As strange as this may sound, it was actually fairly difficult coming up with a list of older funny books for kids this year. Maybe it’s just the general attitude of 2025, but humor has not been in abundance recently. I mean, you have some authors that can work in an occasional joke around tough topics, but generally speaking I’ve tried to limit this list to books that were mostly inclined towards hilarity. You’ll see some familiar titles on the list, as well as the occasional newbie. And if there was some book that just had your kids rolling on the ground, PLEASE let me know what it was in the comments. As long as it wasn’t Wimpy Kid. Love the guy, but let’s make a little room for the other folks, eh?

If you’d like like to have a PDF of today’s list, you can find that here.

Need more older funny titles besides today’s books? Then be sure not to miss these previous titles:

• 2024
• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017

2025 Funny Books for Older Kids

FEATURED TITLE

Ducky the Spy by Sean E. Avery

Order of Thoughts Regarding this Book:

1. Wow! This is hilarious! Sean E. Avery? Why does that name sound so familiar?
2. Holy smokes! That’s the guy who did Frank’s Red Hat! 
3. Geez, what else is he capable of?

Or something approximating that.

The fact of the matters is that this little graphic novel sports a really site specific kind of humor. Obviously the publisher would love to tie it to Dogman or something like that, but Avery’s funny content is a very different breed. Australian, perhaps. See, unlike Pilkey, he has the advantage of a little more detail. Facial expressions, pregnant pauses, the whole nine yards. The premise of this book lies in our overly confident spy hero, Ducky. In spite of the fact that his enthusiasm outstrips his competence by yards, he is continually hired by Mr. Pig to spy. That spying takes many forms, including encountering a gang of cats and rescuing Mr. Pig’s son. I might contend that there are 35% more fart jokes here than are strictly necessary, but a LOT of the other jokes land beautifully. Humor is subjective. The fact that this book is so good, isn’t. 

---

---

The Boy Who Lived in a Shell: Snippets for Wandering Minds by John Himmelman

[Previously seen on the Poetry List]

Once there was a boy named Ivo who lived in a giant moon snail shell on a beach. Read the poems he writes on the wall of the shell, in this ribald, witty, and occasional touching collection. Okay, I don’t even know how to predict what John Himmelman is going to do next anymore. When I was first starting out as a children’s librarian he was known primarily for picture books like the incredible, fantastic, and never-to-be-forgotten Katie Loves the Kittens. Then he takes some time, pivots, and does that incredible, wackadoodle early chapter book series Albert Hopper. But then I go to his website and apparently the man is also prone to doing YA and middle grade and THEN he apparently noticed that there were a couple slots empty on his bingo card, so he’s come to us with a book of poetry. And not just any poetry either. GOOD poetry. Like, high quality this-is-better-than-90%-of-kids-poetry-out-there poetry. I’m not going to say that every single poem in here is equally good, but you couldn’t say that for Shel Silverstein’s poems, for crying out loud. You’ll note the blurb from Chris Harris (My Head Has a Bellyache) on the back. That’s deserved. THIS is the poetry book of 2025 you don’t want to miss. Some of these poems will have you laughing out loud. Some will cause you to sit and think for a while. And some, like “Toby and Pip” are sad enough to warrant such concluding sentences as, “Not all stories are happy ones.”

---

Cabin Head and Tree Head by Scott Campbell

[Previously seen on the Unconventional List AND the Comics & Graphic Novels List]

Only very very rarely do I allow a book to appear on THREE lists. This book? It’s the exception that proves the rule.

Meet Cabin Head and Tree Head! Two great buddies helping one another through a series of small adventures. Join them and all their friends as they enjoy portraiture, leafcuts (both good and bad), treasure hunts, and more! I want to dive deep into whatever world this is that Scott Campbell has conjured up and just live there for a while. Apparently the man hasn’t produced a picture book since 2019 and decided to celebrate his own return with a book that perfectly combines the sweet and strange. His publisher is selling this with the description that it’s, “like Bill and Ted crossed with Frog and Toad.” Not sure I entirely agree with that, but it’s more on-the-nose than you might think. In this world, everything is on somebody’s head somewhere. This gets taken to its logical extreme when we pan back at one point and see that Cabin Head and Tree Head and all their friends live on an Earth Head (the Satellite Heads delight me). The fact that all these Heads have tiny people who occasionally come out and do stuff is just adorable. I had a lot of fun watching the little people swinging on Tree Head’s tire swing from time to time. I guess you could put this in your graphic novel section OR your early chapter book section, depending on your mood. There are six main stories and then three additional bonus stories about some of the other Heads. Obviously, I’m a fan of Library Head, but that was probably a given. The tone in these stories is so sweet and strange that you’ll have a hard time putting this down. I want to go to there!

