Funny books for kids
54 hand-picked books from the Bookbear catalogue tagged “humour”, with Indian authors first. Each one has an age range, a short description, a heads-up on any sensitive topics and a link to buy in India.
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Catch That Crocodile!
Ages 3–6Indian author
A crocodile wanders into town and everyone tries, and fails, to catch it. A rollicking rhyme with lively art by Pulak Biswas.
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Ganesha's Sweet Tooth
by Sanjay Patel & Emily Haynes
Ages 4–7Indian author
Ganesha breaks his tusk on a super-jawbreaker laddoo, and the poet Vyasa helps him find a use for it. A funny retelling of how the Mahabharata was written.
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Tigers for Dinner: Tall Tales by Jim Corbett's Khansama
by Ruskin Bond
Ages 8–12Indian author
Tall tales told by the cook who worked for legendary hunter-conservationist Jim Corbett.
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Our Nana Was a Nutcase
by Ranjit Lal
Ages 9–13Indian author
A funny, affectionate story about a wonderfully eccentric grandfather seen through his grandchildren's eyes.
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Malhar in the Middle
by Shruthi Rao
Ages 7–9Indian author
Malhar wants to be a famous tabla player — but why do tabla players always sit at the side of the stage? A funny early chapter book about ambition, music and wanting to be centre stage.
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History Mystery: Tughlaq and the Stolen Sweets
Ages 7–10Indian author
Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq's favourite sweets have vanished and a young sleuth must find the thief — a funny, illustrated history mystery.
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List-O-Mania
Ages 4–8Indian author
Kimaya makes lists for everything — until a playdate goes wrong and she learns that some fun can't go by the list.
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That Thing about Bollywood
Ages 8–12Indian author
Sonali hides her feelings — until she starts bursting into Bollywood song-and-dance numbers whenever emotions bubble up.
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Bonkers!
Ages 6–8Indian author
Armaan's new dog Bonkers chews his glasses, eats his shoes and lands him in trouble with the school bully — can life with Bonkers get any crazier?
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Biji's in the Kitchen!
Ages 5–7Indian author
Biji is freestyle and fun — but when she's in the kitchen, everyone beware! A funny illustrated Hook Book about a Punjabi grandmother who cannot cook.
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Shah Jahan and the Ruby Robber
Ages 7–10Indian author
Someone has replaced the Timur ruby on Shah Jahan's throne with a plum! A History Mystery full of jokes and real history.
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Ashoka and the Muddled Messages
Ages 7–10Indian author
Someone is messing with the messages Emperor Ashoka wants carved on his rocks and pillars. Who can solve this History Mystery?
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Raja Raja and the Swapped Sacks
Ages 7–10Indian author
Someone is swapping Raja Raja Chola's precious pepper for goat droppings — and trade with China is at risk! A History Mystery.
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Razia and the Pesky Presents
Ages 7–10Indian author
Sultan Razia of Delhi is receiving pesky presents that challenge her right to rule as a woman. A History Mystery about India's first woman sultan.
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Akbar and the Tricky Traitor
Ages 7–10Indian author
Someone is leaking Emperor Akbar's court secrets to his enemies. A funny History Mystery.
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Squiggle Takes a Walk: All about Punctuation
Ages 7–11Indian author
Squiggle doesn't know what she is — a comma? a colon? — so she sets off through a notebook to find out, learning punctuation along the way.
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Princess Easy Pleasy
Ages 4–6Indian author
Princess Easy Pleasy is anything but easy to please — her seasonal quirks drive the royal packer up the wall.
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The Good Indian Child's Guide to Playing Cricket
Ages 5–9Indian author
A tongue-in-cheek guide to India's favourite game and what it takes to be a 'good' Indian child on the gully cricket pitch.
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The Good Indian Child's Guide to Eating Mangoes
Ages 5–9Indian author
Does eating mangoes need a guide book? A funny, juicy look at India's favourite fruit, with a personality quiz and mango trivia.
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Rani's Moustache
by Vardhini N.C. (illus. Rishi Sahany)
Ages 6–9Indian author
In the palace of Keshpuram, Rani wakes up with a thick, hairy moustache, and the whole palace is thrown into chaos as remedy after remedy fails. A funny story with lively pictures.
