Two experiments examined pictorial humor as an unusual but legitimate way to approach the study of children’s representational activity and the transition from implicit to explicit knowledge. In both experiments, the participants were 3- and 4-year-old children. Experiment 1 studied the understanding of two pictorial jokes using two conditions, choice and verbal production. Experiment 2 compared the results of Experiment 1 with the comprehension that children had of two versions of three pictorial jokes presented in two different sessions. The results showed three levels of comprehension. Changes in level were analyzed. The data suggest a tendency to stay at the same level, although a few children either descended or ascended. These changes occur within a short period of time, and provide support for a particular conceptualization of cognitive development. Implications for illustrated mechanisms of change and representational redescriptions in young children are discussed.