During this past school year, I’ve had a weekly lunch date with a six-year-old. We’ve eaten lunch together every Monday since September, and I have to say, Mondays have been brighter because of Jane. That being said, there has been a considerable amount of pressure associated with these lunches. As you might expect, while Jane eats her lunch, I read a story. And every week she requests “a funny book.” On some days we have a winner and other days, not so much. Every Monday morning, I look at the shelves and pull a few picture books that are considered funny. The good thing about six-year-olds is that they are honest. Jane always listens politely, but the verdict comes swiftly: yes or no. It’s funny or it isn’t.
At lunch this week I asked her about a few of the books we read this year to try to determine what is truly funny to a first grader. I pulled a few I know she enjoyed, but she recalled one that I probably wouldn’t have selected for the final cut. That made it even better because clearly this book struck a “funny bone” with her – and, of course, she is the intended audience for these books, not adult reviewers, parents or teachers. In the spirit of Three for Thursdays, here are three books considered to be funny by my friend, Jane:
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
The Three Silly Girls Grubb by John and Ann Hassett
The Wicked Big Toddlah by Kevin Hawkes
Dear Shelley,
I like the silly books you read to me and I think you are a very special friend of mine. See you in the library. Love, Leah