The Funniest Children Books Are Ideal Gifts For Ages 4-8

This is a list.

I collated some of the best and funniest kids books so you know exactly which ones to look for for Christmas, Hanukkah, or Birthday giving. Want to have some laughs with your children or grandchildren? Get some funny read aloud books, sit down in a comfy chair, and let the hilarity begin! 

Have You Laughed Out Loud While Reading To Your Child?

Some of the classic books for children will hit your funny bone, and more importantly your child’s, too. Witty, well-written stories and amusing illustrations can not only entertain the children, but appeal to parents, too. I found that out while reading to my small children.

Some authors, like Dr. Seuss, are very well known and even movies have been made from the unique characters and inventive stories. Other authors, or even some of the books you’ll see on this page, are less known… but should be better broadcasted for their way of delivering a great message with humor and imagination.

How Do I Find Good Books For My Children?

When my children were young, it helped to belong to book clubs, but that isn’t always the best way to locate good books. Many homeschool resources will provide guidance, and you don’t have to be a homeschooler to use the information!

A book called “Honey For a Child’s Heart” by Gladys Hunt categorized books by age appropriate categories and gave me lists of classics.

Libraries always highlight the newest books, or the ones the Librarians most value, along with seasonal selections.

Schools often have interesting books for kids to enjoy in their libraries, and you might find out what their friends families find enjoyable.

Last but not least are curated lists like this one.

Here is my collection of what I thought were the funniest children’s books- the ones that delighted both my children and I. A few newer ones are thrown in that I will be giving to my grandchildren.

I hope you and your children will enjoy them, too.

It’s Humorous

Capture interest in reading with a humorous read-aloud book.

Capture interest in reading with a humorous read-aloud book.

On My List of Best Books

• Nate The Great
• Frog and Toad
• If You Give A Mouse A Cookie
• Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
• Bad Kitty
• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
• Knucklehead
• Ramona
• Clementine
• Big Orange Splot
• Olivia
• Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
• Cat in the Hat
• Amelia Bedelia

Love of Reading Starts Here

Love of Reading Starts Here
Did you know that reading aloud to your children

• Creates a higher aptitude for learning
• Develops better communication and a mastery of reading skills
• Gives quality bonding experiences

For Beginning Readers

Tip:
To encourage children to read on their own, it helps to have books that are written for their reading level AND which appeal to their imagination. That means that two specific kinds of books to have on the book shelf are those which are either humorous or of the mystery detective genre, preferably both!

Appeal to their funny bone

Boys, especially, may rather run outside, play sports, or sit with video games rather than read. Entice them to discover the joy of reading with books that appeal to them and their sense of adventure.

• Gear towards their reading level
• Appeal to their imagination and sense of adventure

Suggestions to pique their interest and tickle their funnybone.

Nate The Great

~By Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, with Illustrator Marc Simont

Nate the Great

You can’t go wrong with one of the Frog and Toad books. They are funny and their friendship is heartwarming.

My Family’s Favorite Amphibians

Frog And Toad

by Arnold Lobel

No list of books for children is complete without the likes of Frog and Toad, in my opinion. I think I enjoyed these books as much as my children.

Droll illustrations coupled with funny plots that ring true to how we relate to common situations such as being in a bad mood, being friends, struggling with fears, and more. It is easy to perceive ourselves in the many ways Frog and Toad help each other out and learn important lessons about friendship along the way.

Thankfully for the joy of young readers everywhere, there are more than one of these story collections following the adventures of Frog and Toad. I think they are a great way to encourage reading time, and appealed to both my sense of humor the children’s.

This is one of the cutest books, with adorable illustrations and a truly funny slippery slope of events.

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie…

You Might End Up Wanting More Books Written By Laura Joffe Numeroff!

So well loved, it inspired a whole slew of books using the format to create ‘Pig and Pancakes’, ‘Cat and Cupcakes’, and more. But this is the original story that started things off in this hilarious direction.

If you buy a child a book, you may find you will want another, and soon need a bookcase to house them all…

Lyle the Crocodile – He’s Lovable

Another family favorite of ours.

I laughed out loud, and had a hard time resuming reading when reading this book to my children.

A croc who really is the most lovable guy once you get past the fact that he is… well, a crocodile.

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (Lyle the Crocodile)

Baaad Kitty – Find out why this is a great series of books

Even if you aren’t a cat lover you will love the antics of this baaaad kitty

I Nominate This For Cutest and Funniest

Bad Kitty 4 Book Set in Slipcase (Includes Bad Kitty Meets the Baby; Bad Kitty Vs Uncle Murray, Bad Kitty Gets A Bath; Happy Birthday, Bad Kitty)

Trying to be a good kitty is so hard, follow the bad kitty’s adventures in this and a series of other hilarious books.

Try each one of the Bad Kitty series of books.

Must Watch This Hilarious Bad Kitty Video!

What Books Are You and Your Children Reading?

Which books do you read aloud to your children?

• I read Disney movie-based books
• I read fairytales and fantasy books to my kids
• I read Caldecott award books
• I read them the ones I loved as a child
• Any good, age appropriate book I can find
• I haven’t read much to them but would like to start
• We use picture books, without much reading.

The Terrible No Good Day – Alexander had one and helps your child laugh at theirs

Taking the feeling that the day is turning out badly to hilarious lengths.

Knucklehead Might Be New To You

Side splitting antics of six boys who manage to get into plenty of trouble, based on author Jon Scieszka’s own childhood.I hadn’t heard of this one when raising my kids, but it has quickly reached “classic” status.

Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Mostly True Stories of Growing up Scieszka

A Series Of Fun

Beloved Ramona books are proven to delight children for more than one generation.

