SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Fusenews
  • Reviews
  • Librarian Previews
  • Best Books
    • Top 100
    • Best Books of 2022
    • Best Books of 2021
    • Best Books of 2020
    • Best Books of 2019
    • Best Books of 2018
    • Best Books of 2017
    • Best Books of 2016
    • Best Books of 2015
    • Best Books of 2014
    • Best Books of 2013
  • Fuse 8 n’ Kate
  • Videos
  • Press Release Fun

May 12, 2017 by Betsy Bird

Funny Girl Week: Some of the Funniest Children’s Books of 2017 by Women

May 12, 2017 by Betsy Bird   2 comments

funnygirlWell, we’ve had a good week of it. And figuring out how to end my ode to all things funny and womanly wasn’t easy.  I thought about doing a post on funny writers for children from other countries.  I considered looking at funny female character in children’s books.  I definitely wanted to mention in some way the group Gold Comedy for Girls in NYC that teaches girls and women how to do stand-up comedy.  But in the end I decided that this would be the best way to end things once and for all.  Lots of children’s books are funny this year.  Lots of them are written by women.  Here then is just a brief smattering of the ones I’ve enjoyed so far.  Add your own favorites in the comments section here.

Picture Books

Accident! by Andrea Tsurumi

Accident

If you follow me on Twitter or have ever received an email from me then you may have noticed that in the last month or so I adopted this little image as my avatar:

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

AccidentOwl

That owl is everything I aspire to be in life.  Cranky. Impassive. Not paying a jot of attention to anyone around her.  In short, the world’s most perfect librarian.  You can find her, hidden away, in what I would argue to be the greatest library-related fiasco ever to grace the pages of a picture book (as if she studied at the knee of Richard Scarry) in the upcoming Accident.  This is, I do believe, author Andrea Tsurumi’s debut.  It is also quite possibly the funniest book of the year.

Cheer Up, Ben Franklin by Misti Kenison

CheerUpBen

I got this in the mail and my expectations were pretty darn low.  The art?  Simple. The text? Simple. But the story? Outright weird, honestly.  This is a book with its tongue wedged so firmly in its cheek that nothing short of pliers could remove it.  The premise is simple.  Ben Franklin is gloomy because there’s no one to play with. What are his friends up to? Well . . .

CheerUp2

 

CheerUp3

And my favorite:

CheerUp4

All turns out well in the end.  It just takes some goofiness to get there.

Claymates by Dev Petty, ill. Lauren Eldridge

Claymates

I think I talked this one up earlier in the year.  It’s penned by a woman and illustrated by a woman and clearly took a LOT of work on both ends.  It follows in the fine tradition of characters that live outside of their creators’ hand.  And it’s goofy goofy goofy to read.  Very funny stuff.

Henny, Penny, Lenny, Denny, and Mike by Cynthia Rylant, ill. Mike Austin

HennyPenny

The whole point of this book, insofar as I’m concerned, concentrates squarely on the redemption of the snail.  Or rather, the welcoming of the snail into the fold… so to speak.  You can milk a great deal of humor out of characters that are overly impressed by everything around them.  Rylant’s an old hand at the humor game, too.  Don’t worry, folks. She’s got this.

A Horse Named Steve by Kelly Collier

HorseNamedSteve

I am convinced that Ms. Collier is a Ren & Stimpy fan.  It’s something about the way that Steve bites his lower lip.  And, of course, the book allows child readers the chance to be smarter than the hero.  Add in a smidgen of ridiculousness and you’ve got yourself a winner.

Laundry Day by Jessixa Bagley

LaundryDay

Everyone has a different sense of humor, right?  So the books that are appearing on this list today merely comprise of titles that appeal to one form or another of my own personal funnybone.  In the case of the Bagley title, what’s funny about this book can be synthesized into a single word: chaos.  I find chaos very funny.  I find that when something goes a little crazy and a book builds and builds upon that craziness, that’s my kind of book.  Case in point, this one.

Rabbit Magic by Meg McLaren

rabbitmagic

A Scot!  Scottish humor!  I was just looking at her website to determine if she’d ever done anything besides this truly charming little title (McLaren may yet nab the Best Illustrated Bunnies Award of 2017) only to find that she’s being simultaneously released here in the States.  Book #2 is Pigeon P.I. which I had dutifully shelved away and now must find pronto.  This lady is funny.

This Book Will Not Be Fun by Cirocco Dunlap, ill. Olivier Tallec

ThisBookWillNot1

I’d never run across the name “Cirocco” before.  Turns out, she’s a former Fallon writer who’s done various New Yorker pieces and is now on the writing staff of Man Seeking Woman.  I don’t know how she transitioned into picture books, nor yet how she was lucky enough to get Tallec as an artist.  A book is only as strong as its writing, however, and hers is a hoot.  A smart debut.

