The Brainstorm Plus: Brainstorm 189: Read alouds that will entertain multiple ages

As promised, here are the picture book read alouds that will appeal to a wide age range. The teacher who asked for these was looking for something that would entertain even teens, so most of these are lively and have humorous elements for both little kids and older readers included. (For example, the “We are natural gas” picture on the wall of the 3 Dinosaurs’ house is something that teens and adults will chuckle at and little kids totally won’t get, but there are definitely other elements of that story that little kids will find funny.) If you’re trying to keep a very mixed group of ages entertained with a read aloud, you might want to pick out one of these.

Be Quiet! by Ryan T. Higgins
Rupert the Mouse has decided to make a wordless book. But it turns out it is quite hard to have a wordless book when you have to explain what you're doing to your friends and then they try to "help."
Don’t miss the lines of text on the end papers! Those who have read Higgins' Bruce books will recognize these mice from those books (and keep an eye out for Bruce's cameo appearance).

Target Readers:

Humor Fans, Animal Lovers

Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett, ill. by Adam Rex
This is supposed to be a story about Chloe, a little girl who runs into a lion in the woods, but the artist and author have some disagreements on how the story should go and the whole things turns into a big (and hilarious) mess.
Barnett and Rex obliterate the fourth wall in this, and it is utterly hilarious.

Target Readers:

Writers, Fans of Stories that Break the 4th Wall, Teamwork Story Fans, Perseverance Story Fans, Humor Fans, Unique Art Fans

Chu's Day by Neil Gaiman, ill. by Adam Rex
Chu goes to the library and his mother is worried he'll sneeze because of the dust, but thankfully he doesn't. Then he goes to eat lunch and his father is worried he'll sneeze because of the pepper, but thankfully he doesn't. Then they all go to the circus and no one hears his warning that he thinks he's going to sneeze until it is too late.
Any of the Chu books would be an excellent pick for a read aloud. They are all hilarious and feature Chu’s rather epic sneezes.

Target Readers:

Humor Fans, Animal Lovers

The Epic Adventures of Huggie & Stick by Drew Daywalt, ill. by David Spencer
When Huggie (stuffed rabbit & committed pessimist...slightly unlucky), and Stick (a stick & eternal optimist...also slightly naive), fall out of Reese's backpack, they get swept away on an epic adventure to all the continents of the world as they try to get home.
Note: See my full review for content notes some adults may want to be aware of.

Target Readers:

Travel Story Fans, Readers Wanting to Discuss Attitude, Fans of Stories from Multiple Points of View, Adventure Fans, Humor Fans

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
Mama Dinosaur, Papa Dinosaur, and the other Dinosaur visiting from Norway, decide to go on a stroll after making some chocolate pudding. They make sure to leave the door unlocked, and though you might think you see them lurking in the woods waiting for a wayward child to go waltzing in their door, you're probably mistaken. Goldilocks comes along, and proceeds to go through the normal Goldilocks routine, until she decides something is fishy with the setup and she better skeedaddle out of there.
Pay attention to the background. There are a lot of fun little bits added in there, including a certain bird Willems fans will recognize. And FYI, pretty much any Mo Willems’ book makes a great read aloud.

Target Readers:

Humor Fans, Fractured Fairytale Fans, Scifi Fans, Dinosaur Lovers

If I Had a Gryphon by Vikki VanSickle, ill. by Cale Atkinson
Dissatisfied with her new pet hamster, a little girl dreams of all the mythological beasts she'd rather have as a pet but soon realizes there are some serious drawbacks to having animals like gryphons or dragons or kirins as pets, and perhaps a tiny hamster isn't so bad.

Target Readers:

Mythical Creature Fans, Rhyming Book Fans, Humor Fans, Gratitude Message Fans, Pet Story Fans

If You Ever Want to Bring a Piano to the Beach, Don't by Elise Parsley
Magnolia is headed to the beach with her mom and two siblings. Her siblings are bringing things like boats and balls, she wants to bring the piano. Her mom warns her not to lose it, and they head off to the beach. Of course, things do not go as planned, and Magnolia realizes what a horrible idea it was to bring her piano to the beach.
All of the Magnolia Says Don’t books make fantastic read alouds. This one is just my personal favorite.

Target Readers:

Story Prediction Practicers, Humor Fans, Memorable Character Fans

Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by David Ezra Stein
The little red chicken comes home from school announcing to her father that her teacher has told her there's an elephant of surprise in every story and she's supposed to read three stories and find it. Her father thinks it is more likely the teacher said the element of surprise, but they settle in to read some stories and find out which it is.

Target Readers:

Story Element Studiers, Humor Fans, Animal Lovers, Parent/Child Story Fans

Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads by Bob Shea, ill. by Lane Smith
Drywater Gulch had a big problem. A big problem by the name of Toad. No, not hippety-hoppety toads, outlaw bandits of the family name Toad. Kid Sheriff rides slowly into town on his tortoise, and promptly changes all of the wanted posters to rightly reflect the perpetrators of the crime in his opinion...dinosaurs. Will the Toad gang let the dinosaurs take all the credit for their crimes? Will Kid Sheriff find real dinosaurs? Will the town's cumin ever be safe again?
Must be read with a slow drawl!

Target Readers:

Story Prediction Practicers, Western Fans, Humor Fans, Mystery Fans

Steve, Raised by Wolves by Jared Chapman
Steve has been raised by wolves. It's his first day of school, but Steve is having trouble adjusting. Can Steve figure out how to be himself in a way that doesn't disrupt the rest of the students?

Target Readers:

Culture Awareness Story Fans, Self-Acceptance Story Fans, Humor Fans

There Are No Bears in This Bakery by Julia Sarcone-Roach
A guard cat at a bakery investigates a case of breaking and entering, and takes care of the problem.
Make sure you read this in a Humphrey Bogart detective voice for full effect.

Target Readers:

Mystery Fans, Animal Lovers (especially Cat Lovers), Descriptive Language Fans, Memorable Voice Fans, Writers, Subtle Humor Fans, Unique Art Fans

This Book Will Not Be Fun by Cirocco Dunlap, ill. by Olivier Tallec
Mouse promises a nice, boring read. (You must read the inside front flap.) But then a flying whale shows up and a glow worm...and well, you didn't really believe that cover did you?

Target Readers:

Humor Fans, Animal Lovers

We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
Penelope is struggling with starting school. It isn't the subject matter, it's that she's a T-Rex and her classmates are all tasty human children. Penelope gets quite lonely as the children in her class learn to avoid her, but it isn't until she gets a taste of her own medicine that she learns how to be a better classmate and friend.

Target Readers: