From: PIKLY at aol.com <PIKLY>
Date: Fri, 2 Aug 1996 21:12:44 -0400

Thanks for this opportunity to comment on humor in picture books, or what we call in Northern California, the "Stinky Cheese" debate. Yes, many children do "get" the jokes in picture books, especially 5 year olds who are reading these picture books. Picture books are not just for preschoolers
(were they ever?) and even some preschoolers will understand different levels of humor. There are several books on comedy (written for adults) that outline the five basic kinds of humor. I cannot remember them all, but slapstick, puns and wordplay can be understood by preschoolers, while parody
(like Pilkey's DOGZILLA) and satire can only be fully understood by
 school-age children. Another aspect of picture book humor is the multi-level approach, where preschoolers understand some of the humor, school-age kids another, and adults another. The Muppets exemplify this, as does Rathman's OFFICER BUCKLE AND GLORIA. It took some convincing, but I think now most of us accept that children can and do appreciate this wacky picture books that are exploding on the scene. Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library
Received on Fri 02 Aug 1996 08:12:44 PM CDT