Being April 1 today, I thought it would be fitting to share some humorous tales with everyone. I did 2 other Brainstorms on funny reads back in 2015 and 2017, Brainstorm 65 & Brainstorm 120, so I won’t repeat any of those books here, but definitely check those out for even more humorous reads. I came up with way too many titles for today, so I’m splitting it into stand alone funny reads and funny series (which I’ll share next week). Click on the titles to see my full reviews for each book as well as any content notes/trigger warnings.
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes with Joe Layden, fwd by Rob Reiner
A look behind the scenes of the making of The Princess Bride from the perspective of Cary Elwes, aka Westley.
This is a behind the scenes book that will make you love the movie and creators even more. And many of the stories shared are humorous.
Target Readers:
The Princess Bride Fans, Behind the Scenes Fans, Light & Cozy Nonfiction Fans, Movie History Fans, Memoir Fans, Adult Readers (though totally approachable to any age Princess Bride fan)
Beanstalker and other Hilarious Scarytales by Kiersten White
Rapunzel, Snow White, Jack, Goldilocks, Cinderella...you know their stories, right? Think again. Keirsten White takes the stories and characters you think you know and ties them together in a tale about a boy who can't hold down a job, a slowly spreading zombie problem, a vampire bent on gathering a crowd of adoring fans, a girl with a really weird pet, a pyromaniac, some royal parents having a really hard time finding a good wife for their son, and an overworked stepmother trying to keep her stepchildren out of trouble.
The narrator brings the humor in this one, as well as the fun had with the fairytale characters and readers’ expectations of them versus what they are really like in this story. The book looks creepy, and it is dark, but it is much further towards the funny end of the spectrum than the horror end of the spectrum.
Target Readers:
Fractured Fairytale Fans, Humor Fans, Fantasy Fans, Slightly Dark Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers
The Big Bad Fox by Benjamin Renner
Fox is a horrendously unsuccessful raider of the farm. To the extent that instead of stealing chickens he usually gets beat up by chickens and the other farm animals give him pity turnips as he hightails it out of there. Wolf can’t get anywhere near the farm because the dog actually goes after him (the dog ignores Fox). So Wolf gets the grand idea to have Fox steal some chicken eggs, raise them for a few months, and then they’ll split a meal of the tender chicks. The first part goes ok, Fox manages to get and hide the eggs from the farm residents. The second part also goes well, Fox hatches and raises the three chicks. But therein lies the problem to part three, Fox becomes a bit attached to the three chicks in the process. When Wolf tries to hold Fox to the deal things get interesting.
Target Readers:
Laugh Out Loud Funny Story Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Animal Fiction Fans, Middle Grade Readers (or anyone wanting a laugh)
Bodie Troll by Jay Fosgitt
The adventures (and misadventures) of Bodie the troll. Bodie wishes he were big, strong, and super scary. But he's small, fluffy, and way too cute to be taken seriously. He gets his beloved fill of roots by doing odd jobs for Miz Bijou, the fairy who runs the Drunken Pumpkin, and Cholly, her barmaid and ward. During his jobs for Miz Bijou or his outings with Cholly, Bodie inevitably finds trouble.
Target Readers:
Fantasy Fans, Mythical Creature Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Humor Fans, Adventure Fans, Middle Grade/Young Adult Readers
The Discovery of Dragons by Graeme Base
Venture along with explorers as they write letters home about their discoveries of dragon species on every continent.
Base’s illustrations are jaw-dropping, and the wry humor is very entertaining. And like every Base book, there is a hidden picture element throughout for sharp eyes.
Target Readers:
Dragon Fans, Fantasy Fans, Humor Fans, Epistolary Fiction Fans, Art Lovers, Hidden Picture Fans, Middle Grade Readers (though the humor will likely appeal to older readers, and illustrations to all)
Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion by Alex T. Smith
Little Red is taking a basket of spot medicine to her Aunt Rosie through the African savannah. On her way, she stumbles across a very hungry lion who decides that Red and her Auntie are just the thing he needs to satisfy his rumbling tummy. But the lion doesn't know who he's messing with.
Target Readers:
Fractured Fairytale Fans, Humor Fans, Red Riding Hood Rewrite Fans, African Setting Fans, African Character Fans, Etiquette Story Fans, Picture Book Readers
Mary Had a Little Lizard by Kayla Harren
Mary is packing up to go to school, which makes her pet lizard sad. But then while Mary and Mom aren't looking, lizard sneaks into Mary's open backpack and smuggles into school. What will a little lizard do while Mary does school work?
This funny twist on the Mary Had a Little Lamb rhyme is entirely wordless, but it doesn't need any text. The illustrations speak volumes. They are both beautiful and hilarious.
Target Readers:
Lizard Lovers, Humor Fans, Nursery Rhyme Rewrite Fans, Wordless Book Fans, Art Lovers, School Story Fans, Picture Book Readers
Norman Didn’t Do It!: (Yes, He Did) by Ryan T. Higgins
Norman the Porcupine and Mildred the Tree are best friends. They do everything together. But when another tree sprouts up and starts growing closer and closer to Mildred, Norman gets seriously jealous, and decides to do something. But is it the right thing?