---

Creature Clinic by Gavin Aung Than

[Previously seen on the Comics & Graphic Novels List]

A young orc doctor takes care of mythical creatures in need of (sometimes hilarious) medical help. When a human (gasp!) enters their fantastical realm, she must hide him! Oh, this is a hoot. The downside of having so many graphic novels coming out these days is that you really can’t tell which ones are going to be fantastic charmers and which ones are snorefests. Drop this one down the “fantastic charmer” slot, please. It’s sort of E.R. for the fantasy set. Than is just having SO much fun with all the different ideas here, but I also kind of loved the personal relationships and distinct personalities on these pages. Plus, we don’t see a ton of books for kids where a young woman is trying to earn her mother’s respect in the field of medicine. And I loved the info at the end that Than got the idea for pushing a unicorn’s horn back in place after he had to have that happen to his own nose. 

---

Dino Poet by Tom Angleberger

Remember when I said earlier that Ducky the Spy wasn’t quite in the same vein as Dav Pilkey? Well THIS book is 100% a great companion to the Cat Kid Comic series! After all, it contains a plethora of inadvertent learning (about poetry!) alongside moments that mix photography and illustration (a shot of a pile of plastic dinosaur toys comes to mind). That’s the way you probably market this book. Now I’ve known Tom so long than I remember when he used to write under the pen name Sam Riddleberger. Then his Origami Yoda series took off and the rest was history. He’d done some recent stuff with two-headed chickens, but this story about a prehistoric frog aiding a dino in writing better poetry is downright keen. A marvelous mix of verse, humor, and goofy art. What more could you ask for?

---

Fresh Start by Gale Galligan

[Previously seen on the Comics & Graphic Novels List]

Having trouble at school? No worries! Thanks to Ollie’s dad’s job, she moves from place to place all the time, never having to live with her past mistakes. But what happens when the family lands in Virginia… forever? Welp, I’m sold. I feel like Galligan’s been holding back on us until now. Obviously they couldn’t break out their raucous humor in their Babysitter’s Club adaptations, but even Freestyle was a little more subdued than this. Clearly they just needed to do something a little more personal. This book fills that requirement, but is also just this incredible mix of styles with an overarching theme that felt incredibly real. And funny? So funny! Extra points for the Bonus Comics in the back (to my mind, all funny GNs should include Bonus Comics, even if they’re just sketches). The storyline that I enjoyed the most here was actually the one involving the way the parents really did treat Ollie’s younger sister poorly. The fact that Ollie sees this and then continually brings Cat into the conversations… I’ve never seen that before. This one’s a keeper.

---

I Am Not Okay by David DeGrand

[Previously seen on the Comics & Graphic Novels List]

I mean, how we all didn’t adopt this book as the Official Title of 2025 is still a bit of a bafflement to me. Could any other book sum up this year so well? I think not. And I can tell you, from a personal standpoint, I identify HARD with Fluff Nugget here. Feeling grumpy? Feeling sad? Let Fluff Nugget cheer you up then! But what happens when the cheeriest creature around feels downtrodden and defeated? I mean, the cover sells itself, but the interior is pretty darn good as well. This is about a people pleaser who has an inevitable breakdown of massive proportions. I am deeply amused by any children’s book graphic novelist who clearly was influenced by Ren & Stimpy on some level. David DeGrand, j’accuse! Loved the tone, the writing, and the general mix of relatability on this one. Plus, it’s hilarious (which always helps). I mean, how can you resist a hero named Fluff Nugget for crying out loud? I submit to you our new King.

