This week I wanted to round up some of the best children’s books written by comedians. I was very unaware that comedians wrote children’s books until recently (funny how you don’t keep up with children’s literature unless you have a good reason too!)
But what a great idea for comedians to write books! They are naturally funny, and the comedians I’ve included on this list are able to channel their humor onto paper and into something that is relatable to both kids and adults.
YOUR BABY’S FIRST WORD WILL BE DADA
Written by Jimmy Fallon
I fell in love with Jimmy Fallon when I first started watching SNL back in the early 2000s (like literally in love, I might have had a little crush on him). Jimmy Fallon has come a long way and is now the host of NBC’s Tonight Show. This book was inspired by his quest to have his daughter’s first words be “dada.” He has said that the book started out as a joke but ended up selling over two million copies.
The book is an easy to read picture book about daddy animals trying to get their baby animals to say dada. It’s pretty funny for kids and parents. I prefer the board book version, as it’s easier to read if your baby has small sticky fingers, which my child very much has. This book is recommended for children ages 1-3, but I think it’s great for whenever your baby starts talking or babbling.
Your Baby’s First Word Will Be Dada was published in 2015, and Jimmy Fallon has written two other best-selling children’s books since then. Who knew? (Probably tons of people and I’m just out of the loop.)
Check out his other two books below, Everything is Mama, and This is Baby.
Written by B.J. Novak
BJ Novak is an actor/writer/producer/director/jack-of-all-trades really. If you watched the Office he played intern Ryan Howard and was also one of the series main writers.
So, this book has no pictures. Just some words in black and white. I was skeptical at first but it turned out to be a fun read! The premise is, there are no pictures in the book but the reader must read out loud exactly what the words say, even if they are silly or preposterous. This is definitely good for a certain age of children, you know the age when they think saying things like gobbledegook and fart is hilarious. (If you’re not sure when that age is, the publisher recommends ages 5-8!)
The Boston Globe reviewed the book as, “A perfectly-pitched tool for parental humiliation and childish glee.”
Steve Martin was named one of the top comedians of all time by Comedy Central. He is best known for his work in movies such as Father of the Bride, Roxanne, and the Pink Panther, but I always associate him with Three Amigos (cheesy 80’s movie with Chevy Chase and Martin Short).
Fun fact, Steve Martin worked at the Magic Shop in Disneyland as a teenager where he learned to juggle and make balloon animals!
The Alphabet From A to Y With Bonus Letter Z! is structured like a typical alphabet book for kids, with each letter of the alphabet featured. But it’s much more than that. Your child will appreciate the alliterative words for each alphabet letter, and you will appreciate the hilarious illustrations by Roz Chast. You might recognize her drawing style as a cartoonist at The New Yorker. This book is recommended for kids ages 2-5 and is a great book to read aloud.
Jeff Foxworthy is part of one of the most successful comedy tours of all time, the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. He’s the guy with the redneck jokes, you know:
“You might be a redneck if you see a sign that says ‘Just Say No to Crack,’ and it reminds you to pull up your jeans.”
Or, “You might be a redneck if the stock market crashes and it doesn’t affect you one bit.”
This guy is hilarious, and he’s also gone on to host multiple TV shows (Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader?) and is the bestselling author of 26 books.
Dirt on My Shirt is a book of poems written for children that uses rhyming and humor to engage with kids. The poems reflect his sense of humor in that they focus on the hilarity in everyday normal family interactions and human nature. This review on Amazon sold me on the book:
“Dirt on My Shirt” is funny and sweet. My grandsons enjoy the poems because they tell real-life stories simply and honestly. Jeff writes about self, family and friends in a positive light and you can’t help but smile as the book is read. Everyone who reads this will find at least one relative or friend that they will instantly recognize!”
Dirt on My Shirt is recommended for children ages 4-8.
Michael Ian Black is a comedian and actor, probably best known for the I Love the ’70s/’80s/’90s/New Millennium series on VH1, where he showcased his dry and sarcastic humor. This is his first children’s book, published in 2009, and he has since published four more.
I laughed (silently, on the inside) when I read the name of this book. This book is all about animal’s bottoms and silly names for them. I guess it’s not really ALL about bottoms, there’s a story in there somewhere, but your kids will be too busy laughing at names like “rhinoceros rump” and “turkey tushie” to pay attention to it. This book is recommended for kids ages 4-8. My daughter might be a little young to fully appreciate this book, although she did laugh while we read it, it might have been because I was laughing too.
This author has written a bunch of other children’s books, if you liked Chicken Cheeks, check out I’m Bored, A Pig Parade is a Terrible Idea, or Naked!
Comedians and kids’ books are a perfect match. Whoever the first comedian to come out with a children’s book was really a genius. There are a bunch of other books by comedians I didn’t get a chance to read: Seinfeld, Russell Brand, and Ray Romano to name a few. So if you enjoyed the books above, check out some other children’s books by comedians, there are a bunch out there!
For more great children’s book recommendations, also check out The Best Children’s Books by Celebrities, which features some of the best kids books written by celebrities.
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