The hyperbole in this makes readers laugh but also points to a very real jealous tendency in each of us, and shows a better way to respond in a genius mix of funny and feel-good.
Target Readers:
Friendship Story Fans, Jealousy Wrestlers, Humor Fans, Hyperbole Studiers, Fable Fans, Animal Fans, Tree Fans, Picture Book Readers
On Account of the Gum by Adam Rex
When a little girl gets gum in her hair, everyone has ideas of how to help get it out. But everyone's ideas seem to end very, very badly.
Absolutely hilarious, highly imaginative, excellently rhymed, and gives Alexander a run for his money on his horrible, no good, bad day.
Target Readers:
Epic Bad Day Story Fans, Humor Fans, Rhyming Story Fans, Picture Day Reads, Picture Book Readers
Quick Curtain by Alan Melville
When the male lead of Douglas B. Douglas's new musical gets shot for real during a supposedly fake shooting scene in front of the opening night's audience, Scotland Yard Inspector Wilson is in the house and immediately on the case. Dealing with theater people will take all of Inspector Wilson's patience (and his journalist son/unofficial assistant Derek's too). It looks like an open and shut case, but after the funeral and inquest, several people come to Inspector Wilson with doubts and further information. Can he puzzle out the truth in a world that makes money off of lies?
Imagine that Jerome K. Jerome had turned the wit he employed in Three Men in a Boat to write a murder mystery starring a father/son version of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore who solve crimes in mid-1900s England, and this just might be what you get. It is hilarious!
Target Readers:
Mystery Fans, Laugh Out Loud Humor Fans, Historical Fiction Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA)
See the Cat: Three Stories about a Dog by David LaRochelle, ill. by Mike Wohnoutka
Dog is just resting minding his own business when the narrator of a book starts telling the reader to see a cat. Max tries to correct the narrator, and then ensues a battle between narrator and dog in three stories. Who will win?
Target Readers:
Animal Story Fans, Humor Fans, Narrator/Protagonist Battles Story Fans, Award Winner Readers, Beginning Readers, Picture Book Readers
Too Many Curses by A. Lee Martinez
Nessy is faithful castle housekeeper and general manager for Wizard Margle. When he manages to get himself eaten, the castle's abundance of residents cursed by Margle gets really excited. But then they figure out their enchantments aren't tied to whether or not he's alive. While they try and figure out how to escape now that Margle is gone, Nessy is trying to keep the castle upkept as normal. She's also trying really hard to make it look like nothing is out of the ordinary lest other wizards start pouncing on Margle's collections with him out of the way. Things get more and more challenging the longer Margle is gone, though. Certain things that Margle was keeping in check are now running loose in the castle. So Nessy has her hands full of dusting, feeding of cranky foul creatures, restless cursed ones, and things like wayward doors hiding malicious evil back and hellhounds on the loose. Oh, and is that a knock on the front door?
This sounds dark, but it is lots of fun, is full of goofy situations, Nessie is an unflappable rock star, she has an extremely entertaining bunch of side characters, and the content is very clean.
Target Readers:
Fantasy Fans, Fantastical Menagerie Fans, Magic Castles with Character Fans, Fans of Characters Cool in a Crisis, Humor Fans, Problem Solving Story Fans, Young Adult Readers (though approachable to Middle Grade readers, and appealing to Adult readers too)
The Truth about Old People by Elina Ellis
A child shares the things he's heard about old people. That old people are slow, like quiet, and don't like new things. But his grandparents seem to defy the stereotype, and he knows a secret.
Delightful illustrations clash marvelously and hilariously with the rumors this child has heard.
Target Readers:
Grandparent Story Fans, Spunky Character Fans, Humor Fans, Illustrations & Text Humorous Juxtaposition Fans, Picture Book Readers
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death by Caitlin Doughty
Mortician, Caitlin Doughty, answers real questions about the dead and death posed to her from, as she puts it, "100 percent ethically sourced, free-range, organic children."
Doughty has a delightful writing voice that carefully balances solid science, cold hard facts delicately stated, and witty (but respectful) humor.
Target Readers:
Curious Readers, Nonfiction Fans, Humor Fans, Forensics Fans, Science Nerds, Middle Grade Readers on up
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
Mona considers herself a very minor magically gifted person. After all, her magic only affects breads and cookies and other baked goods. She can entertain customers in the bakery with dancing gingerbread men, she can convince the biscuits not to burn, and she kind of accidentally created a sourdough starter monster that lives in the cellar, but she's not much good at any big magic. But when magically gifted people start disappearing from the city state and a dead minor magician is found in the bakery, Mona quickly finds herself the only person with magic left to help save the kingdom from treasonous traitors. But what can a girl who can magic dough do against big bad guys?
There's a murder mystery and nefarious things happening in this story, but it never felt too heavy thanks to Kingfisher's humorous writing (and I expected nothing less from the author some might recognize better as Ursula Vernon).
Target Readers:
Mystery Fans, Fantasy Fans, Underdog Story Fans, Imaginative Magic Fans, Humor Fans, Young Adult Readers (though appealing to Adult reads, and approachable to Middle Grade readers who want murder mysteries)
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