Tag: funny books for kids

THROW BACK: The Princess and the Pig by Jonathan Emmett

THROW BACK: The Princess and the Pig by Jonathan Emmett

Posted on by Jaymie

This review was originally posted on my Bring on the Books blog on March 8, 2013. This is another book that was a hoot to read aloud with students. 

Summary

On the same day, a farmer discovers a small pig in his wagon and a queen is holding her baby girl. In one rash move, the baby tumbles from the tower into the wagon and the piglet is bounced from the hay up into the princess’s crib. The farmer and his wife believe a fairy has turned their pig into a child as a gracious and benevolent act while the king and queen believe an angry fairy has turned their princess into a pig because she wasn’t invited to the christening. The girl grows up sweet and charming while the pig is just a pig. Eventually, the farmer and his wife realize what has happened. Sadly they head off to the castle to make things right….

Review

I won’t spoil the fun by telling the end. Instead I’ll only say this book was a delight to read from beginning to end. I found this one at the Scholastic Book Fair at our church and my first thought after reading this was, “Why wasn’t THIS book in my preview pack!” I thought it was far better than anything else Scholastic had included in their pre-packaged preview sets for advertising their spring fairs. I can’t wait to read this one to my students and rave about it to every teacher and parent who comes through our fair at the end of the month. This was a winner!

5 out of 5 stars

 

THROW BACK: The Really Really Really Big Dinosaur by Richard Byrne

THROW BACK: The Really Really Really Big Dinosaur by Richard Byrne

Posted on by Jaymie

This review was originally posted on my Bring on the Books blog on November 2, 2012. This did become a book I would read to my students frequently – and it was always a hit! This is the sort of book that kids want to read again when it’s done so they can check out the illustrations for all of the hints they missed the first time through. One of my favorite memories is a kid blurting out something he noticed in our first read through and having him Shhh (with a wink) so the other kids could discover it too.

Summary and Review

A little dinosaur is minding his own business, counting jellybeans, when a bigger dinosaur walks by. Being a friendly little guy, the small dinosaur offers the bigger dinosaur one. But the bigger dinosaur is a bit of a bully, and he decides he wants all of the jellybeans. But they don’t belong to the little dinosaur. He says they actually belong to his BIG friend. The two dinosaurs argue back and forth about who’s the biggest and best until the big dinosaur finally meets the little dino’s very BIG friend.

Fantastic!! So funny! I can imagine reading this to my students – they will love it!!

5 out of 5 stars

THROW BACK: Silly Doggy by Adam Stower

THROW BACK: Silly Doggy by Adam Stower

Posted on by Jaymie

This review was originally posted on my Bring on the Books blog on May 22, 2012. I did end up putting this in the school library, along with the sequel Naughty Kitty. Both were a hoot to read aloud with students.

Summary and Review

Lily has always wanted a doggy, and when she spies a big, furry brown critter in the back yard, she is thrilled.

5 out of 5 stars

This book was a total surprise! I was hooked from page 2 and had to buy it. I’m still not sure if it’s going to be for school or if I’m going to keep it for myself. For me, a five star book is one that surprises me in its delightfulness. This is such a book.

REVIEW: Cranky Chicken Party Animals by Katherine Battersby

REVIEW: Cranky Chicken Party Animals by Katherine Battersby

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

Cranky Chicken and Speedy the worm explore parties in their latest adventure.

Another delightful grumpy/sunshine buddy book starring Cranky Chicken and Speedy. The sass is a little stronger in this one, and I cackled more than once.

If you are looking for a book kids and their grownups can enjoy, this series is a winner!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: The Hunger Heroes: Missed Meal Mayhem by Jarrett Lerner

REVIEW: The Hunger Heroes: Missed Meal Mayhem by Jarrett Lerner

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Edelweiss and Aladdin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The Hunger Heroes are taco ingredients with the smarts, the compassion, and the skills to save the day when kids need a snack.

Today, the Heroes – Mr. Toots the bean, Chip Ninja, Tammy the tomato, and Leonard the cheese – receive an alert that Jason missed breakfast. And he has a big math test before lunch. He needs a snack!

Review

Delightful!!

I don’t always have a lot of luck with chapter books. I love middle grade because you can really dig into stories and characters since you have a lot of pages to work with. But chapter books sometimes fall flat for me because I want something “more.”

