In the Coop with Jeanie Franz Ransom

Jeanie Franz Ransom in her own words: I'm a children's author who speaks at schools, libraries, and conferences about the writing life. I'm also a part-time counselor and full-time Starbucks coffee geek. I have one wonderful husband, three fantastic sons, and two quirky but highly entertaining Shelties. I live near St. Louis, Missouri, but will travel anywhere I'm invited.

My website: www.jeanieransom.com

Blogs: www.jeanieransom.com/blog

www.storytellersunplugged.com

First act as Dictator for Life?

Build me a Starbucks. In my backyard. Open 24/7.

What kids lit character would you like to vote off the island?

Harry Potter.

What kids lit character would you share your last twinkie with?

Trixie Belden (One of my favorite childhood book characters.)

What TV family would you like to be adopted by?

Lassie's family.

Worst job in the universe?

Anything involving math.

Dream job for a day?

Magazine editor.

Marx Brothers or Three Stooges?

Three Stooges.

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.

It'd be a tie. Definitely.

Funniest dead person you’d like to meet?

Gilda Radner.

Best use for a book shaped object? (You know, one of those things sold as books but which should never ever have been published.)

Butt cushion.

In the Coop with Dr. Cuthbert Soup

In the Coop with Dr. Cuthbert Soup

One of our very favorite books this year is A Whole Nother Story by Dr. Cuthbert Soup. It's the hilarious story of inventor Ethan Cheeseman and his three "smart, polite, and relatively odor-free" children. The family is on the run from thugs from various government agencies as well as some other nefarious mean guys and gals. These baddies are after a time travel invention the family hopes will help them bring back Mrs. Cheeseman who quite inconveniently kicked the bucket. Okay, so that's the plot, but it's completely unimportant. What is important is how fantastically funny this novel is. So read it already!!!

We'd like to welcome Dr. Cuthbert Soup to the Coop. And yes, we love how that rhymes!

http://www.awholenotherbook.com/

Any bio info you'd like to share?

I have a Ph.D. in unsolicited advice from Southwestern North Dakota State University and I am the founder, president and vice-president of the National Center for Unsolicited Advice.

I live with my dog, Kevin, and my two pet snails, Gooey and Squishy, who just finished first and second in this year’s Iron Snail competition.

First act as Dictator for Life?

Serious jail time for supermarket express lane violators.

What kids lit character would you like to vote off the island?

Wait a minute here. Is this a set up? If I vote for the “wrong” one, will wingnuts call me a communist and throw bricks through my windows?

Kids lit character with whom you would you share your last twinkie?

As long as Augustus Gloop is around I don’t believe I’d have much choice in the matter and I don’t think it would be considered sharing.

What TV family would you like to be adopted by?

I’m way ahead of you. I’ve already been adopted by the Partridge Family, who needed a trombone player for their upcoming reunion tour. Little do they know the only song I can play is “Ta daaaa!”

Worst job in the universe?

I have had some of worst jobs in the universe, including working as a smoke detector at the mall. And I still suffer from severe knuckle damage from my two-year stint selling hearing aids door to door.

Dream job for a day?

Product tester at an inflatable bouncy castle factory.

Marx Brothers or Three Stooges?

Three Stooges and only because in Spanish they are Tres Estupidos, which I think you will find, is muy fun to say.

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.

If you’d ever been kicked in the groin by one of those giant clown shoes you wouldn’t have to ask.

Funniest dead person you'd like to meet?

I generally find dead people to be rather dull and unfunny, though to their credit, most are excellent listeners. That said, I would love to meet the late great Mel Blanc.

Best use for a book shaped object? (You know, one of those things sold as books but which should never ever have been published.)

Anyone with a three-legged couch knows the answer to this question. Also, when hurled from second story windows, they act as an excellent deterrent to solicitors.

Links to online interviews or other bio info...

Author’s Revealed interview with Becky Anderson can be found at - http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1132198045158

In the Coop with Dian Curtis Regan

Three things we love about Dian Curtis Regan:

1. Dian has written more than fifty (50!) books for children, including our recent favorite, Barnyard Slam (illustrated by Paul Meisel), starring Yo Mama Goose and a cast of poetry-spouting farm friends.

2. She collects trivia about redheads. (Chick Trivia: In our next life we three chicks hope to be reincarnated as Carol Burnett, Lucille Ball, and Myrna Loy -- all fabulously funny redheaded ladies.)

3. She also collects walruses. Really.

Without further ado, we give you the lovely redheaded Dian Curtis Regan...

