Comedy is particularly well suited to the structural limitations of the beginning reader format, where few words can stand in contrast with illustrations that show so much more. In this selection, I’ve highlighted a lot of humorous books, ranging from gentle to as sharp as they come, as these are an effective way to engage children. I’ve included a number of titles in series, since hooking kids on series builds momentum and a familiar framework on which to hang more challenging vocabulary. I have organized my reviews from the most basic readers to the most difficult.

Fox Plays Ball [My First I Can Read!]
by Corey R. Tabor; illus. by the author
(Greenwillow)

In their newest adventure, reminiscent of “The Tortoise and the Hare,” impulsive Fox (Fox the Tiger, Fox Has a Problem, rev. 7/23) and Fox’s hapless friends play football. “Fox wants to win. Elephant, Rabbit, and Bear want to win. And Snail? Snail wants to win too.” As in other books in the series, the digitally assembled pencil and watercolor illustrations extend and add humor to simple, repetitive text. “Elephant kicks the ball far” graces a page in which readers see the ball fly out of the field and land deep in the mountains. When the players chase the ball, they take off on skateboards, a bike, and a scooter — except for Snail, who muscles along, playing independently. Soft lines, gentle textures, and smiling faces on cartoon-style characters (one of whom wears a colander as a helmet) give this a lighthearted, giddy tone that rewards reading practice.

Fish and Clam [I Can Read!: Comics]
by Sergio Ruzzier; illus. by the author
(HarperAlley/HarperCollins)

In this latest installment of Ruzzier’s comic series for the earliest readers (Fish and Sun, rev. 9/21; Fish and Wave, rev. 7/22), Fish has only one pebble in his collection, so he swims forth to find more. He picks up a fluted pebble and carries it home, and that’s when it starts talking: “I am a clam!” Loose but carefully composed watercolors in shades of sherbet add interest and depth to an offbeat premise told in only three to eight words per page. The words, a mix of sight words (why, do, like) and ­challenge words (pebble, collection), allow children to read most of the text easily, leaving them with enough energy to do the harder work of decoding less familiar words. Repetition reinforces this learning. “No pebbles here…or there. No pebbles anywhere.” Fish and Clam roam the sea collecting other items — coral, a fishing hook, a pearl — that are all depicted in the images, making this a book that stretches vocabulary, builds reading skills, and can also support classroom lessons on oceans and fish.

King of the Mountain! [Ready-to-Read]
by Susie Lee Jin; illus. by the author
(Simon Spotlight)

Oddball creatures composed with thick lines and rounded shapes sporting antennae, wings, and tiny dots for eyes climb adjacent hills declaring, “I am king of the mountain. No, I am QUEEN of the mountain!” In a structure reminiscent of the classic beginning reader Mine’s the Best by Crosby Bonsall, Jin uses the natural repetition of children trying to one-up each other to create a funny story with few words. Speech bubbles and exaggerated facial expressions show the influence of comics and add cachet for readers who might balk at books they deem too juvenile. A twist in the last act surprises the characters and readers, adding humor and tying the story together. Perfect for new readers, this book also makes for an enjoyable read-aloud.

Go! Go! Dino! [Ready-to-Read]
by Kaz Windness; illus. by the author
(Simon Spotlight)

This genial beginning reader about dinosaurs racing has the rhythm and rhyme of a chant: “Rolling reptiles, in your places! Time to start the Dino Races!” Illustrations in jewel tones with a sponge-painted look and minimal lines depict helmeted dinosaurs riding a unicycle, a tricycle, roller skates, and a skateboard through a racecourse, complete with spectators and a concession stand. (Brontosaurus gets off to a late start, being busy “munching, ­crunching at the cart.”) There are ten to fifteen words on some spreads, many of them challenging, particularly the dinosaur names. ­Windness sticks with dinos that are familiar parts of the childhood lexicon, though, and the cadence, illustrations, and straightforward action provide encouraging nudges in the right direction. A supportive choice for children who are building stronger phonics skills.

