Welcome, welcome! Grab your beverage of choice, a snack, your secret hiding spot from the world, and settle in for what I hope will be both an informative and entertaining read.
While the very alliterative title of this post suggests it will focus on chaos, which it does, that chaos filters through a key ingredient to comedy. What’s that delicious key ingredient? Conflict!
Yup, that’s right. Conflict isn’t just for serious works of fiction. It’s for comedy, too. In fact, I’d argue that some of the most effective comedic pieces, across formats and mediums, contain the juiciest drama. Picture books have drama, too, of course. Especially the funny ones.
Conflict has the potential to introduce and/or develop:
- Stakes
- Character development
- Character arc
- Heart
- Tension
- Layers
- Readers’ connection to a character and/or story
And much more! To generate a comedic effect, the conflict should:
- Adhere to the Benign Violation Theory—one of several humor theories.
- *While we could spend a few blog posts alone discussing this theory, the main gist you need to take away for now is that readers shouldn’t find the conflict upsetting (unless they’re the book-banning type. In which case, ignore this rule).
- Strike the right balance. You want to introduce just the right amount of conflict. We’re not looking to kill off our characters or have them fight for their lives as they battle to save the earth from some apocalyptic-fate. At least not in picture books.
- Generate surprise—something unexpected. Because this is where laughter lies.
- Connect to the overall story and characters in a cohesive, earned way that doesn’t appear out of the blue or feel disconnected and/or tacked on.
Tip: If you read the pitches to a lot of comedic picture books, you can get a sense of the type of conflict that tends to be common in the format. Then from there, you can read the picture books and see how much conflict there is and how far the author and illustrator took it via text and illustration.
Conflict can happen in many different ways. And we could easily find many, many examples of specific and even niche ways to introduce and develop conflict. But at its core, there are three primary forms of conflict:
1) Characters in conflict with the reality around them
2) Characters in conflict with themselves
3) Characters in conflict with other characters
There are numerous ways to introduce this conflict into a manuscript. For instance, the very premise and/or inciting event might organically set the story and its characters up to experience this conflict. Or perhaps your character makes a bad decision (for the right or wrong reasons)?
Bad decisions create predicaments. A predicament is an unpleasant and/or puzzling situation for the character. As the story progresses and your character responds to this predicament, they’re likely working through conflict. Not to mention, you can escalate and exaggerate the predicament, the challenges it presents, and your characters’ reactions to all of this [to hilarious proportions]. This can also make for page turns bursting with tension, drama, surprise, comedy (you name it)! A word of caution: we don’t want to violate benign-violation theory with the predicament. And the characters’ bad decision(s) should connect to their motivation.
A quick aside: Often, characters aren’t trying to be funny. Instead, they react truthfully to their circumstances, and it’s their reaction that gives rise to comedy.
Now, let’s move onto some mentor texts!
DISCLAIMER: For fear of seeming full of myself or boring you, Ill be using plenty of mentor texts in addition to my own stories. Please consider supporting these authors and illustrators by requesting, purchasing, reviewing, and/or promoting their books.
MISHAPS:
According to Merriam-Webster, a mishap is “an unfortunate accident”. For example, the infamous vaudeville gag of someone slipping on a banana peel is a mishap (and classic example of slapstick comedy).
Let’s explore some mishaps in picture books:
Kevin the Unicorn (Jessika Von Innerebner): The protagonist is, well, a unicorn, and “when you’re a unicorn, everyday is filled with . . . MAGICAL AWESOMENESS!” Until the day Kevin wakes up on the floor and suddenly everything is less than perfect. Who hasn’t had one of those days?
This misfortune—to lean into the alliteration of this post—is a mishap that serves as the inciting event which kicks off the comedy. A series of escalating mishaps follow, and they themselves are funny. But for me, what makes this book especially effective is how the character is at conflict with himself and the reality around him.