First act as Dictator for Life?

Make the world gather every Saturday afternoon at the park to learn how to play nice together.

What kids lit character would you like to vote off the island?

The mother in Love You Forever.

What kids lit character would you share your last twinkie with?

Katniss from The Hunger Games—as long as she didn’t poison my twinkie.

What TV family would you like to be adopted by?

I could live in Oprah’s world.

Worst job in the universe?

Filing rejection letters.

Dream job for a day?

Casting characters for the Princess Nevermore movie.

Marx Brothers or Three Stooges?

Marx Brothers, whose poster was on the wall in my office closet for years.

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.

Since clowns usually have red hair which annoys us redheads, I’d go with the mime.

Funniest dead person you’d like to meet?

Gilda Radner.

Best use for a book shaped object? (You know, one of those things sold as books but which should never ever have been published.)

Several are currently supporting my air purifier.

In the Coop with Adam Selzer

Three things you should know about Adam Selzer:

1. He's a ghostbuster. Really.

2. He's just started a new blog called Playground Jungle where he collects subversive songs, rhymes and stories told on the playground throughout the ages. (Mama mia, papa pia!)

3. When he is not out and about uncovering paranormal phenomena or naughty ditties, he writes awesomely funny books on everything from American History to Zombies.

Without further ado, we give you the one and only Adam Selzer...

First act as Dictator for Life?

A law forcing George Lucas to admit publicly that Han Solo shot Greedo not in self defense, but in cold blood, on that grim afternoon in the Mos Eisley cantina. Such an act will gain me the respect of the peasants - even dictators occasionally get their heads cut off by an angry mob of peasants. But they'll never turn on the man who issued the Han Shot First decree.

What kids lit character would you like to vote off the island?

Warren Hatcher (Fudge's dad) as he appears in Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. He's very much an old fashioned hapless father who knows nothing about raising children in that one (though he's seen the error of his ways and become a much better fellow by Superfudge - a fun thing about those books is that the characters age only a few years, but 30 years have pretty clearly elapsed over the course of the series).

What kids lit character would you share your last twinkie with?

Hmm...you'd want to give it to someone historical, wouldn't you? I'd much rather give my last twinkie to someone who was getting the chance to eat one for the first time. Anne of Green Gables would probably write an epic poem about it. So, her.

What TV family would you like to be adopted by?

Adam Huxtable has a nice ring to it, don't you think? I'm kind of a bum, but Cliff'd get me in shape.

Worst job in the universe?

Visa executive. I'd have to wake up every day knowing I suck, and I always will, and that no jury would convict a guy for punching me in the face.

Well, either that, or poop salesman. That would be HARD. I'm now writing a book called "Brendan Butte: Poop Salesman." Eat your heart out, Andrew Clements!

Dream job for a day?

Visa executive puncher.

Marx Brothers or Three Stooges?

Marx Brothers.

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.

Oh, please. Like a pantomime selzer bottle can stand up to a real one? The best clowns are trained as mimes, so they have all the same skills, PLUS a bunch of dangerous props.

Funniest dead person you’d like to meet?

No one is funnier than William Taft. Not that HE was all that funny, but the guy is a comic gold mine - like socks, monkeys, and butts. That's a tip, writers - when in doubt. Taft, Van Buren, and James K. Polk are the funniest presidents. Some people say Millard Fillmore, but those people are wrong.

Best use for a book shaped object? (You know, one of those things sold as books but which should never ever have been published.)

Add an L bracket and some tape and you've got yourself a new bookshelf going, man!

In the Coop with Aaron Reynolds and Neil Numberman!

We found Aaron Reynolds and Neil Numberman buzzing around a manure pile and thought we should ask them some questions. Aaron is a human, not a bug, but he often writes about bugs. He is the author of Chicks and Salsa (one of our all time favorite chick books!), Superhero School, Buffalo Wings, and, of course, the Joey Fly, Private Eye graphic novels. Visit him at his website at http://aaron-reynolds.com/.

Neil Numberman is a termite currently residing in New York City. Joey Fly, Private Eye is his first graphic novel, but he is also the author/illustrator of Do NOT Build a Frankenstein. Stop by his website at http://www.neilnumberman.com/.

Aaron and Neil have graciously agreed to hang around the coop all day, so if you have a question, swat--er, ask--away!

First act as Dictator for Life?

Aaron: Mandatory Friday night Fondue night!

Neil: Build Super Mario’s World!

What kids lit character would you like to vote off the island?