---

I’m a Dumbo Octopus: A Graphic Guide to Cephalopods by Anne Lambelet

What makes the dumbo octopus so special? That’s the question it wants to know! And it’s going to tell you about all the cool cephalopods it can in order to find out. All right, here’s the question for you today: Do you put this in the older nonfiction or the graphic novel section of your library/bookstore? I only ask because this book (which is highly amusing from start to finish) is so stuffed full o’ facts that even if you think you know everything about deep sea creatures, you are bound to learn something new. Like, blanket octopuses rip off man o’ war tentacles and use them like whips? And Japanese flying squid launch themselves into the air? And flamboyant cuttlefish have 75 different color combinations? See, this is precisely the kind of book that’s going to make a kid follow their parents around saying, “Did you know that…” “Hey, did you know…?” “Ohmigosh! Guess what?” It’s got all the kid-friendly fact-friendly fun you’d expect AND great backmatter (a Glossary, a Selected Bibliography, and section for Further Reading) AND it’s hilarious but best of all? They were clever and put a photograph of a real Grimpoteuthis at the end. Smarties. 

---

The Island of Forgotten Gods by Victor Piñeiro

A summer in Puerto Rico with his abuela and cousins is just what Nico needs to escape his troubles. New troubles come, however, in the shape of a mysterious winged creature that keeps appearing all over the island. And that’s before they’re attacked by an ancient god… Wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, since I’d never read a book by Piñeiro before. What I found is that this writer is remarkably good at invoking a sense of place. I’ve never been to Puerto Rico before but he knows just how to bring to life not just the big things, like beaches where the waves try to kill you, mountains, etc. but also small local things. Best of all? The man has a serious sense of humor. Like when our hero thinks the “wind witch” he saw on a plane is either delusions or waking nightmares (“I loved that for me”). This was a delight to read, and he does a great job of linking together Taino mythology, chupacabra tales, and PR’s recent spate of tragedies. Extra points for the clear Lin-Manuel Miranda stand-in named (I kid you not) “Juan Miguel Baranda”.

---

My Presentation Today is About the Anaconda by Bibi Dumon Tak, ill. AnneMarie Van Haeringen, translated by Nancy Forest-Flier

Welcome! Today we have gathered to listen to animals give oral presentations about one another. Hear what the southern cassowary has to say about the hummingbird or the rhino of the shoebill. Hilarity and fun facts mix and meld in this truly original collection. So apparently 2025 is the year when I have to relax some of my more draconian just-the-facts-ma’am takes on nonfiction for kids. As such, I’ve amended my stance. I don’t particularly mind a book like this one, which is chock full of animals talking to one another about… well, animals. I don’t mind it because there’s no child alive that’s going to pick this book up and think that foxes are that obnoxious in person (they would be that hungry, though). The book itself is just kinda, sorta a delight. And it very cleverly shows how animals (human ones included) really only see other animals through their own lenses. It’ll teach you a thing or two (I did NOT know all that info about koalas’ sex lives), the art is delightful, and if Nancy Forest-Flier doesn’t get some kind of a Batchelder Award for her translation, I’ll eat my bloomin’ hat. One of the most enjoyable nonfiction titles of the year, that’s for sure.

---

 Scarlet Morning by N.D. Stevenson

Orphans Viola and Wilmur have lived all their lives on the boring island of Caveat. When an exciting stranger appears, they trade a strange book for a life of adventure. But is their captain the infamous pirate Scarlet Morning? I’m so sorry, folks. I’ve just discovered, quite late in the game, my favorite fantasy novel for kids of 2025. It’s sort of what you’d get if you combined The Pirates of the Caribbean with Lemony Snicket. I don’t know that I can describe it any better than that. N.D. Stevenson is best known for the graphic novel Nimona, but here he’s just using his art skills to illustrate his own book. I forgot that at one point and found myself thinking, “Man. The illustrator here is WAY better than I’m used to on these books.” Is it a standalone? Not really. I mean, some threads get tied up but some are definitely dangling. Still, I was just GRIPPED by this and the writing is absolutely jaw-droppingly good. Definitely on the older side, but so much fun and funny funny funny. Hugely imaginative too! Please give it a read

