’t like.  The simple narrative is a great study for character development.   One quickly gets a sense of the personalities of Toby and Pandora.  There are many ways in which children could build upon this book to develop their own stories about Toby and Pandora (or other animal characters).

We hope you enjoy the humor of this book as much as we do!  It’s a book that will make you laugh out loud!

Question Collection:

*Do Toby and Pandora remind you of any dogs or cats you know?

*Why do you think Toby helped Pandora?

*What do you think Toby and Pandora will do next?

Muddy As A Duck Puddle

Muddy As A Duck Puddle and Other American Similes, by Laurie Lawloer and illustrated by Ethan Long, is a good resource to learn more about similes.  The book, done in an ABC format, gives examples of many similes.  They are very humorous and great conversation starters as you read the book with children.  There were some we had never heard of, while others were recognized.  One of the nicer features about this book is found at the conclusion of the book.  A thumbnail sketch of each page is accompanied by the place of origin of the simile and a brief explanation of the simile’s meaning.  Enjoy exploring similes!

Question Collection:

*What’s the funniest simile to you?

*Which ones had you heard?

*Which ones are new to you?

The Girl's Like Spaghetti

The Girl’s Like Spaghetti (Why You Can’t Manage Without Apostrophes!), by Lynne Truss and illustrated by Bonnie Timmons, is a great companion piece to Eats Shoots and Leaves.  The purpose of the book is readily seen in the way an apostrophe changes the meaning.  Side by side drawings accompany identically worded sentences that use apostrophes in different ways.  The drawings help children visualize how an apostrophe changes the meaning of a sentence.  The book is really quite humorous as you look at the sentences and pictures.  We think this book is a fun teaching resource!

Question Collection:

*What did you learn about apostrophes?

*Which one was your favorite example?

*Can you think of some sentences you could add to the book?

Chicken Socks

Celebrate National Poetry Month!  Chicken Socks, by Brod Bogert and illustrations by Tim Ellis, is a collection of funny poems that young children will enjoy.  One example is The Easter Kitchen bringing out some good laughs if you’ve experienced the accidents that can happen while dyeing eggs!  After reading the humorous poems, I was touched by the concluding poem, The Thank You Poem.  It was a nice way to close the book with leaving the reader thinking about being thankful. 

Question Collection:

*Which poem did you think was funniest?

*Which poem was the most unusual?

*What would you add to The Thank You poem?

Big Bad Bunny

Big Bad Bunny, written by Franny Billingsley, with art by G. Brian Karas, starts off with a fearsome Bunny and a calm Mama Mouse. One page depicts the scary Bunny with fierce text and then the next page is very much a contrast with the serene Mama Mouse.  The story progresses as Big Bad Bunny realizes she is lost (the one thing she’s scared of) with the reader discovering that Mama Mouse is looking for her lost child…..yes, her child mouse pretending she is Big Bad Bunny!  It ends up being a humorous book with this surprise ending.  It’s a great conversation starter about making assumptions, the fun of pretend play, and the reassurance that a mother will look out for her child.  We hope you enjoy meeting Big Bad Bunny!

Question Collection:

*How would you describe Big Bad Bunny?  Mama Mouse?

*Are you surprised Big Bad Bunny is afraid of anything?

*Do you like to pretend you’re something else?  What?

Custard Surprise

We love humorous books, as you well know! We’ve found another one in Custard Surprise, by Bernard Lodge and illustrated by Tim Bowers. Dinah and Rufus, two chickens, open Dinah’s diner in this fun I Can Read! Book.  Rufus tries, to no avail, to get the customers interested in his dessert, custard surprise.  The animal customers always request something not on the menu, so Rufus makes various concoctions to surprise them.  However, the custard surprise turns out to be a real surprise as Dinah outsmarts a fox!  

Question Collection:

*Were you surprised by the custard surprise?

*What did you think was the funniest recipe that Rufus made?

*What animal do you think visited Dinah’s Diner next?

My Lucky Day

As a family, we love reading humorous books!  My Lucky Day, by Keiko Kasza, is a book that’s fun to read plus its humorous ending is just delightful!  A fox feels very lucky when a piglet knocks on his door.  Of course he grabs the piglet and begins making plans to eat him.  His lucky day turns into a lot of work, but he keeps his eye on the anticipation of eating the pig.  The pig’s clever resourcefulness causes a surprising ending to the day.  We won’t tell you the ending, but you’ll enjoy finding out whose lucky day it is!  Have fun!