Aaron: Draco Malfoy. So obnoxious…trying to kill Dumbledore like that…that’s not right!

Neil: In keeping with the Harry Potter theme (because those characters are so well written) Dolores Umbridge! Man, I hated her!

What kids lit character would you share your last twinkie with?

Aaron: James from James and the Giant Peach. But in exchange, we dip the grasshopper in chocolate.

Neil: Waldo! But first I gotta find him!

What TV family would you like to be adopted by?

Aaron: Bert and Ernie. Bath toys, fuzzy jammies, insects for pets, and no parents? Count me in!

Neil: Meerkat Manor!

Worst job in the universe?

Aaron: Deveining shrimp. That’s poop, you know, not a “vein”!

Neil: Mr. Universe judge

Dream job for a day?

Aaron: Video game tester.

Neil: Jet-pack-wearing-water-balloon-tester

Marx Brothers or Three Stooges?

Aaron: Hate them both. Annoying. Submits Spongebob as third alternative.

Neil: Yeah, I’ll take Spongebob too! Not too familiar with the Marx, but no love for the Three Stooges

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.

Aaron: A wardrobe malfunction takes them both out: Circus tiger mistakes mime’s stripes for a zebra lunch and clown is so busy laughing he swallows red rubber nose. Is that wrong?

Neil: Winner: Nobody

Funniest dead person you’d like to meet?

Aaron: Benjamin Franklin. He invents libraries, bifocals, and daylight savings time, all while rocking a mullet? Seemed like a pretty funny guy to me.

Neil: Jim Henson!

Best use for a book shaped object? (You know, one of those things sold as books but which should never ever have been published.)

Aaron: No comment, lest it incriminate a book I’ve written or will someday write.

Neil: Kindle

In the Coop with Mac Barnett

Three Silly Things About Mac Barnett:

1. He reads to sheep. We like this.

2. He often wears a cap that reminds us of one of our favorite books, Caps for Sale.

3. He is ticklish. Go ahead, tickle him. And then go check out his fantastically silly books.

The Interview:

First act as Dictator for Life? Dictator for Life means years and years for baroquely selfish decrees. So I'd probably start off by ordering a nice sandwich. It's hard to have an iron fist on an empty stomach.

What kids lit character would you like to vote off the island?
In the interest of diplomacy, I'm keeping away from literature and axing Scrappy Doo.

What kids lit character would you share your last twinkie with?
Papa Snap. He seems like he'd be into Twinkies.

What TV family would you like to be adopted by?
I wouldn't mind being Maxwell Smart's son.

Worst job in the universe?
In the whole universe? I'd answer this question if it hadn't blown my mind.

Dream job for a day?
My dreams rarely involve jobs.

Marx Brothers or Three Stooges?

I feel bad for the Three Stooges. I've just perused a random sample of this blog's interviews: Everybody picks the Marx Bros. How smart! Well, my mom taught me to love an underdog, so I'm going to swoop in like King Moonracer and take the Stooges to an island, where we will all laugh and laugh. Even Shemp.

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.
See, here's the thing. When the Deathmatch is over--and now the lights are on and the crowd is gone and some teenager is wiping down the arena's plastic seats--the victor, still sitting, stunned, in a corner of the Battle Cage, will realize what "winning" really means. It doesn't matter whether you're a clown or a mime: Nobody wins in a Deathmatch.

Funniest dead person you’d like to meet?
Whoever lost that Deathmatch.

Best use for a book shaped object? (You know, one of those things sold as books but which should never ever have been published.)
Hollow out a hole in the middle of it and store your secrets inside.

More info about Mac:
MacBarnett.Com
Interview with Mac at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

In the Coop with Tammi Sauer

Three Reasons We Love Tammi Sauer:

1. Feast your eyes on this author photo, peeps!

2. She wrote a rockin' bawkin' book called Chicken Dance, awesomely illustrated by Dan Santat!

3. She and Dan offer dance lessons on their website! Really! Now you can dance the Librarian and the Bellyache like a pro!

The Interview:

First act as Dictator for Life?
Claim Tim Gunn for my very own.

What kids lit character would you like to vote off the island?
Walter the Farting Dog...no explanation necessary.

What kids lit character would you share your last twinkie with?
Ramona Quimby…that girl made me a reader.

What TV family would you like to be adopted by?

I’ve always wanted to go to Eastland with Trudy, Blaire, Natalie, and Jo. Perhaps Mrs. Garrett could adopt me. Bonuses: Blaire could teach me how to do my hair, and Jo could show me how to ride a motorcycle.

