18 best funny books for kids of all ages

Research from Dr Caspar Addyman, a leading expert in what makes babies laugh, has shown that playing peekaboo is the best way to get a little one giggling. Babies Laugh at Peakaboo is therefore scientifically developed to help babies and carers bond through reading and laughter. Babies will love opening the pages to reveal smiling, giggling and laughing baby faces, all beautifully illustrated by Ania Simeone.

Cedric the dragon is ready for bed, but before he can go to sleep, he needs his mum to reread his favourite story! Sound familiar? Babies and toddlers will love Emily Gravett's bright, bold illustrations of mischievous Cedric – a little dragon who'll do anything to delay bedtime. At the same time, parents will chuckle at the story's all-too-familiar toddler tale.

Follow the story of Seagull, who is cured of his thieving ways by a cunning little mouse, in this bold and energetic new picture book from award-winning children's author and illustrator Zehra Hicks. A tale about the importance of sharing, All Mine! is a fantastically funny book to read together as a family.

Julia Donaldson's picture books are always fantastically funny and Chocolate Mousse for Greedy Goose is no exception. Join Duck, Moth and Sheep at their dinner party with a difference – one where good manners are not on the menu. Children of all ages will love reading along with Julia's trademark rhyming verse about the animals’ silly dinnertime antics!

Sure as eggs is eggs, the interactive new picture book from bestselling duo Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet will get you and your child chuckling as you read it together. Perfect for Easter or any time of year, this imaginative story of an egg who looks different from all the others reminds us all that we're all the same on the inside.

A cake has gone missing from the kitchen and Dad wants to know where it has gone. But Albert says it wasn't him. It was eaten by some very naughty penguins who then kidnapped Albert and took him on a madcap adventure involving international travel in a giant jar of marmalade and a snowball fight with kangaroos. Could his story really be true? Where Has All The Cake Gone? is an irresistible tall tale full of warmth, wit, cake and . . . penguins! 

There's nothing faster than a cheetah. Or is there . . . ? Perfect for sharing together, this wonderfully wacky picture book is sure to get young readers giggling. With a bouncy, read-aloud story from Tom Nicoll, and hilarious illustrations from the award-winning Ross Collins, buckle up as the race has begun and the animals are off! 

Siblings everywhere will love joining the search for Harriet and her spotty dress in Where Is Your Sister? Packed with eye-catching illustrations (with lots of details for children to spot), an eclectic cast of characters plus lots of twin mischief, this is a brilliantly funny new children's book to add to your bookshelf this year.

Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton's bestselling Treehouse books have captivated the most reluctant young readers with their trademark cartoon illustrations and hilarious stories. Now, fans can enjoy their favourite treehouse adventures in colour! Discover their giant catapult, a secret underground laboratory, a tank of man-eating sharks and a marshmallow machine that follows you around. Kids will roar with laughter as they explore the wacky world and amazing inventions on each floor of The 13-Storey Treehouse.

Who better to fight crime, go undercover and save the day than alligator secret agents, otherwise known as The InvestiGators! When chef Gustavo is kidnapped from his bakery, the InvestiGators must work together to find the culprit. Armed with just a moustache and a rolling pin, can they find Gustavo and stop the recipes from falling into the wrong hands? Covering themes of teamwork, resilience and problem-solving, this hilarious adventure is packed full of twists and turns to keep young readers engaged.

This hilarious collection of poems by Twitter’s unofficial poet laureate, Brian Bilston, provides guaranteed giggles for football fans of all ages. Are you team Messi or Ronaldo? Or do you have strong opinions about the World Cup squad selections? BIlston brings these classic football-fan debates to life with his characteristic wit and lyricism. Laugh together through the Euros or Premier League games, and swap the half-time pundits for puns!

Esha Verma, her snotty apprentice Broccoli and his cunning pet tortoise have a dream. They are going to win the legendary Brain Trophy – the ultimate inventing prize. This year's entry: a time machine. But the day before the competition, Esha's big sister hijacks the time machine and gets lost in the Cretaceous age. With help from a new recruit for The Office of Time, Esha and Broccoli will have to face hungry dinosaurs, mysterious black holes and malfunctioning inventions to get them back in time. This bonkers adventure is also the first book selected in the Marcus Rashford Book Club. 

An illustrated adventure story for middle-grade readers, Max and the Midknights follows Max's quest to become a knight and save his uncle Budrick from the clutches of cruel King Gastley. Full of magic and adventure, plus a cast of hilarious characters, young readers will be giggling away as they turn the pages of Lincoln Peirce’s brilliantly funny new children's book.

Sue Mongredien and Kate Pankhurst's illustrated story of Patch the pirate ship's cat is ideal for newly confident readers to enjoy on their own. Join Patch, Cutlass the parrot and Monty the monkey as they help the hapless ship's company out of trouble and to where X marks the spot in this laugh-out-loud adventure story.

Comic Lenny Henry has written a suitably laugh-out-loud adventure story for readers of 9 to 12 years, with dazzling illustrations throughout by Keenon Ferrell. Tunde has some problems with the school bully, but when he sprouts wings and realises his true mission is to save the Earth, school becomes the least of his problems. Flying high in the face of danger, Tunde is the boy with wings.

Runaway Robot is a funny book for older children from award-winning children's author, Frank Cottrell-Boyce. The story of Alfie and his mission to save his not-quite-so-new robot friend Eric from the scrapheap is as hilarious as it is heartwarming, and will have kids wishing that they had a giant robot for a best friend!

Jay and his mates were looking forward to the best summer ever before they become nervous little minnows heading off to senior school learning to swim with the sharks. But when Danny and Dom have to bail, Jay is left facing the long holiday alone, until his mysterious new next door neighbour makes him think hanging out at Summer School might not be such a bad idea after all. Summer School and Cyborgs is a funny and tender novel about friendship, growing up and working out who you want to be.