Everyone likes to laugh, and one of the best ways to convince a child that reading is fun is to read books that are loaded with humor. Once you've established the habit of reading with funny books, you can introduce other kinds of literature with greater receptivity from the child.
Today's reviewed books fit the "funny" category in the best of ways Ð a book about three stinky Gnarlies, a book about the prehistoric Grunt clan and their pet dinosaur, and a book about a monster that makes a enormous fly pie.
I'll be very surprised if these books don't connect with the child in your life; let me know!
Books to Borrow
The following book is available at many public libraries.
"Three Nasty Gnarlies" written and illustrated by Keith Graves, Scholastic, 36 pages
Read aloud: age 4 and older.
Read yourself: age 7 Ð 8 and older.
Three Nasty Gnarlies, Grubby Gurgle, Stanky Stoo, and Ooga-Mooga, are about as smelly and gnarly as you can imagine. They've always been that way. After all, they're Nasty Gnarlies. But Snooty Judy Butterfly is eager to point out all the things she thinks is wrong with the three. She tells them that what they SHOULD be and WANT to be is just like her. Worried that Snooty Judy might be right, the three try to make some big changes, but ultimately they discover that they are just fine, exactly the way they've always been.
Written in rhyme and boasting hilarious, gnarly illustrations, this modern-day fable carries multiple positive messages wrapped-up in a very funny story.
Librarian's Choice
Library: Dayton Valley Branch Library, 321 Old Dayton Valley Rd., Dayton
Branch Manager: Theresa Kenneston
Choices this week: "To Market, To Market" by Anne Miranda; "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type" by Doreen Cronin; "The Napping House" by Audrey Wood
Books to Buy
The following books are available at favorite bookstores.
"Little Grunt and the Big Egg: A Prehistoric Fairy Tale" written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola, Putnam, 2006, 32 pages, $16.99 hardcover
Read aloud: age 3 - 4 and older.
Read yourself: age 7 Ð 8 and older.
Little Grunt was sent out to collect eggs, but the only one he could find was so huge he had to drag it back to his tribe's cave. Everyone was very excited about the giant egg, but before they could eat it, it hatched and out popped a baby dinosaur. Chief Rockhead Grunt said the dinosaur had to go, but Little Grunt begged to keep him as his pet. Chief Rockhead gave in to Little Grunt, but the baby dinosaur grew and grew, and trouble soon followed Ð BIG trouble.
Precisely what you'd expect from master author/illustrator Tomie dePaola, this very funny story has all the right elements to convince kids that reading is lots of fun!
"Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly Pie: A revolting rhyme" written by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Edward Koren, Alfred A. Knopf, 2006, 40 pages, $16.95 hardcover
Read aloud: age 4 Ð 8.
Read yourself: age 7 Ð 8.
Thelonius Monster decided that flies would taste wonderful in a pie, and after getting some advice from a spider, he concocted a GIANT crust made from sticky molasses and sugar and honey and glue. Now all he had to do was find the flies...
"Thelonius stealthily followed a horse and a dog and a cat and a cow...and, of course, he dived in a Dumpster, he circled a sewer, and spent several hours near a pile of manure."
Thelonius caught hundreds and thousands of tasty flies, poured them onto his pie, and their little legs stuck fast to the goo. Thelonius was so pleased with his creation that he invited his most disgusting friends and relations to a pie-eating party, but when everyone arrived, his pie flew away!
Hysterically funny and loaded with just the right amount of grotesqueness, this selection is an all-around winner!
• Kendal Rautzhan, a nationally syndicated reviewer of children's literature, can be e-mailed at kendal@sunlink.net.