Following our discussion of the importance and numerous benefits of silly play with your children, we wanted to give you some inspiration. We’ve put together a selection of books that demonstrate different ways in which laughter and playfulness become effective educational tools.

Bedtime for Mommy

by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and  LeUyen Pham

 After a hard day of playing a little girl faces a daunting task of putting her parents to bed. Those adults can be so difficult! A wonderful book by a beloved author that offers a fun take on role/power reversal .

Where Do Pants Go?

 By Rebecca Van Slyke and Chris Robertson 

 “Where do pants go?” is an important question for people of all ages. Do they go on your head? Do they go on your neck? No!  This humorous story and wonderfully illustrated book is sure to produce some laughs, but it also shows kids how to put on their clothes—from the underwear on their bottoms to the hats on their heads.

Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day

 By Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell 

 Another wonderful book that inspires kids to identify and name their feelings. One of it’s undeniable highlights is a funny poem depicting silliness and whimsy.

Not a Box

 By Antoinette Portis

 In this book all that’s needed is a couple of lines and a world of imagination. Simple illustrations and the author’s out-of-the-box conceptual approach take the reader way beyond the expected.

Duck Sock Hop

 By Jane Kohuth

 A tongue-twisting, toe-tapping, giggle-inducing verse about, well, sock-wearing ducks having a party. Can’t get much sillier than that! Ducks dance until they can dance no more and their socks go rip, but as one party ends, preparations for the next one begin.

Good Night, Gorilla!

By Peggy Rathmann

 A beloved classic at ECDA: a book about a particularly naughty primate who takes zoo animals (and the zookeeper!) on a bit of an adventure. The book features expressive and fun illustrations and is almost entirely wordless, which gives the readers endless possibilities for improvisation and laughs.

Green Eggs and Ham

Fox In Socks

Ten Apples Up On Top

 By Dr. Seuss

 This selection of the never-aging gems by Dr. Seuss (who is no stranger to silliness) might serve as a good introduction to this author for the youngest of readers.

Let’s Play!

The Book With a Hole

The Game of Finger Worms

 By Herve Tullet

 Not many authors can take the reader on an interactive journey of color, shape, motion, and imagination by using a single dot. Or cutting a big hole through the middle of the book. Or a hole just big enough for a finger to make an appearance as one of the book’s character. Herve Tullet can.

 

 

 

 

 

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