Tag Archives: Humor

Elem. – Oslo Learns to Swim

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Cushman, Doug. Oslo Learns to Swim. Simon Spotlight, 2023. 978-1-665-92648-5. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades 1-3.

Oslo Learns to Swim follows two best friends Oslo a bird and Rex a warthog on a hot summer day Rex is going swimming. Oslo has a lot of questions such as, are there sharks or giant squid?  Eventually it comes out that Oslo doesn’t know how to swim, so Rex teaches him. At the end of the story there are two crocodiles headed to go swimming as well.  One crocodile tells the other he is afraid of warthogs.

THOUGHTS: This book is perfect for fans of Elephant and Piggie or just funny easy readers. Must have for any elementary library collection.

Beginning Reader
Humor

Elem. – This Book Is Banned

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Haldar, Raj. This Book Is Banned. Illustrated by Julia Patton. Sourcebooks Explore, 2023. 978-1-728-27656-4. $18.99. Grades PreK-2.

“If we only read books that we already agreed with, we’d never learn anything new!” It begins with the hippos who don’t like how tall giraffes get all the leaves, so the giraffes are banned. Dinosaurs are more exciting, but some people think they’re make believe so dinosaurs are banned too. And so continue the antics in which avocados, beds, roller skating robots, and so many other things are banned. What then will this book be about? In a humorous manner, Haldar explains book banning to children through ridiculous scenarios. The final lesson “remember, even if a book isn’t for you, it could still be perfect for someone else.” is a perfect reminder that libraries are for all and represent all.

THOUGHTS: Preferences over what we each like is the perfect way to introduce the topic of book banning to children. With giggles guaranteed, this picture book will be a great read aloud, especially to celebrate the freedom to read during Banned Books Week.

Picture Book

Elem./MG – The Curious Vanishing of Beatrice Willoughby

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Schmidt, G.Z. The Curious Vanishing of Beatrice Willoughby. Holiday House/Peachtree, 2023. $17.99. 267 p. Grades 3-6.

The quirky town of Nevermore’s most auspicious couple, Maribelle and Mort Amadeus, host a grand party at their mansion every All Hallow’s Eve. Thirteen years ago, the despotic Mayor Willoughby’s six-year-old daughter, Beatrice, vanished during the party, and Mort Amadeus was accused of the crime and arrested. The parties have ceased until now. Selective citizens of the town have been invited to convene before the statute of limitations on the crime is up at midnight. Joining them are drifters, Chaucer O’Conner and his inquisitive eleven-year-old son, Dewey. With his trusty notebook and copper goggles, Dewey follows the odd guests from clue to clue to unravel who really took Beatrice and to exonerate the imprisoned Mort Amadeus. Each guest draws on their unique specialty, like Dr. Frankenstein Foozle makes a phantom dog from a vial of ground bone that can sniff out the essence of a person. Intermittently in their investigations, Chaucer interjects a story he collected in his travels that sounds strangely familiar to well-known fairy tales. Author G.Z. Schmidt couples fast-paced narration with creepy descriptions and a dash of subtle humor. The reader’s mind will do double-duty matching up the clues with the townsfolk’s characteristics and Chaucer’s tales until the epilogue that starts the search all over again.

THOUGHTS: What middle schooler doesn’t enjoy a light-hearted, creepy book? The characters have multiple quirks, and Dewey exhibits sufficient charm to sustain interest. Give this book to students who enjoy Trenton Lee Stewart’s The Mysterious Benedict Society series or Adam Gidwitz’s A Tale Dark and Grimm or Michael Buckley’s The Sisters Grimm. This book also made me think of Ronald L. Smith’s Gloom Town, and there are elements in both that can be compared.  I think Gloom Town is more character-driven and has a stronger plot. What The Curious Vanishing of Beatrice Willoughby lacks in craft, it makes up for in a captivating story and its ability to maintain high interest to its targeted audience.

Fantasy
Mystery  

Elem. – Very Good Hats

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Straub, Emma. Very Good Hats. Illustrated by Blanca Gómez. Rocky Pond Books, 2023. 978-0-593-52943-0. $18.99. 32 p. Grades PK-2.

Hats are everywhere! So many different things can be used as a hat. Acorns and tortellini make silly hats for our fingers, cats make warm hats for our heads, even books can be made into hats. Clouds become hats for airplanes, hats are used to serve ice cream at baseball games, and different jobs require different hats. This adorable picture book challenges the reader to think of different common objects that can take on the properties of hats of all shapes and sizes.

THOUGHTS: Absolutely adorable primary color illustrations by Blanca Gómez add to the fun in this light, humorous picture book.

Picture Book

Elem. – Pizza My Heart

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Song, Mika. Pizza My Heart. RH Graphic, 2022. 978-0-593-47972-8. $12.99. 91 p. Grades K-3.

Tired of eating only acorns, squirrels Norma and Belly set out in search of pizza. A new pizzeria has opened in town with a storefront vending machine. Norma and Belly observe a human operating the machine and decide to give it a try. The only problem is they do not have any money to insert into the machine. When Norma scrambles up the machine to try to figure it out, she is sucked in through the bill slot, and finds herself in the pizzeria, and the adventure begins. Hiding in a pizza box, Norma is accidentally packed onto a delivery bike and whisked away. Meanwhile, Belly, who has been desperately trying to break into the pizzeria, hops aboard the delivery bike in hopes of gaining access after the delivery. As it turns out, the delivery bike is headed to the home of Tomato, a mean cat wearing an eye patch. It will take brains and guts to get past Tomato and rescue Norma, but Belly prevails. 

