Every kid should have a riddle book. Riddles help them see the humor in the world, and riddles are also an excellent way to help a child to read and explore language.

The Biggest Riddle Book in the World is a good place to start. It is big. The illustrations add to the humor. The jokes are broken up into topics, but the topics aren't always obvious in the joke; it is just a way to break up a big book. And a few of the jokes are "Ha! Ha! Get it?" types. "What is the color of a cheerleader? Yeller." Yellow, get it? But they are all fun, and kids will enjoy sharing them.

The best age for this collection is probably 8-11. Many of them are heavily embedded with culture that might not be understood by younger children (and as I have found, students from other cultures). But that is the fun with these kind of jokes.

So without further ado, here are some samples:

Why shouldn't you tell a secret to a pig? Because he's a squealer.

What did Delaware? She wore her New Jersey.

What has four wheels and flies? A garbage truck.

When don't you feel so hot? When you catch a cold.

If an apple a day will keep a doctor away, what will an onion do? Keep everyone away.

What is purple and 5,000 miles long? The Grape Wall of China.

What kinds of tables do people eat? Vegetables.

When does a bed grow longer? At night when two feet are added to it.

Why is a room full of married couples empty? Because there is not a single person in it.

What do they do after they chop a tree down? They chop it up. ( )