That is NOT the case here. This is the perfect sort of chapter book for me. The illustrations are so fun to explore. The heroes are a riot! And the story does the work to make sure the adult – one of the roadblocks to Jason getting a snack – is sympathetic and an eventual ally.

This is now at the top of my recommendation list for chapter book readers as well as young middle grade readers. I think graphic novel fans will love this as will kids who love funny books. I hope we’ll be seeing a LOT of adventures for the Hunger Heroes in the future.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ – I loved it! Would re-read.

 

The release date for this delightful book has been pushed back into November. Pre-order this one; you won’t want to miss it!

REVIEW: Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite by Ashley Spires

REVIEW: Burt the Beetle Doesn’t Bite by Ashley Spires

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Burt the june beetle learns all about the special skills of different bugs. And he starts to wonder what is special about june beetles like him.

What if the answer is… nothing?

Review

ADORABLE! Another delightful book by the spectacular Ashley Spires! (I included her in a list of my favorite illustrators a few years back. You can read that post here. ) This is funny, and full of awesome bug facts as well as a fantastic story starring an endearing character. It take something special to make a BUG an endearing character!

Spires writes such fantastic stories, but her illustrations are really what make her books memorable for me. This is the sort of book that kids – and adults – are going to want to read up close so they can really enjoy the pictures and the humorous little side comments. Even the end papers are not to be missed!

If you aren’t familiar with the author’s work, some of my favorites are: The Most Magnificent Thing (♥♥♥♥♥), Binky the Space Cat (♥♥♥♥♥) and the whole Binky graphic novel series. Do not miss her work, especially this delightful book starring Burt.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥=Outstanding!

REVIEW: Virtual Unicorn Experience by Dana Simpson

REVIEW: Virtual Unicorn Experience by Dana Simpson

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

In the latest comics collection/graphic novel starring Phoebe and her best friend Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, Phoebe explores life without her phone, unicorn court, and the science museum. She also hangs out with Lord Splendid Humility and her human friends Max and Dakota. Phoebe also learns about unicorn self-esteem, the Unicorn Investigative Agency, and the cut throat world of unicorn theater. She even gets to enjoy having a unicorn tail for awhile.

This collection is full of sass and sarcasm, unicorns and laughs. I completely enjoyed this one! One moment I was heartbroken for Marigold, and then the next I was laughing with her. I loved the full range of topics and adventures the two protagonists have together. This is one of my favorite books in the whole series.

This is book 12 in this long-running series! You can see my reviews of some of the other books here. You’ll also see posts where I talk about what makes Marigold a “memorable protagonist” and why I put this series in my list of “Must Have Graphic Novels” for kids in 2018. Hand this book – and the whole series – to graphic novel fans, unicorn fans, and kids who love smart and sassy characters!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Finding Orion by John David Anderson

REVIEW: Finding Orion by John David Anderson

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

“Seriously?” I shouted, my voice carrying through the amphitheater. “This freakin’ family can’t even DIE normally.”

Rion (Orion) Kwirk has a unique family. His little sister’s favorite book is the dictionary. She has a better vocabulary than most adults. His older sister can quote Shakespeare and challenges him to sword fights. His mom is into astronomy and named all three kids after constellations. And his dad, a scientist by education, comes up with chemical formulas for jelly bean flavors. His latest – fried chicken – is stunningly accurate.

The Kwirk’s quirkiness hits new heights, though, when a singing clown shows up to tell them Rion’s grandfather, Frank, has died.

It’s obvious to Rion that his dad and grandfather had a strained relationship. They rarely visited his grandfather’s home or his dad’s hometown. When Papa Kwirk and his sister Gertie would ride into town on Papa’s motorcycle for the holidays, Rion’s parents seemed to brace themselves for the visit rather than look forward to it. Rion figures the funeral will be just as tense as those visits.

But Aunt Gertie informs the family that Papa Kwirk had very specific instructions for the celebration of his life. Rather than a funeral, they are having a “funneral” complete with food trucks and a marching band. And that’s just the beginning of the journey Rion and his family will undertake as they say goodbye to Frank.

Review

Absolute perfection! Rion is probably my favorite character from a John David Anderson novel so far. He’s bright – and hilarious – and awkward in all the best ways. He’s observant and a thinker – he notices things. And he feels out of step with his unusual family. Spending time with Rion was my favorite part of reading this book.

The rest of the characters are just as fun. The sibling dynamics are delightfully normal. There’s all the usual teasing, but there’s real care and understanding in there, too.

