Often, when writing for kids, there is some sort of lesson or message that you hope to impart. But whereas adults might finish reading something even if the moral is heavy-handed or obvious, kids are more honest (sometimes pronounced “brutal.”) If your story is little more than a standard life lesson with a new coat of paint on it, I believe your audience will check out before you’ve gotten to the good stuff. But if you can make kids laugh, they just might be more receptive to what you’re trying to say.