Absurd Humor and Frantic Frustration
What kinds of books do children like?
Today, there are so many ways to stimulate children’s love of reading.
In this post, I share examples of contemporary award-winning books, mostly for under 10-year olds, that address their current interests, such as storytelling, absurd humor and illustrations, frustration, questions, nature, values, and human anatomy. Not included in this post are dinosaur books, because there are so many easy to access popular books on dinos. Also not included in this post are books that relate to culture, music and film, because I discuss them in many other posts (i.e., Favorite Spanish Books for Young Children, Getting To Know Another Culture through Children’s Books (Japanese), What’s the Best Way To Teach Children To Read? The Brilliance of a Five-Year Old, QR Codes: Moving from Page To Screen and Back Again).
Storytelling
The YouTube video at the beginning of this post is the true-life story of the leopard Diablo and his meeting with Anna Breytenbach, Animal Communicator, which inspired the illustrated children's book How diablo became Spirit, by Andrew Newman & Anna Breytenback, illustrated by Alexis Aronson.
Absurd Humor and Frantic Frustration
Appealing to children’s interests can spark their love of books and reading. Not all the books that I liked as a child, or that my adult children enjoyed when they were young, appeal to my grandchildren and to their friends.
The world today is absurd and spinning for youngsters, as well as for oldsters. Therefore, many children are attracted to books about humor and that help they become aware of their feelings, such as frustration, fear, and loss. Source: Gideon & me Interview Comic on School Library Journal.
My 10-year old grandson advised me to add humor to a book I am writing about the planets. Following are a few examples of humorous books that allow children to become aware of how they feel:
Not Your Nest! written by Gideon Sterer, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi
Accident by written and illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi
When we own up and take responsibility for our actions, words, and deeds, only then can we begin to make amends. Heady stuff for a book this whimsical and downright funny, but there you are. Betsy Bird, Fuse #8, School Library Journal
Absurd illustrations
With the rapid growth of technology, absurd illustrations for children appeal to their imaginations. Following are a couple book examples:
the hug who got stuck , by Andrew Newman, illustrated by Alexis Aronson
This story encourages children to recognize and process their emotions, understanding that even "sticky thoughts" can be navigated with love and mindfulness. Source: Conscious Stories, which includes many other books on mindfulness.
Life Log by Lea Redmond, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi and YOU. This interactive books encourages children to collect data from their everyday activities to gain insights into themselves.
Questions
Children ask questions. They want to know why. Here’s a book example:
The Curious Why, by Angela DiTerlizzi illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gome.
Human Anatomy
Children like to explore the human body. As they become school age, they are especially interested in skeletons. One of the best human skeleton books I’ve found that appeals to kids is Understanding Our Skeleton by Lucy Beevor. Illustrations and photos, combined with an adult or older children reading the explanations, are the key to the success of this book for 5 to 10-year olds. Beevor has also authored books on understanding our muscles, head, and organs.
Nature
Many children like nature – flowers, insects, clouds, trees, the natural environment around them. Some Bugs by Angela DiTerlizzi, is a rhyming book example.
Some bugs hop.
Some bugs glide.
Some bugs swim.
And some bugs hide!
Libraries
Whether or not we can afford to buy these popular children’s books, it makes sense to check them out at our local library. In California and Nevada, library cardholders can access and borrow books, music, and other materials from other participating public and academic libraries.
Something To Think About
What are the children in your life interested in?
What are you interested in?
Is there any overlap between their and your interests and needs?
How can you address their interests and needs through books?