Fun Children’s Books About April Fool’s Day

Are you in a family who loves to pull practical jokes on each other? When my girls were little, we loved telling jokes to each other, and hiding and jumping out to scare each other! It was so much fun. One of the things I’ve always loved to do is read to my kids, especially holiday books. Here are a few fun children’s books about April Fool’s Day you can read to your kids. But first…here’s a little history about April Fool’s Day!

April Fools’ Day or All Fools’ Day has been celebrated for several centuries. Some historians believe that April Fools’ Day originates back to 1582 when France switched from using the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar in 1563. Those who didn’t get the news became the butt of jokes and hoaxes because they still continued to celebrate it the last week of March into April.

April Fools’ Day has also been linked to festivals such as the Hilaria, which was celebrated in ancient Rome at the end of March and people celebrated it by dressing up in costumes. People also speculate that April Fools’ Day can be traced back to the vernal equinox (the first day of Spring) in the Northern Hemisphere because Mother Nature fooled people by constantly changing the weather. 

In modern times, April Fools’ Day is celebrated by playing jokes or pranks on friends and family. Here are 10 great children’s books or chapter books that celebrate April Fools’ Day that can be read at home or in the classroom. 

6 Fun Children’s Books about April Fool’s Day

April Fool! Watch Out at School! (Gilbert) by Diane deGroat

It’s April Fools’ Day, and Gilbert is looking forward to playing tricks on his friends. Unfortunately he’s the one getting tricked by everyone else, including Mrs. Byrd! But the worst prankster is Lewis the bully. In the end Gilbert outwits Lewis with the best trick of all.

Diane deGroat’s delightful story and fun-filled illustrations will enchant readers of all ages, especially when they discover the surprises in many of the illustrations. The reader is getting April Fooled, too!

April Foolishness by Teresa Bateman

It’s a spring morning on the farm. Grandpa is fixing breakfast for his visiting grandkids. Suddenly his grandson reports that the cows have got loose! He thinks Big Brown Bessie just stepped on a goose!

Arthur’s April Fool by Marc Brown

Arthur worries about remembering his magic tricks for the April Fool’s Day assembly and Binky’s threats to pulverize him.

The alphabet may be over, but the mysteries continue in this ninth A to Z Mysteries Super Edition, featuring a 26-letter secret message hidden in the illustrations.

Max and Zoe: Too Many Tricks by Shelley Swanson Sateren

On April Fool’s Day, Max plays lots of tricks on Zoe. Max must learn when tricks are funny and when they are hurtful or he might lose his friendship with Zoe forever.

April Fool, Phyllis! by Susanna Leonard Hill

It might be April Fools’ Day, but Punxsutawney Phyllis knows that winter isn’t over yet.Her infallible instincts tell her that a blizzard is brewing. Too bad no one will believe her. Luckily Phyllis uses a combination of common sense and uncommon abilities to lead the April Fools’ Day treasure hunters back to safety when the storm comes on quickly. Once again Phylis gets the last laugh in this buoyant holiday tale.

Barnyard Fun by Maureen Wright

When Sheep found out it was April One, he said, “It’s time to have some fun”! Sheep set his alarm an hour ahead. It woke up Rooster in his bed. Sheep plays April Fool’s jokes on Rooster, Dog, Pig and Cow. Then Horse decides to play a trick on Sheep-and the farm animals have the biggest laugh of all!

6 Fun Chapter Books about April Fool’s Day

Ellie May on April Fools’ Day by Hillary Homzie

Quirky and funny second grader Ellie May can’t believe her class is allowed to celebrate April Fools’ Day–so long as it’s done in good fun. She absolutely loves the idea of targeting a certain someone–the practically perfect Ava. Practicing on her parents and sisters, Ellie May begins to brainstorm harmless pranks. Soon enough, good intentions turn the classroom and her home upside-down when fake ants, trick tape, and hidden surprises don’t go as planned. Ellie May may not be perfect like Miss-Know-it-All Ava, or calm and rational like her best friend Lizzy, but she’s good-hearted and eventually realizes that the best trick is to make friends genuinely laugh–at no one’s expense.

April Fool’s Day From The Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler

It’s the end of March, and Hubie is struggling to prepare his pranks for the big day. The whoopee cushion, the rubber tarantula, and the fly in the ice cube just aren’t good enough anymore — not when the worst joke comes from the place he least expects it. The joke’s on you in the April Fools’ Day from the Black Lagoon!

April Fool’s Day (Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew #19) by Carolyn Keene

Nancy, George, and Bess have been invited to an April Fool’s Day party at their new schoolmate’s house. It sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun — each guest is bringing a gag to the party, and the best prank will win a special prize.

When two of the guests’ fancy new electronics go missing, Nancy knows something’s up. Is this someone’s idea of a joke? The Clue Crew certainly isn’t laughing, and they’re on the case to find the missing gadgets.

Rainbow Magic Special Edition: Addison the April Fool’s Day Fairy by Daisy Meadows

No joke–It’s Addison the April Fool’s Day Fairy!

Rachel and Kirsty can’t wait for April Fool’s Day. It’s the perfect time to act silly and have fun. They love telling jokes and making their friends laugh. But Jack Frost has pulled an early prank on Addison by stealing her magical items. Now, no one is smiling.

Can Rachel and Kirsty spring into action and find Addison’s magic items? If the girls can’t help her get them back, the joke will be on them!
the magic objects in all three stories inside this Rainbow Magic Special Edition and help make April Fool’s Day magical again!

April Fools’, Mr. Todd! (Judy Moody and Friends)

It’s April Fools’ Day — and Judy’s birthday — and Mr. Todd has a trick or two of his own planned in the latest Judy Moody tale for newly independent readers.

April Fools’ Day just happens to be one of Judy Moody’s favorite days of the year. And this year she’s got one thing on her mind: the perfect prank she’s going to play on Mr. Todd, thanks to an awesome present from her brother, Stink. Gotcha, Mr. Todd! But in all the excitement over spaghetti trees, April fish, and fools’ errands, Judy worries that something else will be forgotten by Mr. Todd and Class 3T altogether: April 1 also happens to be Judy’s birthday! Gulp! Will her friends remember in time, or will Judy be the fool this year? And just what might Mr. Todd have up his sleeve?

A to Z Mysteries Super Edition #9: April Fools’ Fiasco by Ron Roy

It’s the first of April in Green Lawn! Mr. Paskey, owner of the Book Nook, plays an April Fools’ Day prank on Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose. They hatch a plan to get back at him, but then the bookstore is robbed—no joke! Can the kids track down the crook? Or will this April Fools’ be an April fail?

I hope you enjoy a few of these books about April Fool’s Day. If you enjoy reading holiday books, check out these titles luck of the Irish children’s books about St. Patrick’s Day!