When you can’t read just one!

A series creates the building blocks of reading a larger, longer book. It develops the characters and the interaction between them. Some of our favorite novels like Charles Dickens’ books were published in a series mode.

The best children’s books sometimes turn into a series because kids love them so much. I don’t really know if that is the reason, but I am happy that there are more than just one of these funny books that encourage children to read, and are a hoot for parents as well.

Get the Collection For Hilarious, Fun Reading

Books beloved for their funny plots, well drawn characters, and relate-able dialog and situations. I had these books for my children some twenty-five years ago- and they have become classic reading for the younger reader age group. Ramona and Henry make a great pair of counterparts in series of wonderful early reader books.

Beverly Cleary, The Author, Interviewed

Clementine

Clementine and “Ramona” are favorite characters for 3rd grade girls

… but younger readers, including boys, and parents are all going to enjoy these books with wonderful drawings and fun filled stories.

Don’t let age or gender keep you from enjoy some of these well written and illustrated classics.

Celebrate Everyone’s Uniqueness

Big Orange Splot was a runaway hit with my kids

This book was not on my radar at the time, but one of my cousins who has a masters degree in Child Development sent it to us one Christmas. It’s humor resides in the colorful illustrations, but the message is clear: we should embrace our individuality.

Fun to read, it has a more subtle type of humor which makes it a real favorite for young children.

To Help You Find Funny Books

Start With A Reason

The important thing for new readers is to get them started discovering the great way reading can ignite their imagination and give them windows into the world at large.

How can we best do that, as teachers and parents? Give them books they like, and children LOVE to laugh. Parents love to laugh too, but that is just an aside to our goal of opening the world of great reading in a child’s life.

Just mastering the sounding out of words, and understanding the story is a wonderful accomplishment for a child, but when it tickles their funny bone a new appetite for reading is initiated.

That is why some of the best and most loved books for early readers are in this genre. But really, I don’t think we ever outgrow our appreciation of a well written humorous book. Which is another good reason to add as many of these books to our library shelf as possible.

For ferreting out the best children’s books in any genre, an entire book of recommendations can be a genuinely helpful resource. I liked the “Honey For A Child’s Heart” paperback. It gave list and description by age group. I was always an avid reader, but would have missed some real gems, if not for the guidance of this book.
Honey for a Child’s Heart For a short List of some of the books I always liked, here is a quicklist rundown.
Older Classics

Funny, classic reading for children

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle inspired a musical play and a TV series, but it was her books (by author Betty MacDonald) that children and their parents have loved reading for so many years.

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books were some I enjoyed as a child. They were funny, and poked fun at common childhood foibles while delivering an adult point of view and lessons on good behavior.

Because these are older books, they can be a little hard to find. Try eBay or used book stores. There are a few selections on amazon.

Cat in the Hat Is A Dr. Seuss Classic

This book series just grew in popularity until they popped up everywhere!
Make your book nook with colors of the book inspiring the color scheme.

You supply the green egg colored bookcase, and Dr. Seuss supplies the “Ham”. After you read and enjoy the ‘Cat in the Hat‘, ‘Green Eggs and Ham‘ is sure to follow. -You may find a whole shelf dedicated to the various Dr. Seuss classics.

I like the idea of borrowing a child’s color scheme for their play and sleep areas from their favorite book.

Most of us are familiar with the mischief of the Cat in the Hat and his crew. This is a classic book for a home book shelf.

Silly Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parrish

Did you know?
Amelia Bedelia was based on a real life character, and her funny hat and literal interpretations create havoc. Yet, her employers and the readers come to appreciate this lovable, well meaning housemaid. “Dust the furniture ” takes on a whole new meaning.

Amelia Bedelia Collection (I Can Read Book 2)

The lovable Amelia Bedelia takes everything quite literally with outcomes that somehow end with one of her delicious baked goods being served and a happy ending.

More – don’t miss these cute, humorous books

She is the cutest little piglet ever, and she has very definite ideas.

Starring Olivia the Pig!

I find that if I am unfamiliar with a book, or what has become a very popular character with the kids set (there are new ones all the time) a video is often made that showcases the books or the character in such a way that you can easily identify the enjoyment that the stories offer.

Attesting to her popularity, there are many gifts to accompany a gift of the books.

See other gifts available on Zazzle.

Create A Reading Corner

Here’s an idea that goes along with a collection of books and the dedication to creating a real lifelong love of reading: create a reading nook.

Keep books in their place with a beautifully crafted bookcase. Create a reading nook with a comfy chair and all their favorite read-aloud books. Little Colorado Traditional Child’s 40 in. Bookcase

Keep books in their place with a beautifully crafted bookcase. Create a reading nook with a comfy chair and all their favorite read-aloud books. Little Colorado Traditional Child’s 40″ Bookcase

Encourage Reading Time

Create a special corner for the “Children’s Reading Hour”. A bookshelf filled with all their favorites, a comfy chair and light. Let it invite you and your child to share some of the best times that you will both remember.

The funny books and the cozy nook will cultivate a young chidl’s love of reading- a love that will last a lifetime.

Accessories Build Interest

The Posters, T-shirts, and Action Figures!

…they also make good gift ideas.

Read the book, and get the poster for their wall because a cute poster goes along with a book for the bookshelf. Great reminder to re-open a beloved book. I think these combos of poster and storybook would make a thoughtful gift.

I have bought the Wimpy Kid books for my grandsons. They love them and become avid readers. Of course the books have lots of competition from video and games, but all the more reason to provide them entertaining books that whet their appetite for the world of reading.

Amazon Recommendations