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Sneaker Paati
by Anita Nair
Ages 8–11Indian author
Kittu's Dasara holiday turns upside down when his dad's headstand-doing, Japanese-speaking aunt arrives, and helps him and his friend Bunty stand up to a neighbourhood bully.
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Where Is Mr. Thookam?
by Anusha Veluswamy (illus. Janan Abir)
Ages 3–7Indian author🔍 Hard to find in India
Pattu wakes in the night to find Mr. Thookam (sleep) gone, and she and her Akka set out to find him. A funny, comforting story about night-time fears and the love between two sisters.
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Naturalist Ruddy
Ages 9–14Indian author
A ruddy mongoose turns nature detective in the forests of central India, solving 'crime scenes' that turn out to be the strange, true behaviour of lesser-known animals, insects and plants. A witty comic that mixes natural history with whodunnit, from the creator of Green Humour.
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'Carri-on', Ruddy!
Ages 9–14Indian author
Naturalist Ruddy, Kanha Tiger Reserve's resident mongoose detective, is back. Claw marks on trees, cannibal bees, lichens that threaten lizards: Ruddy travels across India to crack nature's oddest cases. The sequel to Naturalist Ruddy.
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Bird Business
Ages 8–14Indian author
Illustrated, funny glimpses into the daily lives of about 100 Indian birds: how they hunt, court, feed, fly and raise their young. Residents, migrants, endemics and endangered species, drawn with Green Humour's mix of art, science and jokes.
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Junior Kumbhakarna
Ages 4–8Indian author
Every night Kukku asks his father for the story of Kumbhakarna, the giant who sleeps for six months at a stretch, and every night he dozes off at the same moment the giant does. In his dream, everyone tries everything to wake the giant up. A wildly funny retelling of an episode from the Ramayana, illustrated by Shreya Sen.
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Bookasura: The Adventures of Bala and the Book-Eating Monster
Ages 6–9Indian author
While staying with his grandparents, Bala meets Bookasura, a many-headed monster who eats books. Bala keeps him at bay with a steady supply of stories, but what happens when the books run out? A funny celebration of reading and imagination, illustrated by Priya Kuriyan. Winner of the Comic Con India award for best children's publication.
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Koobandhee: The Adventures of Bala and the Book-Barfing Monster
Ages 7–10Indian author
Bala's books are under threat: from a book-chewing baby sister, a strict school librarian, and Koobandhee, a one-eyed monster who barfs up books and blames Bala for her upset stomach. The second Bookasura adventure, full of word play and bookish jokes.
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Petu Pumpkin: Tiffin Thief
Ages 6–9Indian author
Petu Pumpkin is always hungry, and when he starts emptying his friends' tiffin boxes they form a secret society to save their lunches. Magic potions flop and super glue goes wrong in this laugh-out-loud school story. The first Petu Pumpkin book and a winner of the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award. Duckbill's hOle Books series.
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Petu Pumpkin: Tooth Troubles
Ages 6–9Indian author
The Gap Club has challenged the Fourth Standard to a football match, but they can't practise without a ball, and the ball depends on Petu's wobbly tooth falling out in time. A funny chapter book about friendship, teamwork and losing your first teeth. hOle Books series.
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Petu Pumpkin: Cheater Peter
Ages 6–9Indian author
When Petu starts cheating, his friends are sure he is headed for a life of crime. They try hypnosis, a home-baked truth serum and a DIY lie detector to set him straight. A funny story about honesty and friendship. hOle Books series.
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Petu Pumpkin: Freedom Fighter
Ages 9–12Indian author
When games periods are cancelled and their playground is threatened by land grabbers, Petu and his friends take inspiration from India's freedom fighters and protest. Along the way they face misleading media, credit-stealing politicians and scary security guards. A funny, timely story about standing up for what's fair, illustrated by Shilpa Ranade.
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I Want a Pet
Ages 5–7Indian author
Jasbir has always wanted a pet, not a sibling. Then one day a buffalo walks into his life and refuses to leave. A funny, warm Hook Book that bridges picture books and early chapter books, illustrated by Reshu Singh.
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Ramanujan: From Zero to Infinity
Ages 10–13Indian author
Young Srinivasa Ramanujan only wants to do maths at school in Kumbakonam, but this year there's no maths teacher. Instead, a string of odd substitutes has the boys lifting iron ingots, measuring milk and frying fish, and Ramanujan's team is drawn into a maths challenge he simply has to win. A funny story about the great mathematician as a boy, with puzzles to solve. Great Minds at Work series.