---

True Colors: Growing Up Weird in the ‘90s by Elise Gravel, translated by Montana Kane

[Previously seen on the Comics & Graphic Novels List]

Elise knows she’s a weirdo, but she’s pretty okay with that, as long as she has her best friend Asma. But when Asma and a new friend start hanging out without her, is their friendship over? I’m just so friggin’ PEEVED that Drawn & Quarterly went and labeled this as a YA gn. It ain’t. At most it’s maybe a middle school one (there is some mention of periods and a brief look at sex ed) but Gravel is WAY more interested in the ins and outs of friendship than relationships. It’s also, and I mean this sincerely, one of the funniest books of 2025. I mean, those of us who have read Elise Gravel won’t find that fact particularly surprising. Even so, I was struck by how often I found myself laughing out loud as I read this. You just want to go back in time and befriend this girl. An incredible look at having ADHD in the ‘90s.

---

Ultrawild: An Audacious Plan for Rewilding Every City on Earth by Steve Mushin

[Previously seen on the Gross List]

When I think how close I came to not seeing this book before the end of the year came, it gives me chills. Folks, please meet my favorite older nonfiction book for kids. I almost never do this, but I think a trip to its website might be a good way to at least get a start on understanding what it is that Mushin has created here. Imagine if someone were to mix Where’s Waldo with David Macaulay and then add in every insane (but possible!) scientific invention and solution to our current environmental crisis. That’s this book. It’s an import from Australia where, I should note, it won Best Designed Children’s Non-Fiction book (2024 Australian Book Design Awards), and the 2024 Elsie Locke Award For Best Nonfiction (NZ). It was also shortlisted for The 2025 NSW Literary Awards, Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature, The 2025 NSW Literary Awards UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing, and the 2025 Spark! School Book Awards (UK). It should win more. Honestly, it should have appeared on ALL the best books lists that came out this year. So why hasn’t it? Probably because, like myself, the committees didn’t hear about it in time. You can bet that I would have fought tooth and nail to put it on my library’s 101 Great Books for Kids list if I’d known about it. Fortunately, my library’s Blueberry Awards come out later, so it has a chance to appear there.

Why’s it so good? Two words: Poop cannons. I mean, come on. I’m not made of stone. In this book Mushin offers extreme (and I do mean extreme) solutions to rewilding cities. He also faces a dark moment of the soul mid-book, but then he comes roaring back with even MORE ideas! I’ve never seen a book as hugely inspirational to kids as this. It’s tall (sorry, library shelves) and made for young eyes with pages packed with type and graphic novel elements. And yes, the man has a bit of an odd obsession with us eating our own legs (it makes sense in context) but I am HERE FOR IT. Seriously. Get on this thing. You’ll be glad you did. You’ll also want to hand it to the first kid you see. 

---

That’s it for today! Be sure to stay tuned for more lists on 2025 titles. The full roster is here:

December 1 – Great Board Books

December 2 – Picture Book Readalouds

December 3 – Simple Picture Book Texts

December 4 – Transcendent Holiday Children’s Books

December 5 – Rhyming Picture Books

December 6 – Funny Picture Books

December 7 – Caldenotts

December 8 – Wordless Picture Books

December 9 – Bilingual Books for Kids

December 10 – Math Books for Kids

December 11 – Books with a Message / Social Emotional Learning

December 12 – Easy Books

December 13 – Translated Children’s Books

December 14 – Fairy Tales / Folktales / Religious Tales

December 15 – Gross Books

December 16 – Poetry Books

December 17 – Unconventional Children’s Books

December 18 – Early Chapter Books

December 19 – Comics & Graphic Novels

December 20 – Older Funny Books

December 21 – Science Fiction Books

December 22 – Fantasy Books

December 23 – Informational Fiction

December 24 – American History

December 25 – Science & Nature Books

December 26 – Unique Biographies

December 27 – Blueberry Award Contenders (Celebrating the Environment)

December 28 – Nonfiction Picture Books

December 29 – Nonfiction Books for Older Readers

December 30 – Middle Grade Novels

December 31 – Picture Books

Filed under: 31 Days 31 Lists, Best Books, Best Books of 2025