Wait a Minotaur [I Like to Read: Comics]
by Jeffrey Ebbeler; illus. by the author
(Holiday)

Ebbeler uses a dash of mythology and the comics format in this story about Nick’s first day at Icarus Elementary, creating a beginning reader with a controlled ­vocabulary that doesn’t feel rudimentary. Young readers will pore over the front endpapers that depict the school as a shadowy labyrinth on a parchment background. The story itself shifts into a traditional comics look in the digital illustrations, with thick lines, bright colors, and speech bubbles. This is where we find Nick contemplating entering the school, when along comes Gus, a minotaur, and it’s his first day too. Gus’s ­solution to finding their classroom? “Charge!” The text is primarily sight words, many repeated. Expressive faces, energetic pacing, and the just-right amount of detail in the images create a level of humor and action that is more elaborate than the words on the page. Experienced readers will get as much enjoyment out of this story as new readers will.

Unicorn and Yeti: Razzle Dazzle
by Heather Ayris Burnell; illus. by Hazel Quintanilla
(Acorn/Scholastic)

The latest entry in Unicorn and Yeti, a fanciful comic series, uses high-interest characters and shimmery visuals to capture new readers’ attention. Each of three chapters relates a low-stakes ­episode in the friendship between Yeti and Unicorn. In the first, Yeti’s idea to make s’mores leads to a camping trip. Unicorn overdoes packing and setup — a contrast to Yeti, who only brings a sleeping bag and winds up waiting a lot. The second story centers on the friends finding a hot spring (Unicorn loves the heat, while Yeti prefers the cold) and the third around a discussion about the composition of the moon that ends in a cheese-themed picnic (everyone agrees about the value of cheese). Pastel hues, soft shapes, and minimal ­backgrounds nest some challenging phonetics (­graham, fab-u-lous, dazzling) in a ­nonintimidating, cozy package.

Reina Ramos: Neighborhood Helper [I Can Read!]
by Emma Otheguy; illus. by Andrés Landazábal
(Harper/HarperCollins)

In the latest installment of the Reina Ramos series, Reina is preoccupied with a food drive her school has turned into a competition: whichever class collects the most wins a pizza party. Reina tries to enlist Abuela’s assistance, but Abuela is focused on bringing a homemade meal to their neighbor, who is caring for her new baby. The text includes multiple sentences per page and a sprinkling of Spanish words, complex sentences, and even the use of a colon, giving kids the opportunity to stretch their understanding of punctuation while also building their vocabularies. Sunny cartoon illustrations fill out Reina’s world, depicting an active, warm, connected neighborhood and school. A glossary of Spanish words rounds out this appealing book.

Lone Wolf: Gets a Pet
Lone Wolf: Goes to School
by Kiah Thomas; illus. by K-Fai Steele
(Porter/Holiday)

“Wolf could count his friends on one hand. Three, two, one…NONE! And that was the way he liked it.” The first two books in this new transitional reader series introduce us to ­misanthropic Wolf. In the first, Wolf tries to get a pet so he can win a pet competition — not because he wants a pet, but because he wants the jellybean prize. In the second, he tries to spend a day in solitude after getting kicked out of school for frightening the other ­children. Wolf’s hyperbolic personality is reflected in the characters’ exaggerated facial features. Supporting characters (who are depicted with a variety of shapes, sizes, ages, and skin tones) are unnamed; instead, they’re called as Wolf sees them: “bossy boy,” “eager girl,” “jolly hiker.” These piquant stories are all hard edges, blunted somewhat by the pencil and watercolor illustrations’ soft lines and gentle coloring, reminiscent in tone and style to William Steig’s classic works. The text itself is in multiple chapters with a wide range of sentences per page, with vocabulary and phonetic challenges, so this is for readers who have grown in their confidence. With their wry humor, these books would also work as read-alouds in classrooms, libraries, and homes.

From the March/April 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.

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