Bonsall, Crosby. And I Mean It Stanley.HarperCollins, 1974.
A little kid spends the entire book yelling and taunting the unseen Stanley. This spare, realistic monologue hits the nail on the head and always makes me laugh.
Bonsall, Crosby. The Day I Had to Play with My Sister. HarperCollins, 1972.
This is a quietly amusing story about a boy trying his hardest to teach his younger sister how to play hide-and-seek. The illustrations of the frus- trated boy and his sister’s innocence bring out the humor.
Cazet, Denys. Minnie and Moo Go to the Moon.Dorling Kindersley, 1998.
Two cows try to drive the farmer’s tractor. They believe the secret to driv- ing lies in wearing the farmer’s hat and repeating the magic words, “You cheesy piece of junk! You broken-down, no-good, rusty bucket of bolts!”
The illustration that made me laugh hardest was one of the cows per- forming a side-vault over a fence to elude the farmer. Sequels: Minnie and Moo Go Dancing (Dorling Kindersley, 1998); Minnie and Moo and the Thanksgiving Tree(Dorling Kindersley, 1998); Minnie and Moo Go to Paris (Dorling Kindersley, 1999); Minnie and Moo Save the Earth (Dorling Kindersley, 1999); Minnie and Moo and the Musk of Zorro (Dorling Kindersley, 2000); Minnie and Moo Meet Frankenswine (HarperCollins, 2001); Minnie and Moo and the Potato from Planet X (HarperCollins, 2002).
Eastman, P. D. Flap Your Wings.Random, 1969.
Mr. and Mrs. Bird unwittingly hatch an alligator egg. They try to keep up with the youngster’s hunger by bringing it fruit, bugs, and worms, but
“Junior never stopped eating.” The alligator soon becomes too big for the nest and the Birds encourage it to fly away.
Karlin, Nurit. The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat.HarperCollins, 1996.
Lots of fun assonance as a rat, bat, and hat try to get the fat cat off the mat. When they all leave, the mat says, “Thank goodness.”
Kessler, Leonard. Old Turtle’s Baseball Stories.Greenwillow, 1982.
Turtle tells stories about former baseball greats such as Cleo Octopus, who threw a “fast ball, slow ball, curve ball, and knuckle ball” all at the same time. Sequel: Old Turtle’s Winter Games(Greenwillow, 1983).
LeSieg, Theo. I Wish That I Had Duck Feet.Random, 1965.
A boy uses his imagination to think of the benefits and disadvantages of having duck feet, two deer horns, a whale spout, a long tail, and an ele- phant nose. LeSieg is Geisel spelled backward. Geisel is Dr. Seuss’s real name. Share this trivia tidbit with your audience.
Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad Are Friends.HarperCollins, 1970.
This volume contains five classic short, short stories featuring the two friends. “The Story” shows Toad thinking of a story to tell to Frog.
However, he has trouble creating one. He paces, stands on his head, and dumps a glass of water in hopes that these actions will help him think of a story. Instead, his crazy efforts become the story. Sequels: Frog and Toad Together (HarperCollins, 1972); Frog and Toad All Year(HarperCollins, 1976); Days with Frog and Toad(HarperCollins, 1979).
Lobel, Arnold. Grasshopper on the Road.HarperCollins, 1978.
Grasshopper has many encounters with insects and worms. The funni- est occurs when he meets the “We Love Morning Club.” He gets kicked out when he admits, “I love afternoon, too.”
Marshall, Edward. Fox on Wheels.Illustrated by James Marshall. Dial, 1983.
There are several short books featuring Fox. This one in particular con- tains great dialogue. String several of the Fox stories together for a reader’s theater presentation. The story “Fox and the Grapes” contains one of the funniest lines. Fox is taunted to join Millie high up in a tree.
When he finally gets up, she tells him that she doesn’t know how to get down. Fox replies, “Well, that’s just dandy!” Companion books: Fox and His Friends(Dial, 1982); Fox at School(Dial, 1983); Fox All Week(Dial,
1984); Fox on the Job (Dial, 1988); Fox Be Nimble (Dial, 1990); Fox Outfoxed(Dial, 1992); Fox on Stage(Dial, 1993).
