Writing Humour for Kids, Even If You’re “Not Funny” (Humour Isn’t a Genre, It’s A Skill)

The KidLit Creator’s Chronicle – Issue #20

Welcome to the 20th edition of The KidLit Creator’s Chronicle! Today, we’ll explore humour in children’s books.

Humour can be one of the most powerful tools in a children’s book, but also one of the trickiest to get right.

What makes a toddler giggle might leave a eight-year-old unimpressed. And what feels funny to us as adults often completely misses the mark with kids.

But when it works, humour grabs kids and makes them want to hear the story again. Whether you’re writing something silly or serious, understanding how to use humour, and how children respond to it, can take your storytelling to another level.

In this issue, we’re breaking down how to write humour that actually works for kids without forcing it.

How to Write Humour That Actually Works in Children’s Books

First off, you don’t have to write a comedy to write with humour.

Humour is a tool, and one of the most effective ones in your creative toolbox, no matter what kind of story you’re telling.

Humour can lighten the mood in a serious book, it can add personality to a nonfiction topic, it can create instant connection between your characters and your readers, and it can make your book memorable.

Think about the last children’s book that really stuck with you. There’s a good chance it made you smile, chuckle, or outright laugh. And that emotional reaction? That’s what helps kids (and adults) remember your story and come back to it again and again.

When children laugh, their defences drop, and they’re more open to listening, learning, and engaging. Humour isn’t just entertainment, it’s also a way to feel invited into your world.

And if you’re worried that you’re “not a funny writer,” you don’t need to be a stand-up comedian. You just need to understand what kids find funny and how it changes as they grow.

That’s exactly what we’re about to cover.

Humour, just like any other part of writing, it’s a skill you can learn. Once you get the hang of it, it can completely change how your stories connect with kids.

How to Add Humour to Your Children’s Book

There are practical, usable strategies you can apply at every stage of your writing to add humour. Whether your book is silly and light or serious and heartfelt, humour has a place, as long as you tailor it to your reader’s age and mindset.

Step 1: Match the Humour to the Age Group

What kids find funny changes as they grow. What cracks up a toddler might get an eye roll from a seven-year-old. Here’s how to match your humour to the age you’re writing for:

0–2 years: Silly sounds + surprising actions

• This age group laughs at you, the adult, doing silly things.
• They don’t “get” jokes, but they love repetition, unexpected noises, and visual surprises.
• Write: Books that invite performance. Think: tooting sounds, animal noises, over-the-top faces or gestures.
• Example: Toot by Leslie Patricelli

2–4 years: Pretend play + unexpected twists

• Kids start to get the idea of play-pretend and that pretending can be funny.
• Write: Swapping everyday objects or situations with silly ones (e.g. a dad making a pizza out of his son).
• Example: Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig

3–5 years: Wordplay + exaggerated visuals

• Language starts to click. So do made-up words, odd sound combinations, and exaggerated scenarios.
• Use: Playful rhymes, mashup words (“Hiccupotamus”), or wacky illustrations that flip expectations.
• Examples: The Hiccupotamus by Aaron Zenz, The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith

5–8 years: Simple jokes, riddles + character absurdity

• Now they love jokes, especially ones with a clear punchline, even if it makes no sense to adults.
• Use: Obvious puns, funny misunderstandings, characters doing “naughty” (but safe) things.
• Example: Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea by Ben Clanton

7–9 years: Potty humour, irony + layered jokes

• Knock-knock jokes, sarcasm, and toilet talk are gold. Kids this age often love the taboo.
• Use: Physical comedy (slipping on banana peels still works!), or characters who push limits in safe, funny ways.
• Examples: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Too Much Glue by Jason Lefebvre

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Step 2: Let the Character Be the Comedy

The easiest way to infuse humour? Create a character who’s naturally funny in how they think, speak, or act.

2 Quick Ways to Create a Funny Character

Whether your character is a kid, a talking animal, or a jellybean with dreams of stardom, humour often comes from who they are and how they behave. Here are two of the most effective ways to build characters kids will laugh with (or at):

1. Exaggerate a Flaw (Even If Your Character Isn’t Human)

Take a personality trait and push it way over the top.

• A shy character who turns beetroot-red and hides under furniture at the sound of a doorbell.
• A know-it-all who’s wrong about everything, but keeps confidently explaining things anyway.
• A pug who’s so greedy and selfish, he ruins every situation (Pig the Pug).

This works so well because readers know that flaw is going to cause trouble, and watching it all unravel is what makes it funny.