Throughout the book, he tries harder and harder to maintain his facade of pure perfection and bliss, when really he feels quite the opposite. That conflict lends itself to what myself—and many glowing reviews—find to be a fulfilling ending with an effective, non-didactic takeaway that speaks to both children and adults.
Dragons Love Tacos (Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri): Dragons love tacos but they do not like spicy salsa. So, what better way to introduce conflict than via a mishap in which the protagonist throw dragons a taco party only to accidentally misread the jar of *spicy* salsa he serves them? It’s a recipe for conflict and comedy.
On Account of the Gum (Adam Rex): The mishap for this story begins with the front matter where silent art shows the protagonist falling asleep while chewing gum, only to wake up with it stuck in their hair. From there, a cumulative buildup of mishaps ensues as various family members and groups (all with great intentions) attempt to resolve the conflict but make things much, much worse (to hilarious effect).
MISUNDERSTANDINGS:
Meriam-Webster described a misunderstanding as a “failure to understand correctly.” Fair enough. Let’s explore some of these misunderstandings in picture books:
Bob, Not Bob! (Audrey Vernick, Liz Garton Scanlon, & Matthew Cordell): Little Louie is sick and has a clogged nose. As a result, his requests throughout the book sound nasally. Therefore, those requests are misunderstood.
This all happens through humorous language, which is very much the foundation of the comedy here. For instance, he is hot and sweaty from laying in bed. This sounds like “hot and smeddy.” To which his sister replies, “Who’s Hotten Smetty?” This funny language is directly incorporated into the title of the book.
Impossible Possums (Justin Colón & James Rey Sanchez): In my sophomore picture book (available for pre-order here), the protagonist, Carl, is a villainous possum with big dreams of taking over the world. He’s also lonely (his internal conflict), because making a friend is hard when you’re bad to the bone and live in the sewers.
So, he decides he’ll make his own friend, a possum just as villainous as him, using his new Possum Populator (which he conveniently orders through the mail). The problem is that Carl tosses out the instructions (because villains don’t have time for that). It’s a bad decision that sets up the story’s external conflict.
What follows is a sequence of misunderstandings, mishaps, and mischief as the incorrectly built contraption mishears Carl’s commands to create a possum and instead pops out a plethora of other alliterative creatures: penguins, pandas, pooping pigeons, etc. And each of those creatures goes on to create their own unique mischief and raise utter chaos until the story reaches a level of critical conflict (and comedy), and it all comes to a chaotic conclusion.
Mr. S (Monica Arnaldo): This absurd [hilarious] picture book is a lesson in comedic chaos. In this story, it’s the first day of school and the students of Room 2B arrive to discover the teacher is missing. Where there should have been a teacher there is only a stack of papers, a steaming cup of coffee, and an impressive-looking sandwich with the name Mr. S (written in perfectly neat handwriting) on the chalkboard behind it. Could this sandwich be their teacher?
The misunderstanding is built directly into the premise. However, for fear of spoiling a great book, I’m not going to elaborate any further in case you haven’t yet read it. Or am I just being lazy? The world may never know.
MISCHIEF:
Okay, let’s shake things up and move on from Merriam-Webster’s definitions. Cambridge Dictionary describes mischief as “behavior, especially a child’s, that is slightly bad but is not intended to cause serious harm or damage”. Though, I think adults are just as mischievous as children, if not more.
Anyway, it’s my opinion that we could use some more mischief in picture books. And here’s the thing: the misbehavior doesn’t have to be extreme, as I’ll share when discussing my debut book in just a bit. The character doesn’t even necessarily need to know that what they’re doing is a form of misbehavior or trouble. But, you—the author—should know it.
If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don’t! (Elise Parsley): The protagonist, Magnolia, brings a living, breathing alligator to her class Show and Tell. As you can imagine, this bad decision (a form of mischief) results in chaos, beautifully comedic chaos.
