By Jesse Menard
May 2, 2025
Children’s literature is a light and simple genre intended to be easy reading for children and their parents. In recent years, however, a new sub-genre of adult oriented children’s books have popped up. This genre takes the classic children’s genre and adds in sarcasm and irony to create a funny book for adults or parents to enjoy on their own.
These adult oriented books use their humor and sarcasm to discuss significant issues such as loneliness and frustration. Along with text, there are various amusing illustrations that bring a sense of irony to the genre. In the book K is for Knifeball, an excited blender has a watch thrown into it, along with a rhyme about blending a Rolex. These books might also use explicit language in addition to the mature themes, making them stand out from average children’s books.
There are several examples of adult oriented children’s books that have gained popularity online and within parenting groups. “Go the F**k to Sleep” by Adam Mansbach is a witty take on traditional bedtime stories. Mansbach discusses the difficulty of bedtime routines in a humorous and refreshing way. Another example is “K is for Knifeball: An Alphabet of Terrible Advice” by Avery Monsen and Jory John. It’s a satirical version of an alphabet book that gives terrible advice along with its funny illustrations, such as the titular “knifeball”. After reading the book, one reader said: “I think it is funny how they combined real advice with parody advice so seamlessly. The illustrations are very cute and I enjoy the rhymes.”
This genre uses familiar situations and frustration to create a comical and relatable story. Books like this help create a sense of catharsis, knowing that other people are facing the same challenges in life. The common themes in these books make them easily shareable, which helps to create a sense of community between parents or other adults.
With comical illustrations and writing, adult oriented children’s books are a great way to find humor in common issues and share similar feelings with each other. These books tackle daily problems in a unique way, making them relatable and personal. This group of books combining commentary and comedy make it a genre worth discovering.
Jesse Menard is a junior studying professional and public writing. When they aren’t writing, Jesse enjoys napping with their cat and reading pop-culture magazines.