Gotta laugh

I’m in a decidedly unfunny mood today. I suppose I’ve been reading too many dour books about dystopian futures, dysfunctional families, and vaguely familiar fantasies.

Why, I wonder, isn’t there more humor in books for readers of all ages but especially for children? But then of course, humor is a tough thing to pin down especially when an adult looks at what humor appeals to children.

What is funny to children one day may not be so the next; plus children’s humor changes over time as they grow and mature. But some books that make me chuckle whenever I read them often have a similar effect on kids.

Some are firmly rooted in grumpiness. Pete’s parents know how to cajole their son out of a rainy day slump in William Steig’s Pete’s a Pizza (opens in a new window) (HarperCollins). And like the main character and his desire to run away to Australia, haven’t we all had a day like Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (opens in a new window) (Atheneum) by Judith Viorst?

Other funny stories are based on the slapstick, exaggeration, parody. Steven Kellogg’s books come to mind. He retells already tall tales like Sally Ann Thunder (opens in a new window) and Pecos Bill (opens in a new window); he introduces larger than life characters such Pinkerton (opens in a new window) and creates entrepreneurial porkers in his reshaping of the Three Little Pigs (opens in a new window). Kellogg also knows how to create a sight gag; his books’ humor is always highlighted in lighthearted — and very funny illustrations.

So, I’ll look for something to laugh about today (after all, I just read an article about the benefits of laughter (opens in a new window)).

Maybe it will start with a trip to the library.