Steve Patschke is a retired elementary school library media teacher of over thirty years, now living in Woodstock, N.Y. In November of 2022, his essay appeared in The New York Times' “Tiny Love Stories.” In February of 2023, his essay appeared in Chicken Soup For The Soul: Cat Lovers Edition. He has published six children’s picture books. His most recent is Don’t Look At It, Don’t Touch It. Steve’s rendition of the classic Nutcracker and the Mouse King will be published as a pop-up book through Templar books in the fall of 2023.
I recommended this book first because as a public school Library Media Specialist for over thirty years it was my perfect go-to read-a-loud.
It is funny and filled with human interest and emotion. But what I like best about it is the timing. I like to write funny books and I know timing in humor is one of the most important attributes. This book hits it dead-on.
Adding to the wonderful timing is the pagination. Having published a few funny picture books myself I know how important the page-turner is for children.
The author Banard Weber will open a situation and then, as a pagination cliffhanger, place the resolution on the following page. Then he ends the story with a sweet repose.
From the beloved author-illustrator of Lyle, Lyle Crocodile comes a charming and relatable picture book about a child's first sleepover experience.
Ira is thrilled about his first sleepover at his friend Reggie's house, until his sister makes him question taking his favorite teddy bear! Will Reggie laugh at his teddy bear? Can Ira sleep without it? A hilarious back-and-forth ensues in this classic picture book about staying true to yourself. A perfect read-aloud for every young reader with their own bedtime friends.
The secret to a great read-a-loud book that children will sit still for is to keep them engaged. Reynolds is a master at timing. He builds the suspense slowly, while keeping up dashes of scary/humor. It is scary, but not too scary.
Owing to the humor and cleaver illustrations by Peter Brown. Creepy Pair of Underwear is part of a New York Times best-selling series by Reynolds and Brown and I always look forward to their next installment.
From the celebrated team behind Creepy Carrots!, Aaron Reynolds and Caldecott Honor winner Peter Brown, comes a hilarious (and just a little creepy) story of a brave rabbit and a very weird pair of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit is NOT a little bunny anymore. He’s not afraid of the dark, and he’s definitely not afraid of something as silly as underwear. But when the lights go out, suddenly his new big rabbit underwear glows in the dark. A ghoulish, greenish glow. If Jasper didn’t know any better he’d say his undies were a little, well, creepy. Jasper’s not scared obviously, he’s…
Being Your Cat takes you inside the mind and body of your feline. See what your cat sees. Feel how your cat runs or leaps high to get into the armchair. Discover how your cat feels and thinks.
Dev Pilkey is another New York Times best-selling children’s book author that I highly recommend for funny picture books that children will sit still for.
His Captain Underpants series is read worldwide and even earned its main character a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
As a children’s Librarian this is another sure shot book I loved to pull from my shelf if ever I needed an emergency read or as a recommendation for parents looking for a book to interest boys who were more interested in action stories.
This book is a follow-up to Pilkey’s Dogzilla. In both books Pilkey’s humor is a parody. In Dogzilla he uses photos (which is always a novel idea) superimposed on illustrations. Dogzilla acts like Godzillia combating mice.
In Cat Kong the cat is a parody of King Kong and battles the same mice for control of mouse-opolis.
This book is sure to have young children, both boys and girls, hooked on every page. Especially if they are familiar with the King Kong and Godzilla movies.
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author picked
Kat Kong
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why you should read it.
This book is for kids age
5,
6,
7, and
8.
What is this book about?
Kat Kong is a funny picture book from the genius mind of Dav Pilkey—creator of laugh-out-loud kid favorites including Captain Underpants and Dog Man.
When the fearsome Kat Kong wreaks havoc on the rodent citizens of Mousopolis (all played by Pilkey's own pets in mixed-media photographic illustrations) someone must halt the massive meowing menace before it's too late!
But is anyone clever enough to halt this massive meowing menace?
For kids not quite ready to enter the chapter book world, Kat Kong is a winner. This silly spoof of King Kong has all of the zany cat-and-mouse action you'd expect…
Like my previous choices David Shannon’s picture book Good Boy Fergus is built around his excellent timing for humor.
But Shannon’s greatest gift is his ability to convey not only humor, but heart, in his illustrations. Children will love Fergus, a tough and tumble Scottish terrier whose big sweet eyes excuse him from any misbehavior.
Fergus is funny, lovable and like Shannon’s most popular series No David he makes mistakes that children can easily relate to and forgive.
I choose “Fergus” over “David” because I feel some of David’s escapades may be a bit too over the top for young readers. While Fergus, who happens to be a dog, models only “Bad Dog” behavior.
After escaping from a government holding facility where she, along with other scientists, was being forced to build a deadly weapon. She headed for the most remote place she could think of, the wild Xantifal Mountains.
I choose my fifth recommendation, Dairy of a Worm for its creative parody of both diary writing and insect life.
The main character of a worm, describing his parents, home life, and school life from a ground-level perspective is hilarious and cute.
The illustrations by Harry Bliss masterfully show the world through the tiny perspective of insects. Giant girls playing jump rope are a terror. And Worm's best friend Spider, is wonderful as an off-shoot side-kick.
In my library I would often follow up the story with a discussion on how life can be viewed from many different perspectives. And I can think of no better spring-board for just such discussion, than Diary of a Worm.
Amazon Editors recommend this book for children reading with help and building independent reading skills.
#1 New York Times Bestseller!
This hilarious picture book from the bestselling, acclaimed author-illustrator team of Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss tells the adventures of a worm through his daily diary entries.
This is the diary of a worm. This worm lives with his parents, plays with his friends, and even goes to school. But unlike you or me, he never has to take a bath, he gets to eat his homework, and because he doesn't have legs, he just can't do the hokey pokey—no…
When four children find a box which reads ‘Don’t look at it, don’t touch it, don’t open it!’, what do you think they do? A Halloween-themed title with text that is screaming to be read aloud, this picture book is reminiscent of bestseller Funnybones in its repetition, with suspense-building, page-turning humor throughout.
With scary, yet funny text, by author Steve Patschke and fun, vibrant, nostalgic artwork by the highly acclaimed artist Roland Garrigue- this intriguing picture book is sure to become a classic in its own right – one that can be read time and time again.
This book is a spy novel with a satirical edge which will take you on a heart-pumping journey through the streets, mountains, jungles, and beaches of Colombia. Our Man in Havana meets A Clear and Present Danger.
This book (and its sequels) are about overcoming the odds; about learning to improve the skills and abilities you have, rather than dwelling on what you can't do. Conflict, plague, and scheming politicians are all featured along the way–but none of the characters are human!
