What began as a lighthearted classroom moment has become a published trilogy of books that helps readers laugh—and learn. Sean Tomás Fleming, an English Language Learner (ELL) teacher at 纪念小学 School, is the author of 解释笑话: Books 1–3, a collection of silly jokes paired with thoughtful explanations that help unlock the humor for readers learning English or simply curious about how language works.

弗莱明在明尼阿波利斯长大，他认为里奇菲尔德是他的第二个家。 他就读于圣天使学校，他的祖父母在他长大的时候就住在这里。 大学毕业后，他在明尼阿波利斯和圣保罗任教，然后在智利的圣地亚哥和秘鲁的利马生活和工作。 Over the course of his career, he’s taught Social Studies, Spanish, English and ESL. 在他生命的每一个篇章中，语言和读写能力都是核心。

“My favorite work has always been with students, language and literacy,” Fleming shared.

The idea for 解释笑话 was born in a fourth-grade classroom, where his English learners were trying to make sense of the jokes they heard from classmates and on TV. “They wanted to understand the jokes, so I started explaining them,” he said. “That eventually turned into a blog.”

Fleming launched his “解释笑话” blog in 2013, collecting and unpacking jokes submitted by students, readers and his own research. “I read joke books and websites looking for jokes that made me laugh and had language or cultural aspects worth explaining,” he said.

12年后，他的博客引起了加拿大教育出版商dc Canada的注意。 最初，他们计划出版一册50个笑话，但这个项目很快扩大了规模。 “Eventually, it became three books of 60 jokes each,” Fleming explained. “Then they decided to also publish a single volume combining all three.”

书中的每个笑话都配有解释，解释了其中涉及的文字游戏、习语或文化参考。 “Someone might understand the words of a joke, but not why it’s funny,” Fleming said. “Humor is very cultural, and understanding it requires a deep knowledge of language—especially how words can have multiple meanings.”

Fleming’s own experience learning Spanish as a second language helped him appreciate how hard it can be to “get the joke” in another language. 他认为他的妻子安娜·玛丽亚（Ana Maria）是对他帮助最大的阅卷人之一。玛丽亚的母语是西班牙语，成年后学习英语。 “She was a very patient reader and offered suggestions when my explanations weren’t clear,” he said. “I also appreciated when people would say, ‘I still don’t get it.’ That always helped me make the explanations better.”

书里他最喜欢的笑话之一？ “Q: How do you keep someone in suspense? A: I’ll tell you tomorrow.” Another classic: “Q: Why is 6 afraid of 7? A: Because 7 ate 9.” These seemingly simple jokes demonstrate how humor can rely on wordplay and context—something that isn’t always obvious to a new language learner.

弗莱明希望这些书提供的不仅仅是一些笑声。 “I hope readers can giggle at the jokes, once they understand them,” he said. “But more importantly, I hope it encourages them to keep learning language and asking questions. 理解幽默帮助我理解文化。 And when I understand another culture better, I can understand my own culture better, too.”

Whether you're learning English, teaching it, or just enjoy a good pun, Fleming’s work is a reminder of the joy and complexity of language—and the power of a good laugh.

解释笑话: Books 1–3 在亚马逊上有售。