Novel Novice

The cover of Francesca Simon’s Horrid Henry’s Joke Book warns that this book is “Too rude for parents!” They really mean it. Er, sort of.

Filled with groan-worthy puns and gross-out humor, Horrid Henry’s Joke Book is chock full of the sort of simplistic humor that kids love — and some of us grown-ups still appreciate in moments of sleep deprivation. Though if you’re reading this book with your kids, chances are they’ll be doing most of the giggling and you’ll be doing a lot of groaning.

And if you let your kids read this book on their own, prepare yourself for an onslaught of re-tellings. Here are some of the jokes you can expect your kids to be howling over:

When a vampire drinks too much, what does it get?
A fangover. (pg. 5)

Why don’t cannibals eat clowns?
They taste funny. (pg. 15)

What do you do when your nose goes on strike?
Picket. (pg. 20)

There are grosser jokes, too. Some I chuckled over, others I groaned after reading. Still others I cringed and muttered, “Ew” under my breath. Nonetheless, if you’ve got a kid with a funny bone and love for cheesy jokes, pick them up a copy of Horrid Henry’s Joke Book, available everywhere from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.

Filed under: Uncategorized