Animal Jokes for Beginning Readers
Start with one short joke. Read the animal name together, then take one line each. These favourites come with word help so you can talk about the surprise as well as read it.
Read together in three steps
- Look at the animal name. Say any new word together.
- Read the question. Pause and make a guess.
- Read the answer. Use the word help if the joke feels puzzling.
You can listen first, echo a line, point to a word or read the whole joke. Try one or two before moving on.
1. Duck
Ask: Why does a duck say quack?
Answer: Because it can't say moo.
Word help: Quack is a duck sound. Moo is a cow sound. Try saying both.
2. Dog
Ask: What dog can jump higher than a tree?
Answer: Any dog: trees can't jump!
Word help: The trick is the tree: it cannot jump at all. The answer changes what we compare.
3. Dog
Ask: What did the dog say to the tree?
Answer: Bark!
Word help: Bark is a dog sound. Bark is also the outside covering of a tree.
4. Duck
Ask: Which side of a duck has the most feathers?
Answer: The outside!
Word help: Feathers cover the outside of a duck. The question may make you guess left or right.
5. Rabbit
Ask: What's a rabbit's favorite game?
Answer: Hopscotch!
Word help: Hopscotch is a hopping game played on numbered spaces. Hop is the animal connection.
6. Sheep
Ask: What do you call a sheep that is always quiet?
Answer: A shhhheep!
Word help: Shhh is the sound we use to ask for quiet. Stretch it into the beginning of sheep.
7. Bird
Ask: Why do hummingbirds hum?
Answer: Because they forgot the words!
Word help: To hum is to make a tune with your lips closed. Pretend the bird forgot the song words.
8. Penguin
Ask: What do penguins wear on their heads?
Answer: Ice caps.
Word help: A cap is a hat. An ice cap is a large covering of ice. The joke imagines a tiny icy hat.
Words to try aloud
Quack · moo · bark · hop · shhh · hum · cap
Choose a word, say it, then find it in a joke. For a longer word such as “hummingbird”, read it together before trying the sentence.
One more small step
Tell your favourite joke to a toy or a willing listener. Draw the silly answer, or explain it in your own words. There is no need to finish the whole page in one sitting.
Get the joke cards, try two-person knock-knock jokes, or visit teacher resources.