Still, we love Magnolia because she is bold and doesn’t mean any harm. And the alligator doesn’t actually harm anyone—because that would violate Benign Violation Theory—though his attempt to eat a child (and how that is shown through illustration) is one of my favorite examples of an effective page turn and strong visual humor. This entire series is a great example of mischief in comedy.
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates (Ryan T. Higgins): This book exemplifies all three forms of conflict. Penelope Rex is in conflict with herself because she wants to make a friend but struggles to suppress her urge to eat her classmates.
Obviously, that’s a problem (conflict) for her classmates. It’s also another great example of conflict adhering to Benign Violation Theory: even though she eats the children, they’re never actually harmed. Penelope’s at conflict with her reality because she’s a t-rex in a school for humans. She’s not intentionally trying to make bad decisions, nonetheless; eating other students is problematic.
The Quacken (Justin Colón & Pablo Pino): In my debut picture book (available for pre-order here), strange things are happening at Cucumonga Campground, and legend has it that a fearsome, ferocious, frightening creature lurks in the lake.
And for some odd reason, all the children in the book are adamant about not feeding the ducks. But Hector, the newest camper, can’t resist the charm of those cute, hungry-looking ducks.
So what does he do? He feeds them, inadvertently releasing a giant duck of legend. It’s a bad decision with good intentions. From there, mayhem ensues.
DON’T FORGET THE INTERNAL CONFLICT:
I’ve focused heavily on external conflict and how it can make for fun chaos in your story’s plot. But even in comedic writing, characters often [not always] face some sort of internal conflict. This balance of external and internal conflict will vary from story to story.
Disclaimer aside, internal conflict presents you, the writer, with the opportunity to craft a more dimensional character and infuse heart into your story. And humor with heart is a big hook. Especially in a time when many editors are seeking character-driven stories with humor that has layers to it and is more than just one big joke. We want characters who we can connect with on some level. Characters we empathize with. Characters we root for. Internal conflict can help us accomplish that.
IN CONCLUSION:
Children (and many adults) love comedy and chaos. Paired together well, they can be a winning pair. That said, you don’t have to be writing a comedic picture book to implement the aforementioned techniques. Humor can be sprinkled throughout even the most serious works. Have fun. Play. Push your work. Take chances. If needed, you can always dial it back during revisions.
Let chaos reign!
There are plenty more great mentor texts, techniques, tips, and overall knowledge I would love to share. But alas, it seems this post is already quite long. If you find yourself wanting more mentor texts and an even deeper dive into them and the craft of comedic writing, then you’re in luck!
My six-session class, THE MECHANICS OF HUMOR CLASS: HOW TO WRITE FUNNY CHILDREN’S BOOKS WITH CONFIDENCE AND CONSISTENCY begins May 7th and is now open for registration. If you feel you’ve gained even just a kernel of knowledge regarding humor from this post, then my class should give you a movie-theater size bucket of popcorn (without the exorbitant movie theater pricing).
To learn more, please visit: kidlithive.com/event/the-mechanics-of-humor-how-to-write-funny-childrens-books-with-confidence-and-consistency/
I also provide the following services: Manuscript Critiques, Pitch Creation, Comp. Title Assistance, Query Letter Edits, and consultations.
To learn more, please visit kidlithive.com/editorial-services
Well, that’s all folks!
Justin is generously offering a non-rhyming PB Manuscript Critique to one lucky #KidlitHaHa Week participant. To enter, comment below with your favorite mishap, misunderstanding or mischief in a published picture book and RT and like Justin’s X (Twitter) post before Apr 4, 2024 10am ET.
Justin Colón is the author of THE QUACKEN (Simon & Shuster, 2024), IMPOSSIBLE POSSUMS (Disney-Hyperion, 2024), IMPOSSIBLE POSSUM FOR MAYOR (Disney-Hyperion, 2025), VAMPURR (FSG/Macmillan, 2026), and several other picture books yet to be announced. He is the owner of The Kidlit Hive and previously founded/hosted PBChat, a community and annual mentorship program that assisted over 100+ upcoming picture book creators on their publication journey during its four year run.
