Laughter- the Hook for Young Readers

 Two utterly appealing humorous picture books take the spotlight in this post. 

Why? Because Laughter is the best balm for anyone, any age.

I encountered both in other (separate) reviews over time, requested them from my library, and then read each, over and over. My feeling is that young audiences will do the same. In fact, little ones request repeated readings with many of their favorite books. It can even strain the patience of the adult reader/lap provider. 

Side note: I know of at least one mom who learned that she was pregnant "again" and insisted to her husband that he promise to be the reader-on-demand for BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR (Erik  Carle) with their new addition because she couldn't face it one more time! That is not a reflection on the book. Requests for repetition are the highest praise, yet do not always sustain the interest of the adult, especially after several children work their way through toddler years. In the case of these two titles, there is much to offer to those adult readers, even after dozens of repeats. 

Gecko Press, 2024

 
The first is a board book, but it's far from being a simple naming or concept book. CAN I SIT IN THE MIDDLE? is written and illustrated by Susanne Strasser. Many books for these audiences repeat basic words in various lines to allow for the little ones to read along, develop early sight word recognition, a sense of letter sounds, and actually be able to self-tell the story using picture prompts, on their own.

That's actually a valued practice, a mark of potential success. Even so, such utterly predictable patterning can engage young audiences while leading to adult bargains such as the one noted above. 

In this case, the layers of legitimate plot and the potential for predictability without guarantee lead to laughter and loads of lively conversation. The struggle to "get on with it" as interruption after interruption in an attempt to share a story on the couch will resonate with the littles and the adult readers. The quirky incongruity of these particular animals being at the home and expecting a story, let alone speaking and acting like humans, is a winner from cover to closing page. The use of "child" and animal words includes upper case letters in sentences in which the character is speaking or rearranging things, but resumes lower case as the sequencing/listing sentences occur. In fact, that kind of detail is only one of many ways in which those repeated readings can each lead a step closer to literacy acquisition. Due to the countless adjustments needed, the sequence of seating, on and around the couch, the child, and the book, is continually changing, and the animal words follow the visuals. 

In addition, those sequences are consistently left-to-right, with encouragement to name the animals in sequence AND READ their words using initial sounds. The premise itself is both highly familiar and absurdly comical, including the evident but subtle attitudes of each animal, as revealed in eyes, body positions, and relationship to each other. These provide a wealth of laughable and lovable conversation opportunities, page after page. Just as there have been enough page turns to invite potentially correct guesses about the "next" visitor, those under-the-couch-slippers (that have been eyeing the antics) instigate the least expected of events. 

I won't say more, but this really is a book with depth and delight, one that invites not only re-readings but one that might serve for launching a parallel pattern of storytelling nonsense based on routines. Don't miss it!

HARPER, 2015

Next up is a comical, oversized picture book created by the team of Jory John and Benji Davies, GOODNIGHT, ALREADY!  Note that medallion seal on the cover which designates it as an E. B. White Read Aloud honor title. 

In this case, two unlikely animals engage with each other: The entire text is in quoted dialogue without attributions, but placement of text on the page makes it clear which is talking, and they address each other as Bear and Duck. The oversized physicality of the book emphasizes Bear's massive presence in comparison to neighbor Duck. Bear is clearly ready to snooze, or more than ready. But Duck has never been more wide awake!

Thus, the conflict begins. Not because a duck is such an unlikely friend/neighbor of bear, but because they are revealed as good neighbors and friends with conflicting needs. As in the book above, the interaction feels warmly similar to circumstances in our human lives, despite the incongruous characters who are portraying their struggles. Again, the visual details and emotions are elaborated through illustration, including those eyes, body posture and positions, and orientations to each other. That read-aloud honor comes through clearly from the very first read. It would approach criminality if the adult reader failed to adopt distinctive voices for each. Give it a try that way and then eavesdrop on little ones as they do their own spontaneous "reading"  of the book on their own. Their voices will be as funny as the original work is. 

A future post, coming soon, is another that celebrates humor and delights with surprises. Stay tuned, and recommend other laughable titles in comments if you care to! If you are looking for even more, I've reviewed many humorous picture books in prior posts. Some have humor arises in fully realistic situations, but others rely on an aspect of absurdity, HERE, HERE, and HERE. Or simply type HUMOR in the search window one in the side bar.>>>> Enjoy!