2. Flip Expectations

Create contrast by giving your character a role or personality trait that totally clashes with what we’d assume.

• A firefighter who’s afraid of fire.
• A dog who’s obsessed with cat videos.
• A pirate who gets seasick.

These unexpected pairings are funny because they create tension, and this kind of “opposite logic” makes your character instantly memorable.

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Step 3: Use the Three “Surprise Triggers” of Humour

At its core, humour = surprise. Here’s how to create that surprise in your manuscript:

1. Incongruity
Throw something unexpected into the mix, something that doesn’t quite belong. Think of a pig in a tutu, a fish using an umbrella, or a goat that sings opera. It’s the surprise that makes kids giggle.

2. Exaggeration
Take a normal situation and blow it way out of proportion. For example, imagine a sneeze so big it blows the whole house away. The more ridiculous, the better!

3. Reversal
This device flips the usual roles or logic on its head. Like a parent acting like a child, or a baby giving the adult instructions. It’s funny because it breaks the rules of who’s supposed to do what.

You can even combine two or all three for extra laughs.

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Step 4: Don’t Try to Be Funny, Try to Be True to Kids

Humour doesn’t have to mean punchlines. It means understanding what kids find ridiculous, relatable, or rebellious and writing from their perspective.

Tips:

• Tap into real-life kid moments: tantrums, misunderstandings, weird food habits, obsessions (dinosaurs, potty humour, unicorns…).
• Don’t write down to them. Kids are sharp. They’ll know if you’re trying too hard.
• Keep the adult logic out. If a cow wants to become a ballet dancer… let it.

Quick Checklist: What Can You Try in Your Manuscript?

• Add one incongruous object or moment
• Push your character’s flaw to the extreme
• Use made-up or mashed-up words
• Write a scene kids can imagine themselves in with a funny twist
• Replace something ordinary with something absurd

The best humour comes from being observant

You don’t have to be naturally hilarious to write humour that works for kids. The best humour doesn’t come from being witty, it comes from being observant.

Many of the best humorous picture book authors aren’t the loudest, wittiest people in the room, they’re the keenest observers. They notice the odd details, the awkward moments, the quiet absurdities of everyday life. And they know how to heighten those just enough to make kids giggle.

The real magic of humour in children’s books doesn’t come from being clever. It comes from being curious or attentive.

It’s noticing:

• How seriously a toddler takes putting on socks “the right way”
• The way kids lose it laughing when someone says “underpants” in a serious sentence
• The logic of a five-year-old who insists dogs are just cows with better fur
• The argument over whether dinosaurs would like peanut butter sandwiches

These moments are gold. And you don’t have to invent them, you just need to stay open to them.

Funny Doesn’t Have to Mean “Silly”

Humour doesn’t mean your story has to be a series of jokes or silly.

Humour can be:

• Witty (Dragons Love Tacos plays with absurd logic)
• Clever (The Book With No Pictures makes the adult say ridiculous things, and the child has all the power)
• Heartwarming (I Need a New Bum! is ridiculous, yes, but also oddly sweet)
• Reflective (Creepy Carrots is a funny concept wrapped in suspense and mood)

Humour is a lens more than a genre, and you can choose to add a little touch here and there, or be all-out silly from start to finish.

So if you’ve ever thought:

• “I write serious books. Can I still use humour?”
• “I don’t want to write toilet jokes.”
• “I’m just not a naturally funny person.”

… you can still write books that contain humour, in your own way.

A Shift in Thinking…

Instead of asking, “How can I be funnier?”

Try asking:

“What do kids find absurd about this situation?”
“Where can something unexpected happen?”
“How can I exaggerate this just a little further?”

That’s where humour lies, not in the punchline, but in the twist.

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Real-Life Examples

You’ve seen the principles, now let’s look at some real books that are excellent examples across a range of age groups and humour styles.

Each of these examples shows a different way humour can work — whether through character, language, surprise, or the sheer joy of the ridiculous.

Llama Destroys the World by Jonathan Stutzman

This picture book is one of my favourites and is a masterclass in escalating absurdity. Llama eats too much cake, which leads to his pants splitting… which triggers a black hole… which destroys the world.

Why it works:

• It takes a small, relatable moment (overeating cake) and pushes it to a wild, cosmic extreme.
• The contrast between the dramatic narration and Llama’s casual behaviour adds extra layers of humour.

