We have the 2023 Shortlists!

April 1, 2023 (We’re not kidding! Really!)

The Joan Betty Stuchner — Oy Vey! — Funniest Children’s Book Award committee has finally stopped chortling long enough to share the results of many hours of hilarious reading: our 2023 shortlists! 

Many funny books were entered for consideration, but these are the ones that tickled our jury’s funny bones the most relentlessly.

The shortlisted books in the picture or board book category are:

This Is a Dog Book – written by Judith Henderson, illustrated by Julien Chung, Kids Can Press

How to Party Like a Snail – written by Naseem Hrab, illustrated by Kelly Collier, Owlkids Books

Quiet, Please! – written and illustrated by Russ Willms, Orca Books

Crocodile Hungry – written by Eija Sumner, illustrated by John Martz, Tundra Books

How to Teach Your Cat a Trick in Five Easy Steps – written by Nicola Winstanley, illustrated by Zoe Si, Tundra Books

The shortlisted books in the chapter book category are:

Izzy’s Tail of Trouble – written by Caroline Adderson, illustrated by Kelly Collier, Kids Can Press

Babble! And How Punctuation Saved It – written by Caroline Adderson, illustrated by Roman Muradov, Tundra Books

Simon and Chester: Super Sleepover – written and illustrated by Cale Atkinson, Tundra Books

Weenie Frank and Beans: Mad About Meatloaf – written by Maureen Fergus, illustrated by Alexandra Bye, Tundra Books

The Weird Sisters: A Note, a Goat, and a Casserole – written by Mark David Smith, illustrated by Kari Rust, Owlkids Books

Congratulations to all who are shortlisted and thanks again to our wonderful judges Sharon Freeman, Alan Woo and Ellen Schwartz for doing the difficult work of deciding between so many funny books.

Winners will be announced at our Zoom Extravaganza on Frog Jumping Day (May 13, 2023) at 11am PST. If you would like to join us, please email us at jbs.oyvey.award@gmail.com to reserve your spot.

Award Committee:|
Ellen Schwartz
Nathalie Patel
Sheri Radford
Cindy Heinrichs
Kathie Shoemaker

Special thanks to Karen Taylor who provides generous and patient tech support, and to Kiara Heinrichs and Lois Peterson for creating our posters.