Jeni is an author who lives in Sydney, Australia. She has published many genres for children including picture books, fiction, poetry, and more. Her latest book is a funny story about breakfast that involves chasing a bowl of blue elephants wearing rollerblades. Jeni finds humor in surprising situations like absurd scenarios, funny characters, and parody or embarrassing situations. The document provides examples of each and encourages generating more absurd or silly ideas for humorous children's stories.

2. About Jeni
I live in Sydney, Australia
I have published picture
books, junior fiction,
young adult fiction,
poetry, non-fiction,
verse narrative, song lyrics,
scripts, and lots of other stuff.

4. Jeni’s Latest Book

5. Jeni’s Funny Photo

6. Writing Funny Stories
Roald Dahl, Matilda
'Do you think that all children's books ought to
have funny bits?' Miss Honey asked.
'I do,' Matilda said. 'Children are not so serious
as grown-ups and they love to laugh.'

7. What’s funny?
We find humour in
SURPRISE!

10. We find humour in:
Characters: who talk and act funny
a huge burly man with a high-pitched voice
a policeman who is scared of the dark
A clown tripping before they get to throw a pie

11. We find humour in:
Situations: when what we get isn’t what we expect.
peanut butter flavoured fairy floss
a thief who gets robbed
a teenager in a kindergarten class

12. Funny Situations
 1) Make the situation absurd.
 Think of something sensible you had for breakfast:
 For breakfast I ate a bowl of cereal.

 Add something ridiculous:
 For breakfast I ate a bowl of elephants.

 Then get sillier:
 For breakfast I ate a bowl of blue elephants.

13. Funny Situations
1) Make the situation absurd.
For breakfast I ate a bowl of blue elephants wearing
rollerblades.
For breakfast I chased a bowl of blue elephants wearing
rollerblades on their trunks.
Rhyme if you like:
For breakfast I chased a bowl of blue elephants wearing
rollerblades on their trunks,
Upstairs and downstairs till I caught them in their bunks.

14. Parody = Making fun of real situations
The beagle is a funny breed
Quite well-known for their greed
Rubbish bins provide a treat
And leftovers are obsolete.
by Jeni Mawter

15. Embarrassing Situations
I went to school with my jacket on upside down.
I dived into the local swimming pool and my costume fell
down.
I was at the mall with my family when I ran into my teacher.
I was at the mall when I walked head-first into a glass door.
I fell over in the mud in front of all my class.

16. Substitute Babies are cute … Not!
Meeting Our Baby
Little baby, soft and sweet
Looking like …
… a pickled beet!
Eyes all scrunched
Mouth all screamy
Head so bald
Nose all streamy
Only Mum could love that face
You sure it’s from the human race?
By Jeni Mawter

17. Questions?
www.jenimawter.com www.literaturelive.net