| "Why did the chicken cross the road?" | | | | in touch with your inner child and start to see |
| What does this have to do with an author that | | | | things from that viewpoint; find out what really is |
| wants to learn to write? This is a classic line, that | | | | funny to children. This will be a great help as you |
| begins a classic joke; a little bit of humor that | | | | learn to write humor. |
| almost everyone can recognize. In fact, it's so | | | | Play With the Limits |
| cliché that it has been re-worked and re-done | | | | Some situations are fairly everyday in their |
| hundreds upon hundreds of time. The answers to | | | | nature. However, if you start stretching the limits |
| this simple joke varies depending upon the mood | | | | of the logic surrounding the basic events, real |
| of the teller and the specific situation. However, it | | | | humor is found. So what if a man is so stuck in |
| is humor- plain and simple- basic and | | | | his routine that he always travels a certain way |
| understandable. This concept can add value to | | | | every single day? What's so interesting about |
| your children's book. Here are a few simple tips | | | | that? However, create a character that begins to |
| that will help you incorporate humor into your | | | | travel that route at all hours of the day and night, |
| manuscripts. | | | | whether sleeping or awake, and you can see how |
| Simple is Better | | | | some funny situations would be the result. Pushing |
| When you are dealing with children, they often | | | | the limits of the mundane can create humor that |
| have a hard time grasping abstract concepts. | | | | children appreciate. |
| Humor is no different. The humor in children's | | | | Words are Your Friends |
| books should be straightforward and easy to | | | | Children are primed for and steeped in language |
| understand. That doesn't mean you can't use | | | | development. They have been examining and |
| things like a play-on-words, but they must be | | | | experimenting with language since they were first |
| very basic. Humor with layers is often lost on kids | | | | born. Because of this, humor that deals with |
| and that will distract from your goal of creating a | | | | language in a fun and clever way is particularly |
| fun and engaging children's book. When you learn | | | | appealing. When you learn to write, pay attention |
| to write, there is a lot that goes into the process, | | | | to words, and use them in a creative way. Use |
| but don't complicate the humor. | | | | puns, incorporate dual meaning, and create |
| Rediscover Your Funny Bone | | | | nonsense that will make your young audience |
| One of the biggest challenges for an adult author | | | | giggle. |
| is the difficulty in really getting inside the heads of | | | | Humor in Art |
| their audience. After all, it's been an awful long | | | | This last principle is especially important when you |
| time since you were playing in the sandbox or | | | | are dealing with children's picture books. When you |
| riding bikes on a dirt road. As a children's author, | | | | learn to write in this genre, the pictures must |
| however, you need to take the time to | | | | support the text. Work with your artist to add |
| rediscover those childlike parts of yourself. How | | | | funny details in the visual presentation of your |
| can you write something that kids think is funny, | | | | story. This works especially well if there are |
| if you have no idea what makes them laugh? Get | | | | nuances that the reader will have to search for. |