In his other life, Justin is a professional, formally trained voice and on-camera actor and SAG-AFTRA member who has co-starred on hit shows such as Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Gotham, and Sneaky Pete. He lives in New York. Justin invites you to visit him at justincolonbooks.com
Great stuff! Thanks for sharing. And your books sound hilarious! Can’t wait to read them.
Thank you for reading, and for the kind words, Bri!
Great insight!
I love Bob Not Bob! I just read it to my classes now that it’s officially allergy season.
Talk about a book having a unique seasonal hook!
One of my favorite funny picture books is Llama Destroys the World by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Heather Fox. Llama’s mishaps lead to utter mayhem and the structure of the book where the ending is revealed right away does a great job of amplifying the humor!
Thanks for all the tips on writing great humor!
I was going to mention the exact same book! 😆
DAT.
Great pick, Katie. Llama is a great mentor text for this sort of post (along with Don’t Feed the Coos)!
Can’t wait to read your books, Justin! They look (and sound) amazing!
Thank you, Erin!
Thank you for this post, Justin!
Favorite misunderstanding/mishap: Penelope interacting with the children in We Don’t Eat Our Classmates.
Congratulations on this book and all your successes!
One of my favorites, Mia. Great choice. And thank you for the kind words!
One of my newer favorite funny PBs is Juat Snow Already by Howard McWilliam! I LOVE how the illustrations bring soooo much unexpected mayhem! Clowns and monkeys outside a child’s window, but he doesn’t notice because all he wants is for it to JUST SNOW ALREADY! So funny! Thanks for the opportunity, Justin! Your books sound amazing and exactly the kind of humor my family loves!
I haven’t heard of that one, Nicole. I’ll have to check it out–thanks for the recommendation. And I appreciate the kind words!
Also, thank you Brittany! Love this Haha week!! Brilliant!
Thanks for sharing all the mishaps, misunderstandings and mischief in these great mentor texts! One of my favorite misunderstandings is from MOTHER BRUCE when all the goslings mistake the bear for their mother. This mistaken identity follows him throughout several books. I can’t wait to read all your books! Thanks for all these tips.
Great choice, Cindy. Mother Bruce was originally a mentor text for this blog post (before I realized I’d just compiled a list of my favorite books). I especially like the spreads showing how Bruce acquired the eggs.
Thanks for the kind words!
One mishap/misunderstanding story I loved is Invasion of the Unicorns by David Biedrzycki
I’ll have to go back and re-read that one, Stephanie. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for this super helpful post!
I love the “Chicken, Pig, Cow” series by Ruth Ohi–in particular, the mischief in “Chicken, Pig, Cow Horse Around” where chicken sends horse on a wild goose chase. Heart + humour ensue!
Happy to hear you found the post helpful, Kamilla. I’ll have to check out the book you’ve recommended. Thanks for sharing.
What an awesome collection of resources and mentor texts. Thanks, Justin!
One of my favorites for this is THE TROUBLEMAKER by Lauren Castillo, where the mischief comes back around. @katie_mcenaney on Twitter
I’ll have to check that one out. Thanks for sharing, Katie. Happy to hear you enjoyed the mentor texts.
Thank you for such a fun and informative post, Justin! These are some great mentor texts and I can’t wait to read your upcoming books as well.
One of my more recent favorites is How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guide by Ame Dyckman and Jennifer Harney. The over-the-top reasons given for each dino are so silly and kid-centric, and paired with perfectly hilarious illustrations! Such a great read for kids and adults who need a laugh.
My pleasure, Julie. Thanks for commenting. Ame Dyckman and Jenn Harney are a great team. I use that book in my humor class when discussing dark humor.
Great post, Justin! I love the mishaps of the Mother Bruce series. Looking forward to reading your forthcoming books—congrats!