Question Collection:

*What was the funniest part of the story to you?

*Why do you think the fox listened to the pig?

*How did the pig trick the fox?

*What do you think the pig will do next?

1-2-3peas

1-2-3peas, by Keith Baker, follows with the same kind of fun reading and illustrations that is found in LMNOpeas.  In this book the peas count to 10, then count to 100 by tens with a rhyming pattern.  This is an amusing book that children will enjoy.  It’s fun to see how the peas will be depicted on each page and to count along with them.

If your family enjoyed LMNOpeas we think you’ll enjoy this book also.  Have fun counting!

Question Collection:

*Which page is your favorite?

*Can you tell some rhyming words you heard in this book?

*What activity do you like best in this book?

Jingle Jokes

Jingle Jokes (Christmas Riddles to Deck the Ha Ha Halls), by Katy Hall and Lisa Eisenberg with pictures by Stephen Carpenter, is a lift the flap book with bright illustrations of Santa, his elves, and polar animals. Some jokes are printed on the page with the answer, and some require lifting the flap to discover the answer.  A favorite of ours is:  Where do elves keep their money?  In the snow bank

Jingle Jokes is a great book to add a little humor to your family times during the Christmas season.  As life gets busy, it’s nice to take some time out to share some good laughs with your children!

Enjoy!

Question Collection:

*What’s your favorite joke?

*Which picture is the funniest to you?

*Can you think of some other Christmas jokes?

If You Take a Mouse To The Movies

If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond, follows the same wonderful format found in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Take a Mouse to School.  The story starts with the boy taking the mouse to the movies where the mouse asks for some popcorn.  As readers of this series know, one thing leads to another with the story circling back round to the popcorn.   Activities such as stringing popcorn, buying a Christmas tree, building a snowman, listening to Christmas carols, and making Christmas ornaments fill out the mouse's activities.  It’s a fun read, especially during Christmas season.  If your children enjoy other Laura Numeroff books, this one is a great addition to your library.  A fun gift idea would be to buy this for a family and present it with a big box of popcorn!  Enjoy!

Question Collection:

*What is your favorite Christmas activity in this book?

*What was the funniest scene to you?

*What other Christmas activity do you think the Mouse would like?

Fall Mixed Up

Fall Mixed Up, written by Bob Raczka and illustrated by Chad Cameron is a humorous look at fall happenings.  Using a rhyming pattern, the author tells about fall, except the events are all wrong!  For example, “apples turn orange, pumpkins turn red” according to the rhyme.  Primary school age children will especially enjoy the humor and be quick to point out what’s wrong.  We had some good laughs reading this book!

Question Collection:

*Which “mix-up” did you think was the funniest?

*Which picture did you like the best?

*How many “mix-ups” did you find?

*Can you think of a rhyme to add to this book?

Take Care, Good Knight

Take Care, Good Knight, written by Shelley Moore Thomas and illustrated by Paul Meisel, is an entertaining book that will make a connection with beginning readers.  A wizard asks three dragons (who don’t know how to read) to take care of his cats.   They readily agree.  However, because they can’t read, they look at the picture of water beside the words that tell them to give the cats fresh water and mistake it for a lake.  They assume that means to take the cats swimming!  You can imagine the hilarious pictures of the cats in water. 

More funny scenes follow as the dragons can’t read the instructions.  Finally, their friend, the Good Knight, reads the note to the dragons after they admit they can’t read.  A happy ending is revealed when the dragons receive a book to learn how to read.  This is a book that makes us laugh out loud as we read about the dragons’ adventures with the cats.  We hope you find some laughs too!

Question Collection:

*What’s the funniest scene in the book?

*Why do you think the dragons didn’t tell the Good Knight sooner that they couldn’t read?

*Have you ever had to ask help with something you didn’t know how to do?

Hungry Monster ABC

For Halloween we thought we would share a funny book that uses monsters to tell a story using the alphabet.  Hungry Monster ABC, written by Susan Heyboer O’Keefe and illustrated by Lynn Munsinger, is a board book that has the top corner “bitten off” as a monster might have eaten it!

