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Best Books for Boys: Funny Poetry Books

In general, boys are not that into poetry. Now, I know there are boys who like it – my son does. But, in general, I think many of you would agree that poetry books are not at the top of most boy’s reading lists.

I ran a boys’ book club and suggested poetry books as one of the topics. It wasn’t exactly well received . . . at first. I selected silly and funny poetry books for them to work with and then the boys had fun finding amusing poems to share with the group.

There are some “funny” poetry books that aren’t funny at all. Well, at least we didn’t find them to be funny.

These books pass our “tickle the funny bone” test and are a great way to introduce boys to poetry or add a few new books to their poetry list. (See our best books for boys list for other selections.)

Try a these Funny Poetry Books for Boys and let us know what you and your boys think. If you can stop laughing that is!

Poetry is great to help develop reading and writing skills. Try 11 super funny poetry books that are sure to be a hit with boys.

This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. All opinions are my own and I share things I think would be of interest to boys.

Best Books for Boys: Funny Poetry Books

One of the reasons I introduced poetry to my son very early in his life was that poetry books are wonderful for word play, and learning new, delightful words. Give them a try with your boy and see what he things.

Starting with these funny selections is a super choice. We will share more of our favorite poetry books in future lists.

A Hippopotamusn’t and Other Animal Verses is worth seeking out.  It is out of print so you will have to order it used or find it at the library. The poems are amusing and the illustrations cartoonish.  My favorite one is the flamingo poem although it is not the funniest of the bunch.

I know that most people who own a Shel Silverstein book have Where the Sidewalk Ends and it is indeed a great book. My son wanted Falling Up instead. Many boys love Silverstein’s books, and although they can be a bit dark, they are sure to get a laugh.

Funny! Kids are seriously going to like Don’t Forget Your Etiquette!: The Essential Guide to Misbehavior and it is the perfect book to cover etiquette without saying a word about it.  These poems are so crazy and outrageous that kids will automatically be thinking of the proper behavior for each topic. Recommended!

Nursery Rhymes? No, Truckery Rhymes!  A funny take on familiar nursery rhymes that will have young boys laughing. Features Jon Scieszka’s Trucktown characters. Instead of 3 Blind Mice you get 3 Loud Trucks and instead of Little Miss Muffet you get Little Dan Dumper.

As I said above, some of the “funny” poetry books we got did not make us laugh, or even want to read more. What I love about Kids Pick The Funniest Poems is that these poems were actually picked by kids. They are what real kids thought were funny (and they are!)

A Bad Case of the Giggles: Poems That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud is a book that encourages reading aloud (gotta like that!) It is funny. It is gross.  It covers everything from grime to stinky feet and bugs. Great for boys? Oh, Yes!

Another oop book that we like is If I Were in Charge the Rules Would Be Different!. When you were a kid, didn’t you just wish with you could make up all the rules? I know I did! Simple black and white illustrations with witty poems.

In our minds, no list of poetry books for boys would be complete without the addition of a few Jack Prelutsky books.  We seriously love Mr. Prelutsky and our favorite book by him is A Pizza the Size of the Sun. I have read this book to my son so many times that both of us have many of his poems memorized. Highly Recommended!

Another great title by Jack Prelutsky is It’s Raining Pigs & Noodles. Take a moment to check out our review on Stardines as well.

Get them laughing while they are learning with 11 awesome (and funny!) Poetry Books boys will go for.

Try some of these books. If your boy doesn’t like one, no worries, but don’t give up. Try a few different ones instead. Poetry is a great learning tool and it will help them with both reading and writing.

There were so many funny poetry books that I think I will have to create another list!

For more poetry books for boys see our big list of books boys will like. Oh, and if you are looking for activities for boys or LEGO just click on those links as well!

If you and your boys have a favorite poetry book, please share it below. We are always interested to know what others are reading.

Amy

Saturday 15th of August 2015

Check out the books of Douglas Florian!

Sheila Rogers

Monday 17th of August 2015

We have read a few by him Amy, I'll take another look. Thank you for the comment and for the suggestion!

Marie

Sunday 26th of April 2015

My son loves poetry, but I get suck in a rut reading what I like. Thank you for a refresher on what HE will love!

Sheila Rogers

Monday 27th of April 2015

There are some good ones there Marie

Clare

Thursday 23rd of April 2015

I love these ideas! I think poetry is very important and it's sad that people avoid it with boys because they think it's not suitable. Poetry isn't all about hearts and flowers :) I'm adding a few of these to my Amazon wish list and pinning for my friends!

Sheila Rogers

Thursday 23rd of April 2015

Thanks Clare. We really do enjoy poetry and these funny ones are a neat place to get boys started with it.

Trena

Tuesday 21st of April 2015

Great book ideas. I need to get my boy into poetry. Forgot about Shel Silverstein... loved him when I was younger.

Sheila Rogers

Wednesday 22nd of April 2015

Thanks, I think it is worth trying a few books to see if he likes poetry.