If you want to write a picture book with humor, you must understand the development of humor in kids. Thanks, Tammi, for asking for something on this topic. If you have requests for a certain topic about picture books, send me an email, or put something in the comments.

Writing Funny Picture Books

To understand what kids think is funny, you must read Paul E.McGhee, Ph.D, the guru of kids’ humor.

He has a great article on the Bank Street College website about the stages of humor. He goes into more details than I do here and you should read it.

• 0-6 months: Laughter without Humor
  Few, if any picture books for this group include humor.
• 6-15 months: Laughter at Attachment Figure
  You’d need personalized picture books to evoke humor here, because you need the specific person. This is when the adult reading the book can add humor, though, by playing with the story and reading it with expression and by changing the text, tone of voice, etc.
• 2-4 years: Misnaming Objects or Actions
  Kids deliberately misname an object or action to see what the adult says. For a great example of this, look at Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton. In this delightful book, the turkey consistently is wrong in how he puts on the item of clothing.
• 3-5 years: Playing with Word Sounds.
  Ever wonder why so many editors emphasize word play for kids? Here’s why. Kids think it’s funny.
  The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill is funny, partly because of the great language. “Kits and Kajammer ‘em.”
• 5-7 years: Pre-riddle Stage
  Kids understand the form of a riddle, but don’t understand vocabulary enough to understand what is funny and what isn’t. This is the age of almost incoherent knock-knock jokes:

  Knock-knock. Who’s there? Nobody’s home!

• 6-8 years: Riddles
  For this stage, all the joke books apply. Kids love to read, hear, and tell jokes of all kinds. They read Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish. True humor has started to emerge.

RELATED: Read what Jill Esbaum says about humor in picture books.

Read the Series

This is part of a series, 30 Days to a Stronger Picture Book.

See Also: 30 Days to a Stronger Novel

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