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Absolute silliness results when a chicken is caught up in a struggle with a Norse god. The result is a superhero chicken. The hybrid clucker (half god, half fowl) is sure to cause readers to chuckle as well as groan with its heroic absurdity.

One sunny afternoon, Wolf decides to make an apple cake. But when he goes out to collect all of the ingredients it becomes more difficult than expected. Along the way he meets other fairy tale characters with whom he shares the final product! A recipe for Aunt Rosie’s apple cake concludes this comic take on traditional tales.

Are fish bright just because they travel in schools? Mac and Mac are not called noodleheads for nothing! The pair is back for another silly adventure presented in easy graphic format. 

Bear is in bed when he hears the first knock. The parade of animal friends begins with Justin (as in “Justin the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by!”). Everyone has gathered to wish Bear a Happy Hibernation! Comic illustrations and dialogue in conversation bubbles combine to tell a funny tale with lots of wordplay and friendship.

Marmalade is not only a trained architect with terrific plans to build a house, but she’s cute on top of it. But are cute kittens taken seriously? This — and more — are explored in a graphic novel just right for emerging readers.

If an ordinary hamster drew a dinosaur, it would look nothing like the one Leonardo da Vinci may have created. In fact, few classic works would. Humor, art and art history combine in this very clever, slightly irreverent, but fascinating introduction to art and artists in this companion to If Picasso Painted a Snowman. (opens in a new window)

Meet Hansel and Gretel again! This, however, is not the typical telling. Here Willow the witch is a kindly good witch who finally has had enough of a rude duo. Strong lines, limited color, and understated text turn the traditional tale into a fresh, funny, and satisfying story. Readers may also enjoy Woollvin’s recasting of Rapunzel (opens in a new window) and Little Red. (opens in a new window)

Poor but worthy Freddie Mole winds up with a circus job in an effort to help his struggling family. The story is fast and funny sprinkled with black/white drawings adding to the absurdity. The humor is likely to appeal to sophisticated readers and perhaps Roald Dahl fans.

“Have you ever wondered why all the animals at the zoo seem so tired?” It’s because soon after the zoo closes to visitors, they all dance and boogie all night! Join the fun with the vivacious translucent illustrations and lively language.

The hole in the log in the lake holds a frog with a hair on its head, a fly on top of that, with a gnat on the fly. Shared as a call-and-response or as a song (the music is included), readers will appreciate the humor of the oblivious frog and what becomes of it.

The jaguar asks the coati to wake him up after a brief nap. When the coati wants to nap, too, it asks a cockatiel. One by one, each animal falls asleep until the last one, the sloth, falls asleep and suddenly his enormous snore startles everyone awake! Bold illustrations and clever use of typeface combine to tell a humorous tale reminiscent of a folktale.

Octopuses are canny characters in real life. In this adventure when Octopus escapes, he creates chaos at the aquarium and chuckles for readers. Short rhyming sentences and cartoon illustrations add to the fun and play.

Little Red Chicken tells his father about what he learned in school; unexpected occurrences in stories or “the Elephant of Surprise”! Of course, when the parent and child read traditional tales, young Red must add that blue elephant of surprise. The pair was introduced in Interrupting Chicken (opens in a new window) but stands alone and is equally funny.

A boy observes an anaconda swallow an assortment of critters, each to catch the one that preceded it. He wonders aloud “Will she be sick?” When he’s the last in the snake’s tummy, all pop out quite literally as “Then she was sick-ick!” Comic illustration and rhyming text in familiar cadence with flaps to life make this silly story very appealing.

David, the naughty but loveable kid from No, David (opens in a new window), again hears those words. This time, however, it’s his big brother who shouts them; David is too little to play with the older boys. The illustrator’s signature illustrations and hand drawn text create a humorous, recognizable addition to books about this sharp-toothed little boy.

Edward, a giraffe, is ashamed of his long neck until he meets Cyrus, a tortoise who laments he has no neck. This hilarious tale of animals unhappy with their features (and very relatable!) is cleverly told through formal language coupled with well-placed, textured illustrations. 

It’s Victor Starspeeder’s third year at Jedi Academy and things are… weird. After last year’s security breach, Principal Marr has been demoted and replaced with Commander ZC-04, a big, scary droid. There’s a curfew, new regulations, and everyone is on edge. Told through a mix of comics, doodles, and journal entries.

Mark Twain’s partial tale told to his own children has been carefully completed by Philip Stead and is interpreted for modern listeners.

Young fowl hatch near a large bear named Bruce who becomes their adoptive parent.

Eugenia Lincoln is a practical person with no time for gee-gaws, whoop-de-whoops, or frivolity. When an unexpected package containing an accordion arrives at her house, she is determined to have nothing to do with it. But her plans to sell the accordion, destroy the accordion, and give the accordion away all end in frustration. How can Eugenia stop being tormented by this troublesome package? Might she discover that a bit of unforeseen frivolity could be surprisingly … joyous?

Meet nature’s recyclers, a variety of critters that contribute the “brown food web”, presented in a range of poetry and humorous illustrations. In addition to factual material throughout, this small volume concludes with additional information, a glossary, activities and experiments.

Ever wondered why or what makes you itch? There are lots of itchy answers ranging from mosquitoes to fungi among many other cringe-worth things. Find out in this fascinating, informative, well-sourced, and illustrated exploration.

Hippos are denser than water and so sink in water. Plus, they can’t actually swim but push off to “sail through the water like otters.” Interesting factoids about these huge land animals are presented in cartoon illustrations complete with funny asides in conversation bubbles. Further resources are included at the end. The author approaches a furry animal in the same way in The Truth about Bears (opens in a new window).

Peter and Ernesto are friends but are very different: Peter is a homebody while Ernesto wants to explore. So travel he does making the friends’ reunion all the better when it comes. The comic book format with simple illustrations is just right to depict the sloths’ friendship with both humor and sincerity.