The story is wild. When was the last time you heard of a funeral with food trucks and a marching band? And the journey Rion and his family take after the “funneral” – the real journey of the book – is beautiful. When Rion hears from the people who knew Frank in his day-to-day life, he feels like he didn’t really know his grandfather at all. The journey they take is a chance for everyone in the family to know Frank better. It’s a rare chance at some degree of reconciliation for Rion’s dad even after Frank is gone. And it’s a bonding opportunity for Rion’s family. They will never be the same after this trip.

I can’t recommend this highly enough. It’s both funny and touching. It’s anchored by a fantastic point of view character. And the heart of the story is lovely. This was perfect!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Right Hook of Devin Velma by Jake Burt

REVIEW: The Right Hook of Devin Velma by Jake Burt

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

From the beginning, we know that Devin punched Addison. But the events of the story help Addison figure out why.

The story starts with a scheme called The Double-Barreled Monkey Bar Backflip of Doom. Devin is convinced if he can pull off this legendary playground move, he’ll become internet famous. And he wants Addison to be the look out and guy on the camera. But when the playground monitor approaches them, Addison freezes. Just like always. Too much attention, potential trouble, or just too many eyes turned his way, and Addison clams up. He might think of the right thing to say, but he’s too frozen to even speak.

Usually Devin is fine with being Addison’s voice in these moments. But Devin is obsessed with his grand plans to be internet famous. But it’s not for himself. Devin’s dad needs a really expensive surgery. If he can find the right move, and get the right attention, he can fix this thing for his family. But when the moment comes, things don’t go quite how Devin planned.

Review

I enjoyed Jake Burt’s first book, Greetings From Witness Protection, so much, this book was a must-buy for me. And this one was so fun! I love smart, funny stories. And this is exactly that. I was reading in a public space and had to remind myself not to cackle out loud as I read. This was a treat!

I love the families at the center of this story. Yes, Devin and Addison are great – but the magic of this is the big picture. It’s the relationships between these boys AND these families.

The stories of the two boys when they were little are precious. But this is the biggest challenge their friendship has faced. And the journey is fantastic. This is a great look at what friendship is about. I could see this being a great choice for a book group at a school or a classroom read-aloud.

Jake Burt is now an author I buy automatically. His third book, The Tornado, will be out this fall, and I can’t wait to read it. He’s an author to keep an eye on. Be sure to check out Greetings from Witness Protection AND The Right Hook of Devin Velma if you haven’t already! (Language – “damn” is used twice.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Wedgie and Gizmo vs. the Great Outdoors by Suzanne Selfors

REVIEW: Wedgie and Gizmo vs. the Great Outdoors by Suzanne Selfors

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The family is on their way to a week-long camping vacation! A fun adventure, but not really a great trip for a corgi and a guinea pig. So they take Wedgie and Gizmo to a “pet hotel.” Gizmo is not impressed by the amenities and Wedgie just wants his “pack” back. Between the two of then, they manage to get kicked out of the pet hotel!

So Wedgie and Gizmo are off with the family to the great outdoors. Wedgie is convinced this is their new yard and he must defend their home from the “tiny squirrels” (chipmunks). Gizmo is hoping to convince all the forest creatures to pledge their loyalty to him and his evil schemes.

Meanwhile, the family is enjoying campfires, fishing, and hiking. Well, almost everyone is enjoying the trip. Jackson, the youngest kid, is feeling left out as his siblings won’t play with him and his parents think he’s too little to do anything. But Jackson may surprise everyone in the family on this vacation!

Review

I fell in love with Wedgie and Gizmo in their first adventure, and they are still some of my favorite characters in children’s literature. These stories are so fun! And this one especially was a hoot. I love Wedgie’s energy and enthusiasm for EVERYTHING. Gizmo is clever, and I loved how his story turned out in this book. (It was so great, I don’t want to give anything away.)

One of the things I love about this series – besides the characters and the humor – is the layered storytelling. The “front” story is the Wedgie and Gizmo activity. They tell their own part of the story (a great example of voice for young writers). But woven throughout their stories are conversations between the human members of the family. And there’s always a full story going on there, too, in the “background.” I’m so impressed by the writing in this series and how the author works the two stories together.

I think this is a series that works for both chapter book readers (and kids whose parents read them chapter books) as well as younger middle grade readers. I highly recommend the whole series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½