Worst job in the universe?
Dead pig pusher. A writer friend of mine once held this title. Rumor has it the position involved a conveyor belt and a meat-packing plant.

Dream job for a day?
A ritzy spa tester-outer.

Marx Brothers or Three Stooges?

The Marx Brothers get my vote based on this quote alone: “Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside a dog, it’s too dark to read.”—Groucho Marx

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.
I gotta go with mime. Clowns have always freaked me out.

Funniest dead person you’d like to meet?
In my experience, all dead people are un-funny. They just kinda lie there.

Best use for a book shaped object? (You know, one of those things sold as books but which should never ever have been published.)

Impromptu rain gear or snow shoes, depending on the season.

More info about Tammi:

Tammi's website

Interview with Tara Lazar at Writing for Kids (while Raising Them)

Interview with S. R. Johannes at Market My Words

Interview with Sterling Children’s Books

In the Coop with Emily Ecton

Three Reasons We Love Emily Ecton:

1. Just look at her. Is she not adorable? Is her dog Binky not adorable? Can you blame us?

2. She writes books about stylish chihuahuas, undead hamsters, and vengeful lawn ornaments.

3. She is a writer and producer for NPR's hilarious quiz show Wait...Wait, Don't Tell Me!

The Interview:

First act as Dictator for Life?
Silly books for everyone!

What kids lit character would you like to vote off the island?
Ramona's nemesis, Susan with the boing boing curls. That girl has got to go.

What kids lit character would you share your last twinkie with?
I don't understand. Share? A Twinkie? What are you saying? Oh, okay fine, if I have to share my twinkie, I'll probably share it with that mouse from the "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" book, just to see what the little sucker demands next.

What TV family would you like to be adopted by?
I was torn between the Keatons from Family Ties and the Bristows from Alias because the Bristows seemed so much more exciting, but then I realized I'd be much less likely to find a dead body in the Keatons' bathtub. (Well, unless it's Skippy.)

Worst job in the universe?
Cockroach wrangler.

Dream job for a day?
Lighthouse Keeper and part time Puppy Hugger.

Marx Brothers or Three Stooges?
The Marx Brothers. I understand they have a rubber chicken.

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.
Mime. There's only so much damage you can do with a squirty flower and floppy shoes, but those invisible glass boxes are killers.

Funniest dead person you’d like to meet?
Douglas Adams, if only for the cow in the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

Best use for a book shaped object? (You know, one of those things sold as books but which should never ever have been published.)
Impromptu dog dinner table complete with removable placemat.

More info about Emily:
EmilyEcton.com

Happy Birthday, Andrea!

Happy Birthday, Andrea Chickie!

Yep, it's Andrea's birthday and you know what that means.

You don't? Then we'll tell you.

On her birthday, Andrea gets up early in the morning and sings the Beatles', "Happy Birthday!" at the top of her lungs. If any of you have ever seen Andrea early in the morning. You know that's not a good thing. If any of you have ever heard her sing, you know it's a really, REALLY not a good thing.

For the rest of the day, Andrea demands that everyone she knows bring her cake. Preferably German Chocolate Cake with lots of pecans (her favorite). Still, it's her birthday so who's going to complain?

We would, but frankly, we're afraid of her. (We've heard her sing!!!!)

Still, we love our fellow chick and want to let you know a little more about her. So, we interviewed her.

Here's what our Birthday Chick had to say:

First act as Dictator for Life:
Ship everyone who talks in movie theaters to an island where they don't have any movie theaters. That'll show 'em.

What kids' lit character would you like to vote off the island?
Can I vote them onto the island with annoying people who talk in movie theaters?

Either way, I'd vote Pippi Longstockings off the island. Seriously. I know I can be banned from the Secret Society of Kids' Authors who Plan to Dominate the World. (And yes, there is such a society, but I obviously can't tell you about it.) But I don't care. If Pippi Longstockings was my neighbor, I'd get a doberman.

I really like her fashion statement and I love her anti-gravity braids, but honestly. She makes EVERY. DANG. THING. SEEM. SO. EXCITING. IT. MAKES. MY. BRAIN. EXPLODE!!!!!!

My runner up would be Amelia Bedelia. Because, while her character is lovely and she is kind and many good things, hearing the phrase Amelia Bedelia more than 200 times in a 30 page book is too much for me! Still, if Amelia Bedelia wanted to come clean my house, I'd be cool with that. I'd just pop in my earphones and crank some tunes on the old I-pod and ignore her. Ah. Bliss.