The ten monsters visit a classroom where a boy leads them through the alphabet by showing them words that begin with the letters.  The story, told in a rhyming pattern, is humorous and inviting.  Have fun visiting the monsters!

Question Collection:

*What would you show the monsters for each letter of the alphabet?

*Which part of the story was the funniest to you?

*Where do you think the monsters will go next? 

Read more children's ABC books here!

Twenty-six Princesses

Twenty-six Princesses, by Dave Horowitz, is not your typical Princess story!   Children who enjoy a humorous book will find this book fun to read.  Each letter of the alphabet stands for a Princess who is described in a short line with a word that rhymes with her name.  These Princesses exhibit a variety of traits and actions that make a humorous read.  Have fun laughing with these Princesses!

Question Collection:

*Which Princess is your favorite?

*Are you like any of the Princesses?
*Which picture did you like best?

Read more children's ABC books here!

Max's ABC

If your children like Max and Ruby, they’ll enjoy reading the book, Max’s ABC by Rosemary Wells.  This book follows Max’s adventures with the ants that escape from their ant farm.  The alphabet is used and highlighted on each page, but does not follow the familiar format of most alphabet books which use the A is for ___ (specific word beginning with A).  Children still have fun looking for the words that start with the letter in the story and reading about Max’s antics.  Enjoy this story with Max and Ruby!

Question Collection:

*Which page was the funniest to you?

*What are all the ways Max and Ruby tried to solve the problem of the loose ants?

*What would you have done if you were Max?

Read more children's ABC books here!

LMNOPeas

LMNOpeas, by Keith Baker, is one of the most fun ABC books we have!  Small peas are dressed up and hold various occupations that match each letter of the alphabet through this book. It’s fun for children to see the peas in their costumes while being inspired to think about different careers.  The colorful graphics just add to the enjoyment of LMNOPeas.  We think children of all ages will enjoy this ABC book!

Question Collection:

*Which pea do you like the best?

*Which career sounds interesting to you?

*Are there any jobs you could add to each letter of the alphabet?

*How would you answer the question at the end of the book?

Read more children's ABC books!

A Paddling of Ducks

If you have a budding scientist in your family,  A Paddling of Ducks, written by Marjorie Blain Parker and illustrated by Joseph Kelly, can be a great tool to begin studying animal's collective names.  Animals are listed alphabetically, named by their collective name (example:  G is for a band of gorillas, Q is for a bevy of quail), and then pictured in some funny scenes.  The gorillas are actually playing in a band! 

A Paddling of Ducks is a fun, family read.  A picture walk through this book will enrich the reading experience.  Younger children will enjoy the pictures and ABCs, while older children can challenge themselves to learn the group names while laughing at the hilarity of the illustrations.  Enjoy!

Question Collection:

*Which group names did you learn?

*Which picture is the funniest to you?

*What other animal group names do you know?

Read more Children's ABC books here!

Alpha Bugs (A Pop-Up Alphabet)

Alpha Bugs, a pop-up alphabet by David A. Carter, is a fun, interactive book that young children will enjoy.  Each letter of the alphabet names an imagined bug described in alliterative terms.  The pop-ups used on each page will delight young readers as they operate the pop-up.  This book is a great gift for young children and their families.  Enjoy!

Question Collection:

*What’s your favorite bug?

*Which pop-up is your favorite?

*For older children:  Can you design a pop-up?

Read more children's ABC books here!

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World

Making a trip to an apple orchard at this time of year is a fun family event.  We also enjoy reading How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World, by Marjorie Priceman, as a part of autumn.  If you and your child haven’t read this book yet, you’re in for a real treat.  The humor of the situation of a market being closed leads to a trip around the world to find ingredients to make an apple pie.  Various modes of transportation are used as each country is visited, adding to the creative fun.

Taking a picture walk through this book can increase a child’s anticipation of listening to and/or reading the text.  The maps on the inside cover add to the enjoyment of being able to track the progress of discovering the ingredients in other countries.

We used the recipe in the book and enjoyed eating the apple pie we made.  If you’re looking for some ideas for an apple tasting party, the author has included those on the back cover.  This great book provides a great reading experience!  Enjoy!

Question Collection:

*What was your favorite country that was visited?

*Which mode of transportation was your favorite?

*Which part of the book was the funniest to you?