Dav Pilkey is the bestselling author of the series "Captain Underpants." While this series is probably his most popular, "Dog Man" and "Cat Kid Comic Club" have also been well-received by grade-schoolers around the world.
The majority of Pilkey's works are humorous with a bit of slap-stick jokes (called "flip-o-rama) put in between pages. While he has won a few awards, including the Caldecott for his story "The Paperboy," Pilkey's books have also been on a few banned lists multiple times. "Captain Underpants" has been banned for its toilet humor, as well as inspiring children to disobey authority.
But while some adults may think that this author is a bad influence on children, others embrace the fact that children like reading these stories. And reading anything is good practice for students. So, if a reader you know has run out of "Captain Underpants" books to read, try these other books out for a spell.
The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby
This book is a spin-off of the Captain Underpants series.
Oh, no! It looks like George and Harold are in trouble again. . . . As punishment, the boys have to write a 100-page report on "good citizenship," and they have been specifically ordered NOT to make another comic about Captain Underpants. So what do they do? They create an all-new superhero . . . Super Diaper Baby! Super Diaper Baby's archenemy, Deputy Dangerous, wants to steal his powers and take over the planet. Will the diaper-wearing dynamo defeat the deputy, or is the entire Earth doomed?
- Amazon
Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot
Another series in case you need a long read!
The Iron Giant meets Clifford the Big Red Dog in Dav Pilkey's Ricky Ricotta's Giant Robot, the first book in an illustrated series for early readers. Ricky is a young mouse who needs a friend, is bullied by schoolmates, and is waiting for something BIG to happen. But he never expected the arrival of anything as big as Dr. Stinky McNasty's giant robot, created by the evil doctor to destroy all of Squeakyville. When the robot refuses to demolish the town, however, Ricky steps up to save it from the ensuing wrath of the maniacal doctor--twice! In some very Clifford-esque perspectives, the friendly iron giant dwarfs Ricky's neighborhood, scares crows (and bullies), and allows Ricky's new friends to ride on his back. In the end children will be satisfied to see the doctor's secret cave detonated by the very electro-rocket he wanted to use on his errant robot, and even more satisfied to see the robot depositing Dr. Stinky McNasty into the city jail.
- Amazon Review
The Dumb Bunnies
This is a shorter series but just as funny!
Meet the Dumb Bunnies!
Momma Bunny is really dumb. Poppa Bunny is even dumber. And Baby Bunny is the dumbest bunny of all. Join these silly rabbits for an adventure that's full of loopy laughs. The Dumb Bunnies may go bowling inside the library and have picnics at the car wash, but they always have lots of fun!
The critics are dumbfounded by the Dumb Bunnies:
"Truly juvenile." -- USA Today
"Dumbness supreme and a real treat." -- Booklist
"Let's not elevate this by calling it wit." -- Kirkus Reviews
-Amazon
Kat Kong
This stand-alone book is a retelling of King Kong.
When the fearsome Kat Kong wreaks havoc on the rodent citizens of Mousopolis (all played by Pilkey's own pets in mixed-media photographic illustrations) someone must halt the massive meowing menace before it's too late!
But is anyone clever enough to halt this massive meowing menace?
For kids not quite ready to enter the chapter book world, Kat Kong is a winner. This silly spoof of King Kong has all of the zany cat-and-mouse action you'd expect from Dav Pilkey, creator of the bestselling Dog Man and Captain Underpants series.
- Amazon
Dog Breath: The Horrible Trouble with Hally Tosis
Another stand-alone book that is worth the read.
From Dav Pilkey, author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Dog Man and Captain Underpants series, comes Hally Tosis, the adorable dog that will take your breath away!
Hally Tosis is a great family dog, but there is one rotten thing about her: her breath! It is so smelly, Hally's pet parents want to find a new home for her. The children, desperate to keep their beloved pet, try everything to rid Hally of her stinky stench. They take her for a breathtaking view, a movie that would leave her breathless, and a ride on a roller coaster that would make her lose her breath, but Hally's putrid panting persists! Only a miracle could save her now!
- Amazon
About the Author
Rachel is the Youth Services Assistant. She loves to read science fiction and romance novels. She also loves to watch terrible B-movies that no one likes.