Thanks for sharing, and the kind words, Jessica. Mother Bruce (and Ryan’s books) are great examples of mishaps, and often mischief.
Wow! This has so much greatness packed into it! Thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to read your books! One of my favorite mischievous characters is the MC from Mustache Baby. The word play and art associated with what he steals or destroys is hilarious! (Ex. Cereal criminal- stealing/eating all the breakfast cereal)
Mustache Baby is a great pick, Ryann! (great example of text and visuals working to create something funny).
And, thank you for the kind words.
These mentor texts and deep dives are just what I need! Thank you guys! ❤️
I’m happy you enjoyed them, Deirdre.
Justin…great post. If anyone is one the fence about taking Justin’s 6-week course…DO IT!
Thank you, Ana!
My favorite mishap is from We Don’t Eat Our Classmates when the little t-rex gets hungry and attempts to eat his new friends.
Solid selection, Jany.
OHHH!!! Forgot to include my favorite mishap/misunderstanding/mischief. I love Magnolia’s mischief in If You Ever Want to Bring a Piano to the Beach, DON’T!!! and the misunderstanding in Potato Pants
Ahh, that Magnolia. She’s a mischievous one. But a fun, strong character. And you’re right, Potato Pants is a prime example of misunderstandings (with heart).
I love running into the unexpected in humorous PBs. Speaking of humorous, I can’t wait THE QUACKEN!
Thank you for your kind words, Tara!
And my favorite humorous PB is WE DON’T EAT OUR CLASSMATES… which I see in this thread is a favorite of many readers! So. Well. Done!
What a great post! My favorite example of MISCHIEF (which you could say also causes some MAYHEM) is the picture book OFF LIMITS by Helen Yoon. The MC’s mischievous fun is maximized by page turns and simplicity!
Thanks for reading, liz. I’m not familiar with that one. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the recc.!
I’ve been wanting to lean more into humor in my manuscripts. Thanks for this great toe-dip into the ocean of humor!
Wishing you luck as you lean into humor, Marti!
It sounds like Kidlit Haha Week is just what you’re looking for, Marti. Wishing you all the best as you dive into the land of humor/comedy for children (and adults, too).
Awesome possom thoughts on how to create comedic chaos!
I’ll add The Boy Who Cried Ninja (Alex Latimer) to the chaotic misunderstandings list. Tim does the right thing telling the truth…but the truth is too wild to believe.
On Account of the Gum by Adam Rex was my first thought before coming to the blog post. Bad Dog by Mike Boldt is another, though I suppose it’s less a case of mistaken identity and more one of willful self-delusion. In any case, it’s funny.
One of my favorite misunderstandings is in Brenda Is A Sheep. Actually Brenda is a wolf but all the sheep think shes a sheep. It’s hysterical.
Great post! I love all the examples. Congratulations on your books, Justin! Can’t wait to read them. Thanks for sharing. My favorite mischief in a picture book is found in Click Clack Moo by Doreen Cronin. Love that the animals make demands using a typewriter!
Thanks for sharing these great tips for creating chaos in comedy! One of our households new favorite pbs is NOT MY CIRCUS by Janet Sumner Johnson and Patrick Corrigan. We love the chaos created by Olivia’s circus (she was supposed to buy eggs, but who can resist a circus for sale??)!
One of my favorite mishaps is in A Spoonful of Frogs. Of course frogs will not go willingly into a cauldron! Thank you for the helpful post!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful information! I think one of my most recent favorite books with plenty of mischief is HOW DINOSAURS WENT EXTINCT: A SAFETY GUIDE by Ame Dyckman, illo by Jennifer Harney. Those dinos sure know how to get into a good bit of trouble!
One of my favorite moments of mischief is from NORMAN DIDN’T DO IT ( YES, HE DID), when Norman kidnaps the tree he is jealous of in the dead of night and plants it far, far away.