What kids' lit character would you share your last Twinkie with?
Winnie the Pooh because he'd probably share his honey with me. He's kind and gentle and oh so funny we'd have such a lovely time visiting friends in the Hundred Acre Wood.

What TV family would you like to be adopted by?
The Simpsons. I've never met a funnier family (except maybe my own) and anything is possible in Springfield. Plus, I look great in 2-D.

Worst job in the universe?
Picture taker at Sears Photo Gallery in the mall. Or hostess at Chuck E Cheese. Tough call.

Dream job for a day?
Broadway star. But I've been told very recently that maybe singing isn't my strong suit. Hey Chicks! You think I don't read this blog? Eh??? Just remember, my fine feathered friends. I know where you live!!!!!!

Marx Brothers or Three Stooges.
Marx Brothers. First and forever!!!! They are the smartest and funniest bunch.Masters of wordplay and slapstick. Smart and silly at the same time. I love them. Sadly, my daughter and I went out on Halloween a couple of years ago as Groucho and Harpo. And so few people had a clue who we were supposed to be! How sad is that? And no, we did NOT get confused and go as the lesser loved Marx Brother, Karl.

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.
Mime. Invisible box of death trumps big shoes every time.

Funniest dead person you'd like to meet.
The guy who invented Baba Ganoush. Anyone with mad naming skills like that had to be hoot!

Best use for a book-shaped object? A book-shaped object (or BSO) is one of those things sold as books but which should never ever EVER have been published. We've all seen them!

I think a BSO would make a great deadly weapon in a Bond film. Thrown frisbee-style from a helicopter, it could be lethal. And if that didn't work, it could simply be read to the victim!!!

Links to interviews for people who want to know other things about Andrea. Also good reading for insomniacs and people with lots of work to avoid.

Happy Birthday, Chickie. Here's a song to show just how much we care!

In the Coop with Adam Rubin

Those Darn Squirrels!
by Adam Rubin
Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
Clarion Books
ISBN: 978-0-547-00703-8

We Three Silly Chicks have a confession to make. Yes, we are silly. We are also friendly and kind and fluffy and yellow. But sometimes, we get grumpy. Wait. That's not the confession. Everyone gets grumpy. The confession is that we enjoy it! It feels good to get cranky. In fact, sometimes we put on our house frocks, roll our feathers in curlers and don on our rattiest slippers and practice saying things like "Get off our coop!" and "You come back here and we'll tell you what we really think!" just because it feels so good. Then, we eat some dry toast and prunes after which we find the mood (among other things) passes.

So imagine our delight at meeting Old Man Fookwire, the main character in Adam Rubin's delightful picture book, Those Darn Squirrels! First of all, we love his name. But even more, we love that he is a cranky, curmudgeonly, crusty old geezer! He's so old he sneezes dust. He hates pie and he hates puppies. However, he loves birds and spends his summers painting pictures of them.

Enter the squirrels. Those darn squirrels also love birds. Well, more acurately, they love bird seed and they are ingenious at getting it. What follows is a battle of wits between the crusty Old Man Fookwire and the Einsteins of the wild kingdom. Our money is on the squirrels.

Illustrated with a funky, playful style, this book is refreshingly offbeat and truly funny. In fact, we loved it so much, we wanted to know more about the author. So we invited him into the coop which made us very happy (and not the least bit cranky)!

Here's what Adam had to say.

The main character of your book, Old Man Fookwire, hated pies and hated puppies. How would he feel about puppy pie?

I imagine he would double hate it.

How do you know when what you write is funny??
I guess I’m never sure that what I write is funny until other people tell me so. I write what I think is amusing or fun and then hope that other people share a similar sense of humor.

Do you have any tips for writing funny books?
I got a good piece of advice from Larry Day. He said, “Create things that you like. If you worry about pleasing other people, you’ll always be disappointed.”

Has being funny ever gotten you into or out of trouble?
I used to carry a clown nose in my pocket. I also stuck a small piece of red felt onto the nose of my driver’s license picture. When people asked to see my ID, I would put on the clown nose while they looked down at the picture. They would wonder what the red felt was all about, then look up at my face and burst out laughing. It got me out of a speeding ticket twice.

What are some of your favorite funny books?????

The Far Side collections were extremely influential to my sense of humor as a kid. I think Gary Larson is a genius. I also love Calvin and Hobbes, there is a magnificent sense of wonder and imagination throughout all of Bill Watterson’s work. I’m also a fan of Dave Eggers’ Haggis on Whey series.