Marshall, Edward. Three by the Sea.Illustrated by James Marshall. Dial, 1981.
Three friends tell each other stories. They think each other’s stories are dumb. They are, but they’re funny, too. The best one is about a rat who buys a cat from a pet store. The cat starts feeling hungry. Hmmm, what do cats like to eat? Another piece of trivia you can pass onto your audi- ence is that Edward Marshall is really James Marshall. Sequel: Four on the Shore(Dial, 1985).
Palmer, Helen. A Fish Out of Water.Illustrated by P. D. Eastman. Random, 1961.
A boy feeds his new pet goldfish the whole box of fish food despite the pet store owner’s warnings. The fish immediately outgrows the goldfish bowl, then the vase, various pots, the bathtub, the flooded cellar, and the city swimming pool. Helen Palmer was Dr. Seuss’s first wife. More Dr.
Seuss trivia to share with your audience.
Parish, Peggy. Amelia Bedelia.HarperCollins, 1963.
Amelia Bedelia’s first day on the job has her dusting the furniture (by putting dust all over the furniture), putting out the lights (which she accomplishes by gathering all of the lightbulbs in the house and hanging them on the clothesline), and dressing the chicken (she makes an outfit for the evening’s main entrée.) Luckily for her, she makes a mean lemon meringue pie. Amelia Bedelia appears in over a dozen sequels, some writ- ten by Peggy Parish’s nephew, Herman Parish.
Quackenbush, Robert. Henry’s Awful Mistake.Parent’s Magazine, 1980.
Henry the Duck sees an ant in his kitchen. Not wanting his aunt to think that his house isn’t clean, he chases the ant. In the process, he moves the stove, smashes a hole in the wall, breaks a water pipe, and floods his house, which washes away. Settled in his new house, he sees an ant. . . . Rylant, Cynthia. Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears.Illustrated by Arthur
Howard. Harcourt, 1995.
Mr. Putter’s cranky legs, cranky knees, and cranky feet lead him to make a slingshot out of his poodle underwear. He uses it to shoot the apples that have already fallen on the ground at the pears in the pear tree.
Companion books: Mr. Putter and Tabby Walk the Dog (Harcourt, 1994);
Mr. Putter and Tabby Bake the Cake(Harcourt, 1994); Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea(Harcourt, 1994).
Seuss, Dr. The Cat in the Hat.Random, 1957.
The book that revolutionized the genre of easy readers is still funny to today’s young generation. The world-famous cat (who wears the world’s most recognizable hat) brings Thing One and Thing Two over to the house one boring, rainy day while Mother was away. Sequel: The Cat in the Hat Comes Back(Random, 1957).
Seuss, Dr. Green Eggs and Ham.Random, 1960.
Sam offers green eggs and ham in a variety of ways to the narrator in this classic easy reader. Only one word in the text has more than one syllable.
Many librarians have served green food with this book over the years.
Seuss, Dr. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.Random, 1960.
Several short hilarious episodes introduce the reader to the Zans (they’re good for opening cans), the seven hump Wump, sheep walking in their sleep, a boxing Gox, and a singing Ying (among other things). Why is this book so funny? “I don’t know. Go ask your Pop.”
Smith, Lane. The Happy Hocky Family.Viking, 1993.
This parody of early easy reader primers will appeal to older kids and adults more than the easy reading crowd, despite the childlike illustra- tions. Use it as a writing exercise. The funniest bits involve the baby with the red balloon, which turns into the baby with the string, and the child with the ant farm talking about “responsibility.” The ants are seen loose all over the next story.
Thomas, Shelley Moore. Good Night, Good Knight.Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas. Dutton, 2000.
Three little dragons keep a brave knight busy as he unwittingly answers their calls for tuck-ins, drinks of water, reading, singing, and good-night kisses.
Wiseman, Bernard. Morris and Boris.Dodd, 1974.
A moose and a bear have three series of hilarious and exasperating dialogues. “The Riddles,” “The Tongue-Twisters,” and “The Game” are
perfect stories for reader’s theater. Morris appears by himself and at times with Boris in nearly a dozen companion books.