Thanks for offering the critique, Justin. A Dinosaur that Pooped a Planet is one of my favorite PBs. When he “chomps on the moon like a big chunk of cheese” is a mischief that has me in splits every time!
Thanks for the comedic wrap-up! I know this is marking my age, but I’ve always loved the hilarious wordplay and misunderstandings of the Amelia Bedelia series.
What great mentor texts! Thank you. My favorite PB mishap is from Olivia when that mischievous little pig Jackson Pollocks (v.) the wall at home after a museum visit with her mom.
“Ronan The Librarian” is chock full of laughs as Ronan, who misunderstands what books are for, tries to figure out what to do with all the books he and his Viking buddies have acquired during their raids.
Great article, Justin. I was especially struck by STUCK (Oliver Jeffers) and it has stuck with me ever since as one of the funnier PBs I’ve read, and then practically anything by Adam Rex, especially XO,OX: A Love Story. Thanks for your offer.
Great picks, Marilyn. Two prime examples: STUCK for mishaps, and XO, OX: A LOVE STORY for misunderstandings.
Thanks for the great blog post, Justin and Brittany. When I think of picture books about misunderstanding, “Misunderstood Shark” by Ame Dykeman immediately comes to mind.
Definitely a great example of misunderstanding. Title sells the concept, too.
“Oopsie-do” by Tim Kubart is filled with little mishaps and teaches children that it is ok to make mistakes.
I do love the silly antics in the illustrations in Down the Hole by Scott Slater and Adam Ming
What an informative article this was! Thank you, Brittany!
A favorite misunderstanding in a picture book that I loved was in Ame Dyckman’s “How Dinosaurs Went Extinct.” Who knew how dangerous tipping a chair backwards was?
Thanks for this informative read Justin! I gotta say, We Don’t Eat our Classmates is a fav in our household, so that’s an easy favourite in this post. Although, The Quacken sounds (and looks, from the little teaser) hilarious, so I’ll add that as another potential fav 😉
Thank you for the marvelous post filled with mayhem and mighty tips and techniques.
THE IMPOSTER
Created by Kelly Collier
Clarion Books, 2023
Oh my gosh, so many possibilities. But I need to mention Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back, when the Bear eats the Bunny. Uh oh! Thanks for doing this, Justin!
One of my favorite mischief books is “Baa Baa Smart Sheep” by Mark and Rowan Sommerset. I found the book while living in New Zealand. Little Baa Baa is bored, and when Quirky Turkey comes along, she can’t resist convincing him that the pile on the ground is really a pile of smarty tablets. I laughed out loud in the store when I found it! (a sticker on the book says Warning container mischief!)
Hello, Mary. You are the winner of the giveaway and have won a free critique through The Kidlit Hive. Please email kidlithive (at) gmail (dot) com to claim your prize. CONGRATULATIONS!
I love Oh Look! A Cake. The sloth and Raccoon are hilarious.
Great post, Justin! Some of my favorite mischief in PB’s are from Micheal Slacks Kitties on Dinosaurs and Dinosaurs on Kitty Island! In both books dinos and kitties are just doing what they do best but contrary nature of the two species interacting is a lot of ridiculous fun! Really looking forward to reading your forthcoming books!
Thank you for this post, Justin! SO many wonderful comps to refer back to! I can’t wait to read THE QUACKEN and I hope to be selected for your critique!
Favorite misunderstanding: When Penelope learns her classmates are NOT for eating in WE DON’T EAT OUR CLASSMATES.
One of my favorites, Blaire. It’s especially funny when one of the students says, “Mrs. Noodleman. Penelope ate William Omoto again!”
Thanks for the kind words about my books 🙂
What a fantastic fun-filled post! Thank you, Justin! Some of my favorite shenanigans happen in Andrea Beaty’s Questioneers series! I mean, what could go wrong when you’re engineering fantastical things?!
Love the info!!!
“Wordy Birdy” by Tammi Sauer is full of hilarious conflict. Wordy just can’t help from constantly talking and is clueless of danger around him!!
