I passed the stack of picture books recently picked up from our local library to my son who teaches third grade.
“There are some great new picture books here,” I proclaimed as I handed the stack to him. I highlighted a few as he looked at the stack.
“Hmm,” he responded as he looked through the books carefully before dismissively passing them back to me. “Bring me something funny,” he said. “Everything is so serious right now. My students just want to laugh,” he added matter-of-factly.
I weighed his words. As usual, he had a good point. Our world can sometimes feel a little heavy, and children love to laugh. Of course, I can’t resist a good quest, so I searched through my lists and stacks for books that fill a room with laughter. I often have to remind myself that books that appeal to me may not appeal in the same way to a child. I try to review books from their point of view, but my favorite test is to read the book aloud to see what the kids think. There’s nothing better than the laughter test!
If you find that your students need a good laugh, here are a few titles sure to lighten up the room:
Wolfie the Bunny written by Ame Dyckman and illustrated by Zachariah OHora
Although you can’t go wrong with any book by Ame Dyckman, this one is sure to have them laughing. When a package arrives on their doorstep, the bunny family is sure they have been given the most adorable baby. Their child, Dot, is not so sure. As her parents oooohhh and aaaahhh over their new bundle of joy, Dot tries to warn them that this isn’t going to end well. “He’s going to eat us all up,” she repeats throughout the tale. Readers will laugh out loud as they follow the story of Dot and her new unusual little brother.
Brief Thief written by Michael Escoffier and illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo
One day Leon goes to take a nice poo. Suddenly he realizes he has no toilet paper. Crisis! He finds what appears to be an old pair of underpants hanging from a tree. Perfect. It isn’t long until his conscience gets the better of him for using what wasn’t his. He decides to go back to find the underwear, wash them, and return them. Although any book with the slightest mention of underwear usually gets a group of children rolling on the floor, the ending will certainly cause a bit of an uproar.
I Want a Dog by Jon Agee
A girl stops by the animal shelter with one simple request: “I want a dog.” The man at the shelter tries to help, but let’s be honest, adults struggle sometimes to get things right. In a hilarious chain of attempts, the man tries to change the girl’s mind. Will she get the dog? Or will something else go home with her?
The Serious Goose by Jimmy Kimmel
It’s hard to be serious when reading this book aloud. Goose is serious. There’s no way to make him laugh. Or is there? Can your students make this serious goose silly? I’m guessing they can.
Give Bees a Chance by Bethany Barton
This picture book, which combines informational text and narrative, is sure to pass the laughter test. The narrator talks about Edgar. Edgar and the narrator like all the same things—except, you guessed it, BEES! The narrator, not one to give up, insists Edgar will surely like bees if he just learns more about them. Will the plan work? Edgar doesn’t think so.
I Love You Already! written by Jory John and illustrated by Benji Davies
Bear loves the quiet. He loves the quiet morning, the gentle start to the day, the silence. Duck has a whole different idea about how life should be lived. Duck insists Bear needs to start the day with a walk and some good conversation. Students will laugh out loud as Duck tries to convince Bear he will hang out with Duck for the day. Will Duck’s plan work?
Poor Little Guy by Elanna Allen
This is one of my newer favorites. It’s sure to have your class giggling in surprise. Being a fish isn’t easy, especially a little fish. Octopus tries to assure Fish he just wants to play, but Fish has his own tricks up his sleeve.
These are a few of my favorite titles sure to make students laugh. Feeling victorious, I handed my new stack of funny books to my son. He flipped through the books, unable to resist the occasional chuckle. “It’s a start,” he affirmed.
I’ll keep these picture books tucked away for those moments when students could use a little laughter. They won’t disappoint. Give them a try and see if they’ll pass the laughter test with your students.
Resource
Thanks to my son, I’ll continue to add “Laugh Out Loud” titles to this Pinterest board at Cathy Mere Books.
