Grumpy Monkeys, Sneaky Alligators, and More: 10 Funny Books for Preschoolers

When it comes to funny books for preschoolers, the Grumpy Monkey series by Suzanne Lang is another favorite for my son and me. We especially like reading this graphic novel addition to the series together. After getting annoyed at oxpecker, Jim Panzee throws a banana peel at her and causes quite the stir amongst his fellow jungle neighbors. When he’s banished to the desert, his loyal friend Norman tags along, and the journey gets hilariously bumpy. Just wait until all of the animals start getting banished for increasingly absurd reasons. It’s been awhile since a book has made me laugh so hard.

Funny books for preschoolers are that much funnier when they make us adults laugh too. Bedtime struggles are relatable for both kids and caregivers, and this story by Bunmi Laditan makes for such a funny and cathartic read. When a girl decides her little bed just won’t cut it, she informs her dad he can swap his spot in the big bed for a camping cot instead.

This funny picture book is part of Anna Kang’s endearing You Are (Not) Small series. In this particular adventure, our fuzzy friends are having fun building a sandcastle on the beach. Maybe if they just add one more finishing touch to the castle though, it’ll be perfect. These become famous last words, of course.

Trying to aim for perfection can lead to some funny disasters, and this sweet book for preschoolers by Kat Zhang captures that too. Amy Wu is a funny and fearless star in this story. She’s got her mind set on making the perfect bao bun, but everything seems to be going wrong! Despite the challenge, Amy perseveres. Plus, readers get rewarded with a delicious bao recipe at the end too!

Bubbly Narwhal and grouchy Jelly make the perfect best friend duo in this silly graphic novel series by Ben Clanton. Jelly’s woes are very relatable, and Narwhal is always the life of the party. Plus, they create some epic comic book adventures together called Super Waffle and Strawberry Sidekick. The audiobook adaptations of this series include a full cast and great sound effects, and my son and I love listening to them in the car. Forewarning, the Narwhal song is very catchy and will get stuck in your head.

Written by Pura Belpré Honor-winning author Anika Aldamuy Denise, this silly story is sure to give your preschooler a case of the giggles. Along with the humor, the story blends Spanish with English and encourages readers to count to 10 in Spanish. As Gato Guapo walks around in his fine and fancy clothes, nine naughty kitties follow him along and swipe something fancy for themselves before declaring “¡Yo soy Gato Guapo!”

The Max and Ruby series by Rosemary Wells is another all time favorite in our house. Each story features Ruby’s bossy plans getting derailed by her little brother Max’s mischief in the most hilarious ways. In this particular tale, Ruby keeps having to send Max back to the store for cake ingredients after he causes chaos in the kitchen. All Max really wants are some Red-Hot Marshmallow Squirters though, and by the end of the story, both bunnies may become successful bakers.

After reading this funny story by Arree Chung, my son is always ready to have his own sneaky ninja adventures. Chung incorporates comic book style panels into the tale of a boy creeping through a house like a ninja on a top-secret mission (which may involve some cookies). By the end, the boy decides his little sister might be ready to learn the ways of the ninja too.

While you may have heard of Adam Rubin’s Dragons Love Tacos, have you read this epic sequel to the bestseller? My son and I love this one even more than the first. The story opens with the devastating news that the world has run out of tacos. Good thing you have a handy time machine to jump in with your dragon buddies to go grab some more tacos from the past. My little guy and I especially love the part when the characters land in an alternate reality where dragons love diapers.