Funny novels – Page 4

The Adventures of Captain Underpants

10/12/2014 by Alex Milway

It would be hard to beat the Captain Underpants series for ‘funny’. Written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey, its beauty lies in its mixture of comic and novel – much of which is ‘created’ by its two main characters. I love it for that. I’m certain there are many kids who have been inspired to make their own comics because of these books.

Captain Underpants is desperately silly, for sure, but the books pique the interest of many children who may not immediately jump at the chance of picking up a book. It should be celebrated as being one of the most novel and unique children’s books on the market.

It’s Wrong Boy’s History of Earth

10/12/2014 by Alex Milway

A book quite unlike any other, Wrong Boy’s History of Earth by Will Bishop-Stephens is so beautifully silly I’d class it a minor masterpiece. Dressed up as a school exercise book, the joy in this book is all in the way it’s written and illustrated – as if by a child. There are some smashing insights to be found within its pages, such as: “Cranes are interesting because they haven’t changed much since they were first invented, because they are very good at what they do. In this way they are like algae and Great White Sharks.”