Pun and Games

Books for Readers in the Primary Grades

Fun with language—jokes, puns, rhymes, riddles—equals lots of laughs!

To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through our OPAC. Happy Reading!

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And the Green Grass Grew All Around by Alvin Schwartz.
BR 9487 or RC 37692.
A delightful collection of nearly 300 folk poems—poetry that is usually unwritten and is made up by ordinary people to meet everyday needs. Included are street rhymes, nursery rhymes, parodies, autograph rhymes, nonsense verse, and riddles. For grades 3 and up.

Ballpoint Bananas and Other Jokes for Kids by Charles Keller.
RC 7798.
A rib-tickling collection of 99 riddles, elephant jokes, knock-knock jokes, and nonsense rhymes. For grades 3-7.

The Best Book of Riddles, Puns, and Jokes by Bronnie Cunningham.
BR 4424 or RC 15897.
More than a 1000 riddles of all kinds to tickle funny bones. For grades 3-6.

Cat’s Out of the Bag!: Jokes about Cats by Sharon Friedman.
BR 8254.
A collection of jokes about cats including, "What do you call a cat who dresses just like her friends? A copycat." For grades 3-6.

Creepy Riddles by Katy Hall.
BR 11991.
Collection of 42 riddles about scary, spooky things. Topics include food preferences among witches, ghosts, vampires, and sea monsters, the social lives of ghosts, werewolves, and zombies, and the “physical” characteristics of ghouls and other creatures. For grades 2-4.

Cricket’s Jokes, Riddles, and Other Stuff .
BR 50400 or RC 12508.
A rib-tickling collection of jokes, riddles, limericks, and tongue twisters. For grades 2-4.

For Laughing Out Loud: Poems to Tickle Your Funny Bone by Jack Prelutsky.
RC 35067.
The funny works of contemporary poets are assembled in this ticklish anthology. For grades 1-5.

The Funniest Knock-Knock Book Ever! by Joseph Rosenbloom.
BR 7321.
A collection of over 40 knock-knock jokes. For grades 2-4.

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.
BR 8956 or BR 13450 or BR 50772 or RC 34056.
In verse, Sam-I-am tells of the virtues of green eggs and ham. Print/Braille. For grades 1-2.

Ha! Ha! Ha! 1000+ Jokes, Riddles, Facts, and More by Lyn Thomas.
RC 54688.
A collection of humorous bits and pieces arranged by theme—the brain, computers, animals, sea creatures, and knock-knock jokes, among others. Interesting facts about humor and the subjects of the jokes are also included. For grades 3-6.

Halloween Howls: Riddles That Are a Scream by Giulio Maestro.
BR 5696 or RC 21632.
A collection of Halloween humor featuring Vampires, mummies, and other creepy favorites. For grades 3-6 to share with older readers.

A Huge Hog Is a Big Pig: A Rhyming Word Game by Francis McCall.
BR 51210 or LP 1092.
A variety of mostly farm animals are introduced with such phrases as a granny nanny, a soggy doggy, and a loose goose. For grades K-3.

Jokes and Fun by Helen Hoke.
RC 7863.
Collection of zany jokes, riddles, tongue twisters, rhymes, and other odds and ends. For grades 3-6.

Jokes for Children by Marguerite Kohl.
BR 1957.
A collection of riddles, jokes, double talk, puns, and daffy definitions. For grades 3-6.

Keep ‘Em Laughing Jokes to Amuse and Annoy Your Friends by Louis Phillips.
BR 10914.
A collection of riddles and jokes, including knock-knocks and puns. For example: "What's the difference between a prison guard and a person with measles? One spots breakouts, while the other breaks out in spots." For grades 2-4.

Knockout Knock Knocks by Caroline Anne Levine.
BR 4449.
61 corny knock-knock jokes for young jokesters. For grades 2-4.

The Lady with the Alligator Purse by Nadine Bernard Westcott.
BR 50696 or RC 33782.
The traditional jump rope, nonsense rhyme about Tiny Tim who became quite ill while taking a bath when "he drank up all the water, he ate up all the soap, he tried to eat the bathtub, but it wouldn't go down his throat." The doctor and nurse are left in a quandary. Then the lady with the alligator purse arrives on the scene and knows just what to do. For preschool-grade 2.

The Laugh Book by Joanna Cole and Stephanie Calmenson.
RC 26241.
A collection of jokes, riddles, tongue twisters, tricks, games, poems, and stories. For grades 2-6.

Merry-Go-Riddle by Ann Bishop.
BR 2867.
More than 100 zany riddles about the circus, crazy creatures, and Dumdum. For grades 2-5.

More Jokes for Children by Marguerite Kohl.
BR 1867.
A collection of riddles, jokes, double talk, puns, and daffy definitions. For grades 3-6.

Oh, Riddlesticks by Ann Bishop.
BR 5965 or RC 10921.
Zany collection of jokes, one-liners, and funny questions. For grades 3-6.

101 Elephant Jokes compiled by Robert Blake.
BR 02682.
A 14-year-old editor at Scholastic Book Services compiled his favorite elephant jokes. For grade 3 to adult.

The Pelican Chorus and Other Nonsense by Edward Lear.
RC 42464.
A collection of nonsense rhymes, including The Owl and the Pussycat, The New Vestments, and The Pelican Chorus. For grades 2-4 and older readers.

Poems of A. Nonny Mouse by Jack Prelutsky.
RC 31528.
A collection of poems that over the years have been falsely attributed to “Anonymous,” according to A. Nonny Mouse. For preschool-grade 6.

Queen of Eene by Jack Prelutsky.
BR 4676.
Rollicking rhymes about the Queen of Eene and thirteen other ludicrous characters. For grades K-3

Remember Betsy Floss: And Other Colonial American Riddles by David A. Adler.
RC 27675.
A collection of funny riddles about the American Revolution and life in colonial America. For grades 3-6 and older readers.

The Silly Kid Joke Book by Caroline Anne Levine.
BR 5756 or RC 21766.
60 jokes about silly kids and silly animals. For grades 3-6.

Sing a Song of Popcorn: Every Child’s Book of Poems by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers.
RC 28583.
A collection of 115 poems by a variety of well-known authors. For grades K and up.

Six Million-Dollar Cucumber: Riddles and Fun for Children by E. Richard Churchill.
RC 11814.
Ridiculous riddles about animals, birds, flowers, and of course, vegetables. For grades 3-6.

Sports Riddles by Joseph Rosenbloom.
RC 21621.
Giggly riddles about baseball, basketball, boxing, bowling, football, and other sports. For grades 3-6.

Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh Morals, Beastly Fables by Jon Scieszka.
BR 12072.
Contemporary fables with tongue-in-cheek morals address such topics as homework, curfews, and television commercials. For grades 3-6.

The Star-spangled Banana and Other Revolutionary Riddles by Charles Keller.
RC 11822.
Hysterical, historical riddles based on the Revolutionary War and other events and personalities from America’s early years. For grades 3-6.

Westward Ho Ho Ho! Jokes from the Wild West by Victoria Hartman.
BR 9521.
A collection of knock-knock jokes, riddles, puns, and limericks about the wild, wild West. Chapters include "Roaming the Range," "Moseying to Town," and "Gold Rush." For grades 3-6.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema.
BR 5916 or LP 50104 or RC 22905
An amusing, repetitive tale explains why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears. For grades K-3.

World’s Wackiest Riddle Book by Evelyn Jones.
BR 7395.
A collection of more than 500 humorous, silly, wacky riddles in categories such as “Chewy Riddles,” “Rhyme Time,” and “The Cart before the Horse.” For grades 3-6.