Tag: silly

It’s Not Hansel and Gretel (Josh Funk)

Leave a comment

Hello, friends! Our book today is It’s Not Hansel and Gretel, written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Edwardian Taylor, a hilariously fractured twist on the original fairy tale.

As the narrator of Hansel and Gretel’s tale opens the scene, he is immediately distracted by the presence of Jack (of “and the Beanstalk”, and the protagonist of the book’s prequel). Shooing Jack back to his own story, the narrator begins the familiar tale: in a time of great famine, Hansel and Gretel’s parents plot to abandon them in the woods – except Gretel immediately interrupts to disagree with this notion, adamant that their parents would never do such a thing. This becomes the running theme, as the siblings push back against the increasingly frustrated narrator, refusing to follow the story laid out for them. Gretel is particularly fed up with the traditional gender roles, questioning why it can’t be “Gretel and Hansel”, and why her brother gets to eat treats in the candy cage while she has to do chores in the witch’s gingerbread house. Even when the narrator proves to be right – the siblings eventually concede that maybe the witch WASN’T just a nice old lady – their refusal to follow direction spurs the exasperated narrator to give up control of the story… and that’s when the real fun begins.

Delightfully goofy. The effect will work best on kids who are familiar with the original fairy tale, but this rollicking tale is chock full of so much snappy dialogue, colorful visuals, and wonderfully kid-friendly humor that it’s worth it to brush up on the Grimms’s version. The layout of the different texts for character speech, traditional narration, and the narrator’s outbursts is a nice touch – reading this one aloud is a challenge but an entertaining one (brush up on your character voices, this one is rife with opportunities). The cameos from other fairy tale notables are also a fun feature for eagle-eyed bookworms, the length is perfect, and JJ and I had a blast reading it. Perfect for lovers of silly humor, and emphatically Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by a representative of the author in exchange for an honest review.)

I Am Not A Chair! (Ross Burach)

Leave a comment

Hello, friends! Our book today is I Am Not A Chair! by Ross Burach, a silly story of a giraffe with a rather specific predicament.

It’s Giraffe’s first day in the jungle, and he is excited to make new friends… just one problem. For some strange reason, the other animals keep mistaking him for a chair… and sitting on him. He tries to speak up, but the animals, not realizing their mistake, inadvertently impede his power of speech in various ways. He tries to build a chair (which looks TOTALLY different from him, FYI) that the animals can use instead, but it backfires: now they just think there’s two chairs. Giraffe has had enough, and he vows that the next animal he sees, he will declare clearly and firmly that he is NOT A CHAIR! But will he maintain that resolve when the next animal is a – gulp! – hungry lion?

Goofy and fun. Using a healthy dose of outlandish visual humor and a plot that serves mainly to set up the next punchline, this is definitely a story written with kid-friendly humor in mind. It’s possible that a lesson in speaking up is intended as well, but it sort of gets lost in the comedy – especially when Giraffe, finally having broken the other animals of using him accidentally as a chair, does the very same thing to a turtle. However, the good-humored silliness in the story and wide-eyed, cartoonish characters and illustrations are enough that any deeper message becomes arbitrary. The length is fine, and JJ enjoyed it. A solid read to share a laugh to, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved.

Truck Full Of Ducks (Ross Burach)

Leave a comment

Hello, friends! Or book today is Truck Full Of Ducks by Ross Burach, the hilariously silly story of an unusual delivery.

Bernie the dog’s Truck Full Of Ducks delivery service gets an urgent order, so he herds his rascally feathered fowl into the truck and heads out. Unfortunately, one of the rambunctious ducks snacks on the directions to Bernie’s destination! How will he find his customer now? Left with no other choice, Bernie drives around and asks everyone he comes across if they ordered a Truck Full Of Ducks. But everyone is waiting for something else instead: a tow-truck for the alien’s broken-down UFO, an ice cream truck for the surfer shark, etc. Will Bernie ever find his customer? And when he does… what becomes of the ducks?

Ridiculous and charming. The dialogue-driven text and frenetic illustrations use wordplay, broad humor, and a heavy dose of irony to fill every page with jokes that are hilarious to readers both young and old. JJ loved the wild antics of the ducks, as well as the ample opportunities for character voices while reading aloud. The twist ending is amusingly unexpected, and the length is perfect for a quick read – but with plenty of details in the art that invite repeat readings. We loved this one, and highly recommend it for a laugh. Baby Bookworm approved!

Duck On A Disco Ball (Jeff Mack)

Leave a comment

img_4690-1

Hello, friends! Our book today is Duck On A Disco Ball by Jeff Mack, a story that imagines just what it is that grown-ups are up to after their kids go to bed.

A little boy resists his bedtime, citing a number of serious (yet unlikely) events that he would miss if he were sleeping: what if a giant boulder smashes the house? Or a bunch of cows come for a party? His parents remind him that growing little boys need sleep, but he asks an all-too-familiar question: how come THEY get to stay up? After all, what is it that adults do after their children’s bedtimes? Finding his stuffed duck draped over a disco ball the next day, the boy decides to stay up to find out… but is he ready for the wild surprises in store?

I feel like this is a pretty common question that kids have for their parents, and the book proposes some amusingly ludicrous scenarios: the boy’s toy duck comes to life and, with the parents, hosts a rollicking party filled with talking farm animals, jumping on the couch, delicious snacks, and even a quite literal “rock” concert. The illustrations capture a sense of frenzied, disorganized fun, perfect for a party. And the reader is left with a question as to whether the events were real or only a dream in a way that extends the joke without being frustrating. But be aware: this book is PUNNY. SO many puns. Kids love them, so it works well in context, but oh man. I definitely groaned internally at a few. However, if puns are your thing, this is a fantastic romp that will delight little readers – even if it may make them want to stay up a little later. The length was good, JJ enjoyed it, and this one is Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this books was provided to The Baby Bookworm by a representative of the author in exchange for an honest review.)

The Good For Nothing Button (Charise Mericle Harper)

Leave a comment

Hello, friends! Our book today is The Good For Nothing Button by Charise Mericle Harper, a wonderfully silly story about nothing at all.

Two birds, Red and Blue, happily greet their friend Yellow as he approaches them with a special item. It’s a red button that, when pressed, does… nothing. That’s it. The button does nothing at all! Blue Bird is surprised, and asks if he may try. Pressing the button he is surprised again to find that it’s true – the button does nothing! But Red points out that the button made him surprised, and well, surprised is NOT “nothing”. Pressing the button himself, Red finds that it makes him sad – another not-nothing. Frustrated, Yellow Bird insists that the button can’t MAKE them feel any way, it’s a nothing button – it does NOTHING! After an animated tirade on the subject, Red and Blue decree that they know what the button does for Yellow – it makes him funny. Thinking on this, Yellow decides that funny is not a terrible thing to be, so maybe the button isn’t good for nothing after all.

Delightfully fun. Third in the Elephant & Piggie Like Reading series, it does the titular duo’s trademark wackiness justice. The story has fun and melodramatic dialogue that is a blast to read aloud, featuring lots of gags and even a quick run-through of different emotions (JJ loved that page best). The illustrations are simple yet full of charm, and the length was great – manageable as a storytime for little bookworms, or an early reader for growing ones. A great addition to the series, and Baby Bookworm approved!