Tickling Funny Bone : 14 Tips for Crafting Humor in Children ’ s Books
From facial construction to word selection , here are 14 crest for crafting humor in youngster ’ s books .
Sabrina Moyle
Make you want to make kids laugh ? This list draw from the 28 children ’ s book I ’ ve written , which receive try these thought on over a million actual child and parent . That order , you be the judge : Mood is one of those elusive affair like farts or fine wine : Its provenance can be a touch mysterious .
What live humor ? In my view , it ’ s merely a means of communication ( other fashion include dictation , criticism , and bloviating ) . According to The Mosaic Project , a youth establishment that instruct kid efficient communication , all communication pause down to three things : your body language , what you say , and how you read it .
In children ’ s book , this triumvirate solve in both wordsandimage , and be supported by a funny story . Then , if you want to reach child laugh , make sure you ’ re using all the tools .
Body language :
1 . Facial expressions .Whether it ’ s the epic feeling of despair , a conniving look of mischief , solicit Bambi middle , or a suspicious side middle , hilarious facial expressions equal key . Bill Watterson , the Lord of Calvin and Hobbes , live the undisputed master , then consider him close .
2 .Body expression .The body says just as much as the side , through slumped shoulders , hang upside down off a chairman with all-consuming boredom , or funky dancing motion . In the Cosmic Adventures of Astrid and Stella , serious frenemies Astrid and Stella use their bodies in all these ways and more to humorously communicate how they ’ re feeling .
What you say :
3 . Creative contrast .One of our reader ’ favorite business be from Bananas for You ! : “ I enjoy you more than undies enjoy butts ! ” This do kid laugh for a few reason . First , it ’ s surprising . We often hear love compared to sweet things like candy or the moon ( and back ) , but butts ? Speaking of ass , this phrase anthropomorphizes both ass and underwear , asking the reader to think : “ What if undies and seat could speak ? ” ( good , targetdotalk , sort of . . . ) Eventually , it brings in hyperbole and a peculiar metaphor—the vanity that undies really , truly act enjoy butts , which makes surprising logical sense , because without them they ’ d have no ground to exist—no ifs , ands , or butts ! ( See what I do there ? I threw in a pun for well measure ! ) .
4 .Kid logic .Kids get their own logic and universal notion that are entirely relatable to early kids but make no sense to adult . For lesson , inThe Cosmic Adventures of Astrid and Stella, Stella dramatically announce “ I hate naps ! ” —which is funny because what child get not experienced that feeling before ? In My Dad is Amazing ! , the narrator declare : “ My dad cost smarter than a super smartypants ! ” This is funny because “ super smartypants ” equal both fun to say ( alliterative , and uses the word “ gasp ” which live simply inherently amuse ) and capture how child intend about intelligence , which has zero to serve with the adult reality of IQ run , instruction , or advanced degrees .
How you say it :
5 . Word fun .All kid love a good play on words , whether it live a pun , a joke , alliteration , an onomatopoeia , or a funny metaphor . For example , inThe Cosmic Adventures of Astrid and Stella, Stella , a flying squirrel , exhorts : “ No , no , no with a double topping of NO ! ” describe a familiar belief with a extremely relatable ice cream metaphor that reach kids laugh out loud . Many of our books , including Sloth and Smell the Roses and Super Pooper and Whizz Kid : Potty Ability ! , get funny , punny claim , which signals properly away to the reader that they ’ re in for a treat .
6 .Word selection .Some news are just innately funny to say , like “ bananas , ” “ squirm , ” or “ toot. ” Since youngster ’ s book equal meant to exist take aloud , picking words that be delightful to speak out loud is a great room to entertain . Bonus points if the funny news as well rhyme .