What you can borrow:

• Choose a very normal starting point, then escalate it outrageously.
• Let the character’s personality fuel the humour. Llama doesn’t need to crack jokes. He is the joke.

Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig (ages 2–5)

When Pete’s in a bad mood, his dad turns him into a pizza to cheer him up, complete with imaginary toppings and silly sound effects.

Why it works:

• The humour is physical, relatable, and driven by pretend play.
• The adult plays the fool, which kids love.
• It’s a sweet father-child moment wrapped in silliness.

What you can borrow:

• Use pretend play and imaginative substitutions. Kids love when real life gets flipped into nonsense.
• Let adults act silly, because kids love watching grown-ups be ridiculous.

Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea by Ben Clanton (ages 5–8)

This early graphic novel series uses witty dialogue, mild absurdity, and clever puns to create ongoing humour between best friends Narwhal and Jelly.

Why it works:

• It plays with language and double meanings (like having a “pod” party in the ocean).
• Narwhal’s unwavering optimism is both funny and endearing.
• Kids love the visual pun of a “unicorn of the sea.”

What you can borrow:

• Pair a wildly enthusiastic character with a more serious sidekick, which gives an instant comic contrast.
• Use repetition and callbacks for running jokes kids can anticipate.

Pig the Pug series by Aaron Blabey (ages 3–6)

Pig is greedy, rude, selfish, and utterly ridiculous, which is why kids love him. Every book takes one of Pig’s outrageous traits and pushes it to the limit.

Why it works:

• Pig is a caricature, a personality trait taken to the extreme.
• There’s clear structure: Pig does something bad → disaster follows → lesson hinted.
• Aaron Blabey’s rhythm and rhyme punch up the humour.

What you can borrow:

• Take one trait (greedy, boastful, afraid) and blow it way out of proportion.
• Use rhythm or rhyme to make repetition and exaggeration funnier.

Too Much Glue by Jason Lefebvre (ages 5-8)

Matty really loves glue. He uses so much of it in class that he ends up stuck to the table, covered from head to toe, and everything spirals into a sticky mess.

Why it works:

• Kids know they’re not supposed to do this, so watching Matty go wild is hilarious.
• The physical mess, exaggerated reactions, and over-the-top teacher responses add to the fun.
• It celebrates creativity and rebellion in a safe, silly way.

What you can borrow:

• Kids love when characters break rules they wish they could.
• Push a normal behaviour (using glue) into an epic meltdown or mess.

Splat the Cat and the Pumpkin-Picking Plan by Rob Scotton

Splat’s adventures are full of clumsy mishaps and physical comedy, especially when he tackles something too big (like a pumpkin ten times his size).

Why it works:

• Splat is enthusiastic but clumsy, which creates natural humour.
• Visual exaggeration (giant pumpkins, dramatic falls) makes every page fun to look at.
• Kids relate to trying very hard, but failing fantastically.

What you can borrow:

• Use visual scale and surprise: kids laugh when things are comically oversized or out of place.
• Let your character give it their all and still totally mess it up. The harder they try, the funnier it gets.

The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith

This cumulative story gets more and more ridiculous as each line adds another silly trait to the donkey, until he’s a “spunky, hanky-panky, cranky, stinky dinky wonky donkey.”

Why it works:

• The repetition and rhythm build anticipation. Kids love guessing what comes next.
• The ever-growing absurdity creates a laugh-out-loud experience.
• It’s the kind of book that gets funnier the more you read it.

What you can borrow:

• Try building a story with repeated patterns or phrases, and escalate the ridiculousness.
• Let the language drive the humour.

Over to You!

Pick one of the books above, or one you already love, and read it. But not just for laughs (okay, maybe a few).

Look closely. Ask yourself:

• What kind of humour is this?
• Why does it work for this age group?
• How could I try something similar in my own manuscript?

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. The best way to write humour is to read it, observe what it’s doing, and then play with it in your own way.

Want to take it one step further? Reply and tell me:

• The funniest picture book you’ve ever read
• A specific joke or moment that really landed
• Or what you’ve tried in your own writing that made kids laugh

You don’t have to write a comedy to use humour effectively, and you don’t need to be a natural entertainer to write stories that make kids laugh. What matters is paying close attention to how children think, what catches them off guard, and what they find hilarious.

Humour is a tool, and like any tool, the more intentionally you use it, the more powerful it becomes.

If it doesn’t feel easy right now, that’s fine. Most strong humour writing starts with observation, not inspiration. So keep writing, experimenting and sharpening your sense of what makes kids laugh!