The 25 Funniest Children's Books, by Age (3 to 11)

Your child has turned down three books tonight. Then you read one line in a silly voice, they laugh so hard they snort, and they ask for it again. Funny books for kids work like that: a laugh can turn "do I have to?" into "one more." This list gives 25 of the funniest children's books by age, from picture books for 3-year-olds to funny books for 10 year olds, with the author, the year and the joke that makes each one work.

Why funny books work for young readers

Funny books work because kids pick them on their own. In Scholastic's 2017 reading research, "make me laugh" was the number one quality kids ages 6 to 17 looked for when they chose a book to read for fun, in all five countries in the study.

A laugh also gives a child a reason to keep turning pages. Most funny books lean on one of four kinds of humor:

• Slapstick: things fall, break, splash or go wrong in a big way.
• Rule-breaking: a character does what kids are told not to do, like a pigeon who wants to drive a bus.
• Wordplay: words taken literally, made-up words and puns.
• Gross-out: worms, burps and underwear.

Notice which one makes your child laugh hardest, and you know which shelf to start on.

The 25 funniest children's books at a glance

All 25 books below are in print and easy to find at a library. Years are the first publication.

The age bands are a starting point. A 9-year-old will still laugh at the Pigeon, and a 6-year-old may love Wayside School as a read-aloud.

Funny picture books for ages 3 to 5

The funniest picture books are built for a grown-up to perform. Your voice and your pauses do half the work.

The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak (2014) has one rule: the reader must say every word on the page, nonsense words included. The publisher lists it for ages 5 to 8, and preschoolers love it too.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems (2003) won a 2004 Caldecott Honor. The bus driver tells your child not to let the Pigeon drive, and the Pigeon begs, bargains and melts down. Every "No!" your child shouts is part of the joke.

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers (2013), is a stack of complaint letters from Duncan's overworked and ignored crayons.

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (2011) is the deadpan pick. A bear asks every animal about his lost hat, including the rabbit who is wearing it. Older preschoolers work out the sly ending on their own.

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin (2000), won a 2001 Caldecott Honor. Farmer Brown's cows find a typewriter, type out demands, and stop giving milk until Farmer Brown gives in.

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein (2010) won a 2011 Caldecott Honor. A little chicken jumps into every bedtime story to warn the characters. Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin (2012) ends in a spicy-salsa disaster, and the publisher lists it for ages 3 to 7.

Read it like a performer

A funny picture book lands when you commit to the bit. Keep one voice for the main character and slow down before the page turn. Our read-aloud books for kids guide has more on pacing and voices.

Funny early readers for ages 5 to 7

Funny early readers put a joke on almost every page, so sounding out words pays off fast. Several of the best ones won the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, which the American Library Association gives to the most distinguished American book for beginning readers.

There Is a Bird on Your Head! by Mo Willems (2007) won the 2008 Geisel Medal. Gerald the elephant finds birds nesting on his head, asks them to leave, and they move to Piggie's head instead. The Elephant & Piggie series ran to 25 books between 2007 and 2016.

Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold (2005), a 2006 Geisel Honor book, is about a boy who catches a fly that can say his name, Buzz. Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo (2005) stars a pig who thinks only about buttered toast.

Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish, illustrated by Fritz Siebel (1963), is wordplay for beginners. The new housekeeper takes every instruction literally, so she draws a picture of the drapes when asked to "draw the drapes." Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (1960) came from a $50 bet with his publisher, Bennett Cerf, that he could not write a book with only 50 different words.

Why speech bubbles help

Speech bubbles break a story into short lines and show who is talking, so your child can read one part while you read the other. Our early reader books guide explains how to match a book to your child's level.

Funny chapter books for ages 7 to 9

Funny chapter books carry a child through a whole book alone, the big step at this age.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar (1978) is set in a school that was meant to be one story tall with 30 classrooms, and was built 30 stories tall instead. There is no 19th floor, and each chapter is about a different student.

Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Park (1992) stars a kindergartner who hates the bus so much she refuses to get on it, and the Junie B. Jones books in order list the whole series.

The Twits by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake (1980), is about a revolting couple who play tricks on each other, such as worms in the spaghetti and a frog in the bed, until their caged monkeys get revenge. Clementine by Sara Pennypacker (2006) gives you a third grader who cuts her friend's hair while "only trying to help." Ivy + Bean by Annie Barrows (2006) pairs a wild girl and a quiet one who turn out to be perfect partners in mischief.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein (1974) is a book of short, silly poems with the poet's own drawings.

About the potty humor

The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey (1997) is loud and full of toilet jokes: two fourth graders hypnotize their principal into the superhero from their homemade comics.

The series has been on the American Library Association's most challenged books lists several times, and Common Sense Media rates it 7+ and says its "gross potty humor, funny pranks will hook reluctant readers." The spin-off has its own guide, Dog Man books in order.

Funny books for 10 year olds

Funny books for 10-year-olds trade slapstick for school, siblings and getting in trouble.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume (1972) is Peter's complaint about his toddler brother, Fudge, who in the end swallows Peter's pet turtle. Frindle by Andrew Clements, illustrated by Brian Selznick (1996), follows a class clown who renames the pen a "frindle" while his strict teacher fights the word.

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell (1973) is a bet: Billy has to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days for $50. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (1961) is the wordplay classic. Milo drives into a land where idioms come true, and jumping to Conclusions lands him on an island.

Stuntboy, in the Meantime by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Raúl the Third (2021), stars Portico, a secret superhero who protects his neighbors and calls his anxiety "the frets." Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (2007) is Greg Heffley's illustrated diary of trying to be popular in middle school and getting it wrong. Common Sense Media rates it 9+.

New funny books in 2025 and 2026

Two big funny series added books in the last year. The 21st Wimpy Kid book, Fight or Flight, came out on October 20, 2026, after Partypooper in October 2025. Dav Pilkey's Dog Man: Big Jim Believes came out on November 11, 2025, and Scholastic lists Dog Man: A Sprinkle in Time for November 3, 2026.

After Greg Heffley, try our books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and comic fans can try our graphic novels for kids.

How to find the funny book that fits your child, step by step

A funny book only works if it is funny to your child.

1. Watch what makes them laugh. Notice the jokes that land for a few days: a pratfall, a pun, a rude noise.
2. Borrow three at once. Take three library books from one age band, each with a different kind of humor.
3. Read the first pages aloud. Even with a 9-year-old, read the first chapter together, because your timing sells the first joke.
4. Let your child choose the next one. Offer two choices, not ten.
5. Allow rereads. Reading the same funny book five times is still reading practice.
6. Move up one band when they are ready. When your child laughs before you finish the line, try the next band.

Try itCreate a personalized storybookYour child's name and photo, a story in minutes

Common mistakes with funny books

• Mistake: skipping the joke you find silly. If your child laughs at it, it is working. Let it be.
• Mistake: choosing only "serious" books. Funny books are real reading, and kids pick them up on their own.
• Mistake: forcing a classic. Some older jokes need more background. Try it again in a year.

Your funny-book checklist

• Find the humor type. Slapstick, rule-breaking, wordplay or gross-out.
• Pick from the right band. Use the table above as a starting point.
• Perform the first read. Give the main character a voice and keep it.
• Borrow before you buy. Three books at a time from the library.
• Keep a new series ready. Wimpy Kid, Dog Man and Wayside School all have long shelves to binge.

A child who loves to laugh can also star in a funny story of their own. KidTeller turns your child's photo into the illustrated hero of a new picture book, written from a theme or any idea you type, such as a goat who cannot stop sneezing. The story is tuned to your child's age and can be read aloud in a natural voice or your own cloned voice.

For more starting points, browse story ideas by theme.