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Five Faves: Funny Picture Books to Read to Your Kids

Do you ever think to myself, "Boy am I sure tired of reading the same book over and over, night after night, because my child won't let me read anything else?" Are you in search of a new funny book that your child will instead force you to read over and over? (Let's be honest with ourselves, no matter what book they want you to read, they will probably want you to read it repeatedly.) Well, here's the list for you! A list of picture books that were recently published and you (probably) haven't checked out that will make your child laugh, cry (because they're laughing so hard), and beg for a re-read.

The Wrong Book
Written by Drew Daywalt
Illustrated by Alex Willmore
New York: Philomel, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2024. Picture Book.

The characters in this book seem to be a little confused about what they're supposed to say. Everyone, that is, except for the yellow bookmark protagonist. He knows that flowers aren't supposed to say "CHUGGA CHUGGA CHOOOO CHOOOO" and bicycles don't burp. Your kids will laugh along as bookmark tries to correct the confused characters. Written by the author behind The Day the Crayons Quit, this is a great choice for a read aloud or a story time.

Written by David Sedaris
Illustrated by Ian Falconer
New York: Toon Books, 2024. Picture Book.

In this book, a family of ogres loves being ugly. Anna is usually a "good" ogre who remembers to chew with her mouth full and stomp on flowers. She does, however, have one past time that repulses her family... she makes ugly faces (that make her look adorable). Her family warns her that if she doesn't stop, her face will get stuck that way, and when she does eventually get stuck, she has to find a way to make herself ugly again. Equal parts hilarious and horrifying, this book will probably be most loved by elementary-aged kids rather than toddlers.

By Kelly Collier
New York: Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2023. Picture Book.

Skunk would like to be a dog because, let's face it, skunks are significantly less loveable than dogs are. With the help of his friends, Skunk trains to be the best dog he can be. Will he be able to find a family that will love him just the way he is, smelly "dog" and all?

By Alex Latimer
New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2023. Picture Book.

For those who love interactive books, this one is for you. It starts with the narrator informing you that the duck never blinks. You, the reader, must do what you can to make him blink. Just once. Readers are invited to yell, tell a story, tell a joke, and more. Will you be able to get the duck to blink?

Written by Caspar Salmon
Illustrated by Matt Hunt
Lincoln, MA: Nosy Crow Inc., 2023. Picture Book.

Do you know how to count to one? Are you sure? Because you don't need to count higher than one, no matter how tempted you might be. You may be tempted to count the two whales. Or the three bowls of soup. But just know now, that you can't count to more than one. This laugh-out-loud book begs for close inspection and is excellent for a funny family read aloud.


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