laughter is good medicine…forty funny finds

I’ve just returned from a marvelous holiday in Ireland and Portugal.

My husband and I gaped in stunned wonder at majestic cathedrals, hiked in both blustery wind and sunshine along rugged coastlines, and were warmed by friendliness and hospitality from everyone we met.

Since landing back home, I haven’t had time to gather titles properly for a new blog post, so I thought I’d dip into the Marmalade archives and pull out some of the funny stories I’ve discovered over the years.
From new titles to out-of-print gems, these bring laughter to even a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Moo, by David Rochelle and Mike Wohnoutka –One cow, one red sports car, and a whole lot of trouble.

Sheep in a Jeep, by Nancy Shaw and Margot Apple — A whole pack of wooly-headed sheep careen toward disaster in a jeep.

Mother Bruce, by Ryan T. Higgins — The first episode in the antics of this silly household led by one grumpus of a bear.

Mrs. Armitage on Wheels, by Quentin Blake — One eccentric woman makes one too many repairs to her trusty bicycle.

Nanette’s Baguette, by Mo Willems — Nanette is set to get a baguette. Can she do it sans regret?

Clarice Bean, Guess Who’s Babysitting? by Lauren Child — Clarice Bean’s wild uncle meets his match when it’s his turn to babysit.

Oh Were They Ever Happy, by Peter Spier — A gaggle of kids give their parents a surprise gift  by painting the house while they’re away for the day!

The Fantastic Mr. Wani, by Kanako Usui — One crocodile in a blistering hurry to a birthday party creates chaos.

Once Upon a Time The End (Asleep in 60 seconds), by Geoffrey Kloske and Barry Blitt — How fast can Dad tell a bedtime story so his charges will go to sleep?

Penguin Problems, by Jory John — One maudlin penguin’s commentary on his problems.

Piggie Pie, by Margie Palatini and Howard Fine — Gritch the Witch craves Piggie Pie, but Old McDonald’s piggies are a mite too clever for her.

Pug Man’s 3 Wishes, by Sebastian Meschenmoser — A curmudgeonly pug encounters a chipper fairy who grants him three wishes.

Wings: A Tale of Two Chickens, by James Marshall — Two chickens, one savvy, one featherbrained, meet a sly fox offering a ride in his hot air balloon.

Limelight Larry, by Leigh Hodgkinson — A peacock who revels in the limelight discovers friends are better than solitary fame.

Frog Goes to Dinner, by Mercer Mayer — Such a romp occurs when a pet frog stows away in his boy’s pocket and winds up at a classy restaurant.

Sleep Tight, Charlie, by Michaël Escoffier, and Kris Di Giacomo — Charlie becomes peeved at his neighbors’ nighttime noise which disturbs his bedtime routine.

That’s Not a Hippopotamus, by Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis — During an outing to the zoo no one in the class manages to spot the hippopotamus, except for one quiet soul.

The Topsy Turvies, by Francesca Simon and Keren Ludlow — It takes all kinds to make a world, and the Topsy Turvies are certainly one of a kind!

Imogene’s Antlers, by David Small — When Imogene wakes up, she’s acquired a rack of antlers on her head. This makes for quite a day!

Tooth-Gnasher Superflash, by Daniel Pinkwater — Mr. Popsnorkle sets out to buy a new family car and ends up with quite a doozy!

Treat, by Mary Sullivan — If you ever knew a dog obsessed with treats, you’ll be in familiar territory here.

I Don’t Want to Be a Pea, by Ann Bonwill and Simon Rickerty — Two friends have to agree on a combo-costume for the Fairy Tale Fancy Dress Party and it’s a little difficult.

Trouble Gum, by Matthew Cordell — When Grammy gives the kids bubble gum to keep them quiet, trouble, mess, and noise ensue.

Z is for Moose, by Kelly Bingham and Paul O. Zelinsky — Moose is tired of waiting for his turn in the alphabetical stage production and bungles his way into the show at inopportune moments.

Vegetables in Underwear, by Jared Chapman — Because if underwear isn’t funny enough, putting vegetables in underwear is even nuttier.

A Visitor for Bear, by Bonny Becker and Kady MacDonald Denton — Mouse and Bear are one of the funniest, most endearing twosomes out there. Meet them here.

Wolf Won’t Bite, by Emily Gravett — The three pigs test the limits of the wolf’s patience in this riotous episode.

Good Night Gorilla, by Peggy Rathman — One sneaky gorilla wants a comfier bed than what he’s got in the zoo.

Dory Fantasmagory, by Abby Hanlon — A pint-sized gal with a whale of an imagination makes every Dory chapter book a breathless, funny adventure.

My Naughty Little Sister, by Dorothy Edwards and Shirley Hughes — A collection of these classic British stories about one extra-impish little girl.

The Birthday Cake, by Sven Nordqvist — One of the Pettson and Findus stories from Sweden narrates the consternation involved in making a simple birthday cake.

Life on Mars, by Jon Agee — Blast off to Mars in search of extra-terrestrial life.

The Chupacabra Ate the Candelabra, by Marc Tyler Nobleman and Ana Aranda — A psychedelic, wild, and toothy tale of careening danger involving three goats and the legendary chupacabra.

The Book with No Pictures, by B.J. Novak — Ridiculous, slapstick humor from one of television’s top comedy writers.

Count the Monkeys, by Mac Barnett and Kevin Cornell — Counting monkeys seems like an easy task, but jungle mayhem makes it quite a challenge!

The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, by  Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean -Swapping Dad for two keen goldfish seemed like a fine idea at the time, but retrieving him is more complicated than expected.

Down the Back of the Chair, by Margaret Mahy and Polly Dunbar — Exactly what might you find under the chair cushions while searching for some car keys?

Fear the Bunny, by Richard T. Morris and Priscilla Burris — Tiger is mighty scornful of the woodland animals’ fear of a bunny, until he suddenly encounters it.

Florence and Eric Take the Cake, by Jocelyn Wild — A case of mis-caken identity results in mayhem at the Little Nibbling Knitting Circle.

Meet the Dullards, by Sara Pennypacker and Daniel Salmieri — The Dullard kids, who have the boring-est parents on the planet, conspire to find some excitement.