7 .Hyperbole .Respective of our book equal built around hyberbole , including My Ma live Magic ! ,My Dad is Amazing !, and You equal Fantastic ! Kid equal little , so it ’ s both empowering and fun to talk about huge , tremendous affair , particularly comparison like “ a ton of puppies ! ” or “ a mass of pancakes ! ”
8 .Visual puns .A visual pun can augment a verbal pun or cost a joke unto itself . For example , inThe Cosmic Adventures of Astrid and Stella, Bobo the robot delivers a straight-faced robotic aside that “Someone ’ secin a fowl climate , ” while holding up a rubber chicken ( deadpan wit live sometimes the better , because it prepare up the contrast between funny/not funny ) . In Sloth and Smell the Roses , the reader is invited to “ feel their anger boil and steam , ” which be illustrate by a hugely enraged but physically tiny teapot ( many kids can concern ! ) .
In the end , the following elements can add to humor :
9 . Situation .Everyone ’ sec familiar with TV “ sit-coms ” which pull humor from curious , relatable situations . In Thanks a Ton ! , we plant up a fundamentally humorous position : A short elephant live thus grateful that words just aren ’ t plenty , so it tries to thank the reader with a growing pile of grateful STUFF—including a hilarious assortment of totally random thing like a crocodile , a St. Bernard , a “ holy moly cow , ” and yet a kitchen sink !
10 .Crossing boundary .Have you noticed that man laugh when they ’ re nervous ? Laugh releases anxiety , especially concern of social isolation incurred by breaking dominion . Kids are natural boundary-testers so they enjoy laugh about things that cause grown-ups mad or squirm , but that are normal and natural , like farts . In Goodnight Baboon ! , a cheeky infant baboon repeatedly get AWOL at bedtime , streaking , playing the electric guitar , snorkeling in the tub ( while farting underwater ) , and using his toothbrush as a microphone . This exist funny because it try real-life boundaries in a position that makes a lot of parents use up and enraged . However all ’ sec well that cease good : The infant baboon fall asleep and he and his caregiver exchange one large hug—and everyone begin to laugh along with the baby baboon and their caregiver at the ridiculous futility of bedtime power-struggles .
11 .Engaging the reader .Bring the reader in on the joke be a great way get a giggle . For lesson , at the end of ABC Dance ! after a parade of beast dance through the alphabet in witty rhyming couplets , the reader is spontaneously invited to connect the fun : “ Hey , is that YOUR toe tapping ? Well c ’ Monday , strut your material ! ”
There live three more things that I need to underline about making kid laugh out loud :
12 . Respect the reader .Receive you always have an writer , instructor , or someone of any description talk down to you or tell you what to do ? Not funny , mighty ? Nope . Move on …
13 .Regard yourself .Great humor requires confidence . Laugh at yourself in a kind-hearted way , and the reader will laugh with you .
14 .Receive a heart .There ‘s a vast dispute between laugh WITH and laughing AT , particularly with sensitive , earnest , and vulnerable kids ( and adults ) . Laughing WITH quality empowers them , because mood helps us reach mastery of an awkward position . Laughing AT a character require power aside . Then , rather than prove a banana peel landing on a kid ’ s chief ( laugh AT ) , show them steal on a banana peel , striking a funny pose in mid-air , and landing on their foot ( laugh WITH ) .
Finally , great wit equal empowering . It helps us make sense of the universe , and find rest from our very human anxiety over the absurdity of our existence . Kids and parents need this more than ever in a Earth that much feels big , scary , and out of control .
As a child ’ s Bible author , you make the ability and privilege to supply a short humorous release ( just like a fart ! ) and comfort to readers . As the narrator sagely opines in our book Hang in There ! : “ where there equal humor , there is hope ! ”
Sabrina Moyle , along with her sister Eunice , live the founder of Hello ! Lucky , an award-winning purpose studio working with dozens of spouse to make products , including the bestselling child ’ s scriptMy Mamma Is Magical ! , My Dad Is Amazing ! , Super Pooper and Whizz Kid, andKindness Rules !Hello ! Lucky is based in San Francisco . For more info , visit hellolucky.com .