Thank you for this awesome blog post! So much helpful information! One of my favorite recent misunderstanding books is Mr. S. And the illustrations! The action in the background out the window as the kids try to suss out the situation. and the twist ending. Loved it all!
Thank you, Justin, for the fun and informative post. I can’t wait to read your books. One of my favorite hilarious book is My Teacher is a Monster by Peter Brown filled with humor, mayhem, and mischief.
Great blog. It’s nice to have tips we can actually work with. Thank you. When it comes to misunderstandings, I have to go with BAD DOG by Mike Boldt.
In “stuck” by Oliver Jeffers. When everything is stuck in the tree. “Then he had an idea and went and found a saw. He lined it up as best he could…and hurled it up the tree.” Gets me every time and hilarious to see my students react
Thanks for the post, Justin! THE DAY LOUIS GOT EATEN by John Fardell is a hilarious book that I return to again and again. Deadpan mayhem, solved without parental involvement.
I’ve never heard of that one before, Wendy. I’ll have to check it out now. Thanks for sharing!
Great post! It’s like an intro to your multi-week humor class!
I have such a soft spot for Penelope Rex. I love her internal struggle between making friends and eating them.
I’m with you about Penelope, Carrie. Not only is the premise funny, but Ryan crafted a protagonist we love and root for.
And you’re, right. This is like an intro to my class, isn’t it?
One of my favorite funny picture books is Alex Willmore’s I DID SEE A MAMMOTH!. It would probably fall into the “misunderstandings” category, but it has some mishaps and mischief, too.
Hi, Janet. I haven’t read that one. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation.
Great mentor texts! I know what I’ll be checking out of my local library soon. My favorite mishaps and misunderstandings are all the things Granda Latke misinterprets in telling the story of Hanukkah in Meet the Latkes by Alan Silberberg
I’ll have to check this one out. Thanks for sharing, Joy!
Thank you for sharing so many great examples! I love all the mishaps in The Day The Crayons Quit.
Great choice, Joy. And I think you could even say there’s a bit of mischief in that story.
My daughter and I just read LUCKY DUCK by Greg Pizzoli and we laughed hysterically at the conclusion. Using your post, the premise is based on the duck misunderstanding the wolf when he gives her “prizes” to make soup, and the payoff is mischief when the wolf’s demise is his chaotic literal fall into the things that had made the duck feel unlucky. So simple, so hilarious bc the reader knows what the wolf is trying to do but the duck is oblivious. Plus hilarious illustrations. Great blog post!
Lucky Duck is a fave in our household too! So good!
I just read this one a few weeks ago and need to give it another read. It’s a great text for mishaps and mischief. And even misunderstanding, like you pointed out. Great analysis.
Thanks for reading, Deena!
I am going to go back about 9 years when I first started to read picture when I took my 2yo to the library. Before I started writing picture books. The hilarious misunderstanding from I AM NOT A CHAIR by Ross Burach. Thanks for the list of humorous books to check out.
Ross is great at infusing his books with comedy. Have you read THERE’S A GIRAFFE IN MY SOUP?
Thank you for this post, Justin! It is JAM-packed with information.
My favorite misunderstanding/mishap is from the first Beth Ferry book I ever read – LAND SHARK. It was so clever and funny, and the entire premise is based on the young boy getting a dog instead of a shark as a pet – NOT the pet he wanted.
Thanks for sharing all that great information! My favorite misunderstanding in a picture book is in MR. S. It’s hilarious how the kids cater to the sandwich, and the surprise ending was terrific!
Big fan of Mr. S here. It’s so absurd, but it works because of its brilliant execution. Fun and fresh.
My favorite misunderstanding is from Problem Solved by Jan Thomas
I’ll have to look that one up. Thanks for sharing, Morgan.
Thank you so much Justin! This post is SuPeR helpful and informative! My favorite picture book at the moment that is loaded with MiScHieF and heart is Jory John’s, The Great Eggscape.
