Funny Picture Books for First and Second Graders
WRITTEN BY ABI CUSHMAN
As a parent, I love sharing a laugh with my kids while reading a funny picture book. Funny picture books are entertaining and make reading fun, and some even go beyond that. I’ve picked a few of my favorite funny picture books that not only get the laughs, they also fit in well with a first and second grade curriculum.
These are books where kids can learn about science, or the difference between fact and opinion, or how to handle emotions or social situations. Here are my top picks for the best funny picture books for first and second graders.
Wombats Are Pretty Weird by Abi Cushman
This is a laugh-out-loud funny picture book all about the wonderfully weird marsupial known as the wombat. With comic-style illustrations and speech bubbles, this book is kid-friendly while sharing a wealth of weird animal facts. It would fit well with a science unit on animals as it covers topics like habitat, diet, and specialized adaptations of wombats. Kids could draw their own funny scene based on their favorite animal fact.
Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo
In this absurdly funny picture book, a class of kids come to believe that an uneaten sandwich on their teacher’s desk is actually their teacher, Mr. S. The pictures show there are reasons to believe that the sandwich is their teacher as well as reasons to believe the kids might be mistaken. This would be a fun picture book to share at the beginning of the school year. It would pair well with the classic, Miss Nelson is Missing.
The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach
This is a hilarious readaloud about a butterfly who can’t wait to metamorphosize. In fact, he’s so impatient, he breaks out of his chrysalis on Day 1 and realizes he’s still a caterpillar. It’s a great discussion starter about being patient, and it would be a fun way to introduce a butterfly life cycle unit.
The Boo-Boos of Bluebell Elementary by Chelsea Lin Wallace and Alison Farrell
In this amusing rhyming story, Miss Peatree, the school nurse, sees a variety of kids throughout her day with various ailments. With just the right amount of grossness to make kids giggle, first and second graders will definitely relate to this book, especially to the kid whose loose tooth will not come out.
Unicorns Are the Worst by Alex Willan
This funny story features Gilbert the goblin, who is fed up with everyone saying unicorns are the best, when all they do is frolic and get glitter everywhere. He makes the case that, in fact, unicorns are the worst. Kids will love Gilbert’s antics, including one scene where you see his little goblin butt. This would be a great book to introduce a unit on opinion writing.
Chez Bob by Bob Shea
In this hilarious tale, Bob is a lazy alligator who sets up a restaurant on his snout in order to lure birds to his mouth so he can eat them. As time goes by, his snout becomes the center of a pretty nice bird community, complete with a school and a train track (even though birds can fly). This is a funny readaloud and a great discussion starter about whether or not Bob will actually eat the birds.
Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack by Stacy McAnulty and Matthew Rivera
This is a funny and informative book about the human brain, narrated by a zombie who definitely isn’t thinking about eating your brain. It is a highly entertaining readaloud and would pair well with a unit about the human body.
Chester van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme by Avery Monsen and Abby Hanlon
This is very funny readaloud about a boy who wakes up one day and finds out he can’t rhyme. The story is told in couplets that miss out on the final rhyming word, and instead sub in a silly alternative phrase. It would be a great book to go with a unit on rhyming or poetry.
Don’t Eat Bees: Life Lessons from Chip the Dog by Dev Petty and Mike Boldt
In this hilarious readaloud, Chip the Dog shares all the wisdom he’s gained from his 7-year life, which includes what to eat (important papers, giant bird humans cook for Thanksgiving) and what not to eat (bees). Kids could write their own life lessons from the point of view of a dog or their favorite pet.
Butt or Face? by Kari Lavelle
This is a very fun, and surprisingly challenging, guessing game book. As the title suggests, you have to guess whether the photo is depicting an animal’s butt or face, and then the answer is revealed along with some information about the animal and their unique face or butt. Kids will have fun shouting out the answer, and it’s a great way to talk about animal adaptations and learn cool animal facts.
My School Stinks! by Becky Scharnhorst and Julia Patton
In this highly entertaining read aloud, Stuart takes a wrong turn on his first day of school and ends up at a school where his classmates are all wild animals. Told from the perspective of Stuart via his diary entries, this would be a fantastic book to read at the beginning of the school year. Kids could write their own “Dear Diary” entries.
If you enjoyed this list of funny picture books for first and second graders, be sure to check out my other Picture Book Recommendations.
Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Associates program, which means I earn a small commission (at no cost to you) for any qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
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