Faine is a local children’s book author and entertainer. Under his alias, “How-To Cowboy,” Faine hosts joke fests for kids around the Washington area. The free events encourage kids to get on stage and tell a joke, and every child that participates gets a book. Do you ever have trouble getting kids to join in?
Believe me, they come up. I don’t have to do anything. Sometimes, they may be a little difficult, they’re shy. Definitely, in a festival setting, the parents will egg them on. The very first time I did it formally at the First Night Alexandria, I was little concerned it wouldn’t be too successful. I had my pocket stuffed with jokes. But it’s the kids who provide the entertainment.
What kind of jokes do kids tell anyway?
You hear the same jokes over and over, but they can change over time. Jokes are viral. A joke can enter on the other side of the world and get over here. Why didn’t the skeleton cross the road? Because he had no guts. That’s sort of new. I hear that one a lot, but I didn’t a decade ago.
How do you gear your jokes to kids?
It’s not a deliberate thing. I don’t differentiate in my mind between kids and adult. I don’t want to say that, but other people have said I’m kid-like and that I’ve never grown up. A joke is a joke. I’m pushing aside adult jokes. But what works for adults works for kids.
What should parents look for in children’s books?
People in the academic realm are often looking for the education component, but by the same token, parents need to find a fun book. By them liking it, they think their child will like it. It doesn’t matter if it’s educational or not, if a child likes it it will stimulate their desire to read other books.
Amy Myers