THOUGHTS: A delightful early graphic novel, Pizza My Heart has amusing illustrations and characters that are adorably silly. A great introduction to graphic novels.

Early Graphic Novel          Anne McKernan, Council Rock SD

MG – Fenris and Mott

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van Eekhout, Greg. Fenris and Mott. HarperCollins Publishers, 2022. ISBN 9780062970633. 195 p. $16.99 Grades 4-6.

Mott is a lonely girl who has recently moved to LA with her mother; she languishes during summer break while her best friend from back home travels to Germany. She finds Fenris, a seemingly innocent puppy, in a recycling bin and takes him to a shelter, only to realize that he is really a wolf and that he can eat lampposts, cars, and even enemies. When Thrudil, the Valkyrie protector of Fenris, arrives on the scene as well, she gallops around LA trying to avoid other mythical enemies and monsters and trying to prevent the end of the world.

THOUGHTS: Fans of Rick Riordan, especially his Magnus Chase series, will love this humorous take on the tale of Fenris, eater of the moon and destroyer of worlds in Norse mythology. Mott and Thurdil have a quirky, friendly relationship, and the book doesn’t take itself too seriously, making for a quick read that will be easy to recommend to students who like fantasy, adventure, and sharp humor!

Fantasy Fiction          Erin Faulkner, Cumberland Valley SD

Elem. – Red Riding Hood and the Three Billy Goats Gruff

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Turner, Tracey and Summer Macon. Red Riding Hood and the Three Billy Goats Gruff. Kane Miler, 2022. 978-1-68464-311-0. Unpaged. $12.99. Grades PreK-2. 

Red Riding Hood and the Three Billy Goats Gruff is a mashup of both of those fairy tales and takes the reader on a funny but adorable journey, combining aspects of both of those fairy tales. As the reader goes through the story, seeing elements of both fairy tales found within the illustrations is a fun side journey to take. There are elements of the original fairy tale found in each story, and the author keeps certain aspects the same. The troll from the Three Billy Goats Gruff is found in Grandma’s bed, just how the wolf would have been.

THOUGHTS: Overall, this is a fun and enjoyable read aloud that will have readers asking for more.

Picture Book          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy

Elem. – Bathe the Cat

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McGinty, Alice. Bathe the Cat. Chronicle Books, 2022. 978-1-452-14270-8. Unpaged $17.99. Grades K-2.

Bathe the Cat is a funny rhyming picture book about a family whose grandmother is coming to visit, so they make a list of chores to do. One of those chores is to bathe the cat, which doesn’t make the cat very happy. So the cat spends the rest of the picture book messing the chore list up, so they end up doing things like mowing the floor and mopping the fishes. Finally by the end of the book the chores are done, grandma has come, and the cat escaped their bath. Throughout this book, the reader will love finding the cat and their mischievous ways they mess with the chores.

THOUGHTS: Wonderful picture book with charming illustrations. Definitely a great addition to any elementary collection.

Picture Book          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy

Elem. – How to Draw a Happy Cat

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Berlin, Ethan T. How to Draw a Happy Cat. Illustrated by Jimbo Matison. Astra Books for Young Readers, 2022. 978-1-662-64011-7. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-2.

With simple shapes and step-by-step directions, readers will delight in being taught how to draw a happy cat. But when cat’s frown is upside down, what can the illustrator do to make her happy? Maybe a cool t-shirt, a stuffy, or a skateboard will make cat happy. Only for a little while. What else can we try? Maybe some friends will help cat smile. When the friends go on a high flying adventure, trouble ensues, but will cat and her friends end up happy or not?

THOUGHTS: This title offers the perfect opportunity to teach students how to use simple shapes to draw a lot of fun animals and items. Use it as an introductory read aloud before teaching students how to read directions carefully or follow a multi-step process, or as a fun game of predicting what can we try next to make cat smile. Recommended for elementary collections where how to and drawing books are popular.

Picture Book          Maryalice Bond, South Middleton SD

Elem. – Pizza and Taco: Too Cool for School

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Shaskan, Stephen. Pizza and Taco: Too Cool for School. Random House, 2022. 978-0-593-37607-2. 58 p. $9.99. Grades K-2.

Best friends Pizza and Taco are back in another installment of Stephen Shaskan’s graphic novel series for younger elementary readers. The pair are sure they are going to be the coolest kids at school upon their arrival–after all, Pizza has just gotten a new backpack featuring one of the most popular shows on TV. But when they arrive at Fairfield Elementary, they discover the buzz in the schoolyard is all about a new student in their class–BLT. BLT certainly seems cool to Pizza and Taco. He wears sunglasses, doesn’t care about being late to class, and is too hip to play games with the other students at recess. Desperate to be as cool as BLT, Pizza and Taco round up some sunglasses from lost and found, hang out with BLT at recess and start showing up to class late. But, when they happen to meet BLT’s older brother, they learn that BLT might just actually be….a typical student?!?

THOUGHTS: Many students will be able to relate to Pizza and Taco wanting to emulate the cool new kid. Some readers may also identify with BLT–the new kid who (as it turns out) is putting on a bit of an act to seem too cool for school to impress his new classmates. Not only will readers learn about the importance of staying true to yourself, they will also enjoy the humorous illustrations and dialogue.

Graphic Novel            Elizabeth Henry, Lampeter-Strasburg SD