Do you prefer The Marx Bros or Three Stooges?

I’m more of a Buster Keaton guy but given the choice, I’ll go with the Marx Brothers.

What was your best Halloween costume ever?

In sixth grade, our math teacher held a “Mathquerade” for all the students. Everyone had to dress up as something math related. One girl dressed like a car and she was an “infinity,” my teacher was pregnant so she was “multiplying,” I put a rope around my neck and tied it to a small toilet which I held above my head. I was a “High-potty-noose.”

What is your Dream Job for a Day?

I have always wanted to work as a host on the home shopping channel.

How do you really feel about squirrels?

I like squirrels. They are fast, clever and agile which are qualities I admire in both animals and humans.

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch.? Pick your winner.

If there is one less clown and mime on the planet, everyone’s a winner.

Funniest dead person you'd like to meet??

I’d like to meet Mark Twain. He had a cool mustache and a cool pseudonym.

Your resume on your website says that you were an intern at the Daily Show for a summer. How would you describe that experience?

Ugh, that reminds me of how badly I need to update my website… My time at the Daily Show was a blast. Mostly, I answered phones and bought cereal for the writers but I had an opportunity to go on a few shoots and sit in on edit sessions from time to time. Everyone there was extremely nice, especially Ed Helms and Rob Corrdry.

In the Coop with Erica Perl

Guess what? Chicken Butt! Heh heh heh. We chicks have been using that line for years and yep, it makes us laugh every time. And now, children's book author Erica Perl has taken that joke and ramped up the humor times ten. Illustrated by chick fave Henry Cole, Chicken Butt! is a non-stop snort fest of fowl humor for the whole family. You know why? Chicken thigh!

The Three Silly Chicks are very pleased to have Erica Perl in the coop with us today, on the last day of her intrepid Chicken Butt! journey through the wild and wooly blogiverse. To celebrate her safe arrival back home, she will be giving away a signed copy of Chicken Butt! and other treats to one lucky winner. That winner could be you, dear friend! All you have to do is go to Erica's blog, Chicken Feed, and leave a comment today. Easy-peasy! Erica will then pick a random commenter to win the goods. So what are you waiting for? Go go go! Scoot on over there right now and leave a comment! Then come back here, put your feet up, and enjoy our talk with Erica...

How do you know when what you write is funny?

I don't. I just cross my fingers and hope it is. Actually, I read everything I write aloud and I test it on real kids - my own, plus some that are not related to me. If they don't laugh, I know something's up.

Do you have any tips for writing funny books?

Don't write what you think kids WILL find funny, or what you think kids SHOULD find funny. Spend time with kids so you discover what they DO find funny. And also so you remember what YOU found funny at their age. That's how Chicken Butt! came about. I know both perspectives - kid and parent - in that particular goofy face-off intimately!

Has being funny ever gotten you into or out of trouble?

Growing up, I would have gotten into a lot more trouble had my mother not been funny, too (note: I did not realize this until much later). In fact, my mother has requested that when she dies, we have her gravestone engraved to say: "SHE WAS FUNNY." Seriously.

What are some of your favorite funny books?

I love James Marshall's books, especially The Stupids Step Out. I also love M.T. Anderson's Whales on Stilts and Daniel Pinkwater's The Hoboken Chicken Emergency. In fact, I think The Hoboken Chicken Emergency is perhaps the funniest chicken book ever written.

If you could live in one of your books, which one would you choose?

I wrote Ninety-Three In My Family because when I was a kid, I always wanted more pets than my parents would allow. So I decided to write a book about a family with all the pets I could possibly want. As zany as it looks (thanks to Mike Lester's fabulous illustrations), it's clear that this family has a lot of fun together.

Who do you like more, The Marx Bros or Three Stooges?

Marx Brothers, hands down.

What was your best Halloween costume?

I once insisted on dressing up as the school lunch menu. I wore a sandwich board with the week's menu written on it, plus a paper plate hat with plastic food. I like to think that I'm the only person who has ever trick-or-treated in this particular costume… not because it is so funny, but because it makes absolutely no sense.

What is your Dream Job for a Day?

Woozler. It's my invented Dream Job. It involves spending the day at the zoo, cuddling and woozling all the animals.

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.

It's a draw. Both are extremely scary.

Funniest dead person you’d like to meet?

Roald Dahl, who was apparently not funny (as in ha-ha funny) in real life. But I would still love to have met him.

Is there anything funnier than a chicken butt?

You know what's more?

Two chicken butts! No -- FOUR!