The Magic of Funny

The first Jan Thomas book that I came across was Rhyming Dust Bunnies. It was recommended in part because it’s a fun book to learn about rhyming words, which is true.

I also love the bright colors and the colorful characters that practically jump out from the page. All of Jan Thomas’ characters are kind-hearted and I like that many of them make appearances in multiple books. You get to know that the cows are silly, and Duck tends towards hysterics, and Dog is more level-headed. It’s fun to anticipate how each character is likely to respond to each situation.

But the thing that set this book apart for me was that it was very funny. And it turns out, funny can work magic!

I’ve written before about a 5 year old boy that I read with, “Jack”. The first time we sat down to read he told me that “books were boring”. I assured him that he just hadn’t read the right book yet, and I was determined to find him a book that would capture his interest. I tried super-hero books, animal books, science books, and many others but they just couldn’t seem to capture his attention.

One day I read him Rhyming Dust Bunnies and he thought the story was hysterical! He wanted to read it again right away. I told him that I would bring him more funny books next time. The next week when I came in, he ran up and asked if I brought any more funny books. I brought some more of my Jan Thomas books and he loved them all. Jack discovered that not all books are boring!

I admit, not all children that I read books with can appreciate the humor - it takes a certain level of maturity and personality. But for some children like Jack, funny books may just be the catalyst to get them reading.

These are my favorite funny books that I have in my library now. Let me know which ones are your favorites, or other funny books that you have discovered in the comments below.