How to bring humour into storytelling with Chris Smith
Funny books can be a fantastic way to engage young readers, making reading more enjoyable and accessible while sparking creativity and a lifelong love of stories.
Chris Smith, author of The New Fantastic Five, is a master of blending adventure and comedy into his stories.
To celebrate World Book Day, we asked him to explore the power of humour in storytelling and why laughter is such an important part of getting children excited about reading.
What role does humour play in storytelling, especially for children’s books?
Humour is far more than just a way to get a few laughs – it’s a powerful storytelling tool, especially in children’s books.
Funny books aren’t something that should be discounted. As an author, I put effort into making sure my stories have a big heart and a proper plot underlying the humour. You really must make a connection with somebody to make them laugh.
Who are some of your biggest influences when it comes to comedy writing?
My biggest influence is probably the TV shows that are really made me laugh – shows like Fawlty Towers, Blackadder and Monty Python. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amy is one of my favourite books and that still makes me chuckle.
When did you first realise that comedy was an important part of your writing style?
I’ve always enjoyed being funny. In fact when I’m not writing books I sometimes perform as a stand-up comedian and I always enjoyed trying to be funny on the radio as well.
What are your top tips for writing stories that make children laugh out loud?
I think my advice would be: don’t ever talk down to children. Don’t assume that you can just say “poo poo bum bum” and they’ll fall about laughing. Children have sophisticated senses of humour and they can spot an instance if you’re trying to patronise them.
What are the key ingredients to writing a funny story that engages young readers?
I think it’s really important that it has a proper plot, proper characters, it’s well researched and most of all it has a big heart. I’ve always carefully prepared all of our stories, for instance for the Great Dream Robbery we did a load of research about legends and myths built around dreaming. We looked at Nordic mythology, ancient Egyptian mythology and all kinds of stuff. There needs to be heart and soul underlying the humour.
How do you balance humour with other important storytelling elements, like plot and character development?
I think the humour grows out of the character development. You’re not going to laugh at a character unless you know them and they feel like a fully rounded person. So, you have to have the full package!
Can you share an example of a scene or joke from your latest book that you’re particularly proud of?
In The Kid Who Fell Through Time, there’s an evil emperor from the 9th century who comes back to present time in the time travelling shopping trolley. He’s trying to buy a charger for his laser gun and can’t work the self-checkout at the supermarket that scene really made me laugh.
Why do you think funny books are so important for encouraging children to read? Especially if they don’t enjoy reading…
I always tell children that there is a book for everybody. Some of them will enjoy the funny books, some of them will be looking for books about football or the origins of the universe or the history of different cultures. That’s why it’s so important for schools to have a library. If children keep searching, every single one of them will find the book that will unlock reading for them.
World Book Day 2025
If you could recommend one hilarious book (other than your own!) for children to read this World Book Day, what would it be?
We’re so lucky that there are so many brilliantly funny people writing for children at the moment. Liz Pearson’s Tom Gates series is an absolute modern classic so if people haven’t read that, that’s where they should absolutely start.
World Book Day encourages dressing up as book characters – if you could dress up as any character from one of your books, who would it be?
We know parents are busy so we always get lots of messages online thanking us for writing a book called Kid Normal! It’s a lovely easy World Book Day costume – just a stripey T‑shirt and a frying pan you are good to go!
Whether it’s through slapstick comedy, clever wordplay or heart warming humour, laughter has the power to bring characters to life. So, this World Book Day, try to pick up a book that makes you laugh – it might be exactly what young readers need to discover a lifelong love of reading.
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