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Raman and Chandrasekhar: Lighting Up the Stars
Ages 10–13Indian author
Young Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar hates school, and his holidays are ruined when his uncle, the famous scientist C.V. Raman, comes to stay. Raman Chithappa pulls the eight children of the house into a string of physics experiments that disrupt everything. A funny introduction to two Nobel Prize-winning Indian scientists. Great Minds at Work series.
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Run, Ravi, Run!
by Kiran Vazir Nair (illus. Shubhshree Mathur)
Ages 6–9Indian author
Moments before his school 400-metre race, Ravi realises he has packed his big brother's shorts. Can his best friend Vikram help him make it to the starting line?
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Crow vs Vada
by Aruna Shekar
Ages 3–6Indian author
The tea stall opens, hot masala vadas pile up, and Crow just wants one. But the tea-seller is watching, and there are other competitors too. Who wins? A cheeky new spin on a classic tale.
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Laugh With Me
by Ruskin Bond
Ages 8–12Indian author
Ruskin Bond shares funny moments from his own life: swimming mishaps, train adventures, courtroom drama, mistaken identities and school days.
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Knuffle Bunny
by Mo Willems
Ages 2–5
Trixie and her dad take a trip to the laundromat, and her beloved bunny gets left behind. A funny Caldecott Honor story about a dad who saves the day.
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My Dad Used to Be So Cool
by Keith Negley
Ages 3–6
A boy wonders why his dad, who once played in a band and rode a motorcycle, isn't cool anymore, and discovers what his dad chose instead.
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Just Me and My Dad
by Mercer Mayer
Ages 3–6
Little Critter goes camping with his dad and is sure he's taking care of everything. A gentle, funny classic about a father's patience.
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Goodnight iPad
by Ann Droyd
Ages 4–8
A funny parody of Goodnight Moon in which every gadget in the house keeps the family awake, until Grandma steps in.
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Tek: The Modern Cave Boy
by Patrick McDonnell
Ages 4–8
Tek the cave boy never looks up from his tablet, and the whole prehistoric world tries to get him outside. A funny look at screen habits.
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Unplugged (Gordon Korman)
by Gordon Korman
Ages 9–13
Jett, the son of a tech billionaire, is sent to a wellness retreat with no phones or screens, and stumbles into a mystery.
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Handa's Surprise
by Eileen Browne
Ages 3–5
Handa carries seven fruits in a basket on her head to her friend Akeyo, but along the way animals sneak them away one by one. A funny, much-loved read-aloud set in Kenya.
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Grumpy Monkey
by Suzanne Lang
Ages 3–6
Jim Panzee is grumpy for no reason, and everyone keeps telling him to cheer up. A funny book about letting yourself feel what you feel.
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Tweet Cute
by Emma Lord
Ages 13–17
Rival fast-food chain heirs wage a viral Twitter war online — never guessing they're secretly anonymous online friends offline.
Heads-up: Teen crushes & romance
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Football School Season 1: Where Football Explains the World
by Alex Bellos & Ben Lyttleton
Ages 8–12
A funny, fact-packed 'school' where every lesson — maths, science, history, geography — is taught through football.
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Froggy Plays Soccer
by Jonathan London
Ages 3–6
Froggy's team is in the big game, and he must remember the one rule: don't touch the ball with your hands! A funny first sports story.
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A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning
by Lemony Snicket
Ages 8–12
The three Baudelaire orphans outwit the dastardly Count Olaf in this darkly funny, word-loving first book of the series.
Heads-up: Death & grief
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Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
by Chris Grabenstein
Ages 8–12
Twelve kids are locked overnight in the world's most amazing library and must solve its clues and riddles to find a way out.
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Nate the Great
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Ages 5–8
Nate the Great, boy detective, loves pancakes and solves his friend Annie's missing-picture case — a classic first mystery for new readers.
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Artemis Fowl
by Eoin Colfer
Ages 10–14
A twelve-year-old criminal genius kidnaps a fairy to steal her people's gold — and meets his match in Captain Holly Short.
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When Daddy Was a Little Boy
by Alexander Raskin
Ages 6–10
A dad tells his little daughter Sasha true, funny stories from his own childhood: how he tamed a dog, bit the professor, was always late, failed to learn German and was teased at school. A gentle classic about mistakes, feelings and growing up.