Easy Books

Snail & Worm Again by Tina Kugler

SnailWormAgain

Funniest. Dang. Book. In. The. Whole. Freakin’. World.  Seriously, let’s just throw in the towel and declare Kugler funnier than all the rest of us.  These books do NOT get enough credit.

There’s a Pest in the Garden by Jan Thomas

TheresPestGarden

Aww.  See, I loved Jan Thomas before it was cool.  She’s always perfected the art of the simple, hilarious text.  Maybe it comes from her former life making greeting cards.  Whatever the case, I love this new easy book series she has coming out.  Check out the also funny What Is Chasing Duck? for a delicious twofer.

Early Chapter Books

Charlie and Mouse by Laurel Snyder, ill. Emily Hughes

CharlieMouse1

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

I wrote up a review of this lovely little book a month or two ago.  The story, in the meantime, has really stayed with me.  I like the visual humor of it (ex: the mom freaking out in the background about the couch or the stones in her yard) and the writing itself.  This is the first children’s book where I’ve seen the phrase, “Is that a thing?” used correctly.

 

Fables You Shouldn’t Pay Any Attention To by Florence Parry Heide & Sylvia Worth Van Clief, ill. Sergio Ruzzier

FablesYouShouldnt

Oh, MAN!  This book feels like a throwback, to a certain extent.  I’m actually kind of surprised it could even be published today (which may say more about the state of the current industry than anything else).  I love how it consistently reinforces the wrong lessons.  Older kids will get a HUGE kick out of this.  My vote for the most subversive book for kids of the year.

The Jolly Regina (The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisers #1) by Kara LaReau, ill. Jen Hill

JollyRegina

Oh, I loved this!  I’m sad that it lost its original title (which used the word “Booty” in a piratical way, kinda, sorta) but I love the story.  We’ve seen stories about boring characters forced to go on adventures before, and they vary considerably in quality.  This little outing, however, never flags.  And best of all, it has a character named Captain Ann Tenielle.  Ask your parents, kids.

King and Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats by Dori Hillestad Butler, ill. Nancy Meyers

KingandKaylaMissingDogTreats_main

King and Kayla and the Case of the Mysterious Mouse by Dori Hillestad Butler, ill. Nancy Meyers

KingKaylaMouse

King and Kayla and the Case of the Secret Code by Dori Hillestad Butler, ill. Nancy Meyers

KingKaylaCode

I had a hard time choosing just one of these books, so I chose all three (so far) instead.  Easy books are hard.  Mysteries are hard.  Funny books are hard.  Now imagine throwing in a dog p.o.v. on top of all that.  Either you end up with something brilliant or an unholy mess.  I am pleased to announce, this book falls in the former camp.

Filed under: Uncategorized

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

March 2023

Announcing the Stinetinglers Winner! The Kettle's Dark Secret by Clara J.

by Betsy Bird

March 2023

Bologna Presentations: IBBY Doing the Good Work That Needs to Be Done, Worldwide

by Betsy Bird

February 2023

Sydney Taylor Book Blog Award Tour Interview: Featuring Mari Lowe of Aviva Vs. the Dybbuk!

by Betsy Bird

January 2023

The Top Ten Most Disappointing Edibles and Potables of Children's Literature

by Betsy Bird

January 2023

Announcing the 2023 Newbery/Caldecott/YMA Pre-Game Show!

by Betsy Bird

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

One Star Review, Guess Who? (#184)

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Announcing the 2022 Winners of the Annual Blueberry Literary Award!

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Review: Nat the Cat Takes a Nap

by Esther Keller

Heavy Medal

March suggestions: early Mock Newbery possibilities

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Here Be Monsters: On Horror, Catharsis, and Uneasy Truces with Yourself, a guest post by author Rebecca Mahoney

by Karen Jensen, MLS

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Newbery Medalist Amina Luqman-Dawson visits The Yarn

by Colby Sharp

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Changing the Narrative | The Year in SLJ Covers

Celebrating Asian Pacific American Stories | The Year in SLJ Covers

Old Hate, Renewed Response: Resources to curb antisemitism in school, in person, and online

Three Gentle Fantasy Series for 'My Father's Dragon' Fans | Read-Alikes

Principal: “Don’t Suggest Books” | Scales on Censorship

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. sally says

    May 13, 2017 at 12:10 pm

    YES to this list – especially the Ben Franklin book.
    Been cracking me up since I first read it.

  2. Carl in Charlotte says

    May 15, 2017 at 3:36 pm

    “Captain Ann Tenielle”–very clever but today’s kids may have to ask their grandparents!

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • External Links

    • A Fuse #8 Production Reviews
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023