I’m pleased to hear you found this post informative, Sheila. I haven’t read Jory John and Pete Oswald’s The Great Eggscape yet. I’ll have to check it out soon. Thank you for sharing.
Great post! I’ve always loved Donkey’s misunderstanding of what Yam tries to explain in I YAM A DONKEY.
Thanks for reading, Hollie. Great example of Misunderstanding with I YAM A DONKEY.
I loved the mischievous ending in Horswoggled! A Wacky Words Whodunit by Josh Crute and Jenn Harney. The mischievous twist at the end was so great and felt so good after the wacky tension-building antics of the mysterious hornswoggler.
I’m not familiar with this one. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for sharing, Caitlin!
Awesome post, Justin. Thank you! I love the mishap (and the misunderstanding?!) in Who Wet My Pants? by Bob Sea and Zachariah Ohora.
Great pick, Sharon! That’s one of the mentor text I use in my humor class. A great example of a mishap and misunderstanding really being the basis of the story.
My favorite, hilarious misunderstanding and mayhem is in Dozen of Donuts by Carrie Finison
Thanks for sharing Ben!
This is such helpful information. Thank you Justin & Brittany! I love Sophie’s Squash (Miller & Wilsdorf) and Sparky (Offill & Appelhans) for their clever wit & humor. I mean, a sloth checks the boxes … and why can’t a squash be a beloved doll? Both more parent-child conflicts, so hilarious for both parent and child when reading together.
I love this post, thanks for sharing! I think Off-Limits written and illustrated by Helen Yoon has a bit of mischief!
My pleasure, Emily. I’m not familiar with Off-Limits and will have to check it out fir this mischief you mention. Thanks for sharing!
I think this would be considered mischief – but in LITTLE RED by Bethany Woolvin, little red comes home wearing a suspiciously familiar fur coat. The shock is so hilarious I love it!
One of my favorite humorous picture books is Stuck by Oliver Jeffers. I love it that just when you think the main character has it figured out (such as getting a ladder to rescue items from the tree) he does something totally unexpected (throws the ladder in the tree and it becomes stuck as well).
Favorite lately is the kids thinking the sandwich is thei teacher in MR S which is an instant classic book
Hey, Jacob. Mr. S is one of my new favorites, too. Monica and her team nailed it with that book. It was actually my 2023 pick for book of the year on Anitra Rowe Schulte’s blog.
We don’t eat our Classmates is a family favorite! Thank you for an amazing blog post, Justin! So much insight to absorb as I look at my own work and think about how to revise!
Hi, Christine. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the post. We Don’t Eat Our Classmates is a favorite of mine as well. Wishing you all the best with your revisions.
Of the mounds of picture books I’ve read since January, my favorite funny book is HOW DINOSAURS WENT EXTINCT: A SAFETY GUIDE by Ame Dyckman and Jennifer Harney. I thought it was laugh out loud hilarious. I’m sure kids see themselves engaging in some of that mischief. It’s definitely a cautionary tale! I write humor-these tips will be very helpful. In fact this post has given me an idea for a new PB-it contains mischief, misunderstandings and then mayhem! Thanks so much for sharing. Congratulations on your upcoming books! I am looking forward to giving them as gifts to my grands-they love hilarious PBs.
Hi, Debbie. I appreciate the kind words and support and am really happy to hear this post has inspired you. I also agree that Ame Dyckman and Jenn Harney are a great author-illustrator pair with How Dinosaurs Went Extinct. Wishing you all the best with your new idea and manuscript.
My favorite misunderstanding is from Squirrel in THE LEAF THIEF. He believes someone has stollen his leaf, but it was just the autumn weather. Oh dear…
Great information. I learned a lot!
Great mentor texts
Thanks For the informative post! I loved all the info on conflict, so helpful!! One of my favorites is Chimpanzees for Tea, such a hilarious story of misunderstandings.