So, I’m a bit particular about what I read. I favor prose and description over plot, character over conflict. John Milton’s Paradise Lost is the greatest achievement of English writing. No American writer will ever top the beauty of Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing. Thrilling page-turners aren’t my thing—give me poetry. And with all this literary snobbery in mind, let me thoroughly and unabashedly heap praise on the Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey.
First, a little in-universe context. Dog Man is a book-within-a-book series, “written” by George and Harold, the mischievous heroes of Pilkey’s zany Captain Underpants series. Dog Man was the duo’s first foray into comic making, and we’re better people for it. The titular character has, like all super heroes, an interesting origin story: the city’s best cop and best police dog are injured in an explosion. The dog’s body is badly injured, but his head is intact; his human partner’s injuries are the exact opposite. A nurse suggests a reasonable way to save both—sew the dog’s head on the man’s body. Thus, Dog Man, crime fighter extraordinaire.
My reasons for liking this series are myriad. The writing and artwork progresses as George and Harold “age.” The artwork improves from book to book, and the jokes really gain sophistication as the series moves along. George and Harold’s 5th grade teacher introduces them to classic literature (Call of the Wild, East of Eden, etc) and the two roll this newfound elegance into their own writing. The book puns in the Dog Man titles are amazing: A Tale of Two Kitties, Brawl of the Wild, and (launching at this year’s book festival!) For Whom the Ball Rolls. But there’s also a nice dose of gross boy humor. You can imagine the jokes around the word duty.
I asked an expert to weigh in on this. According to my 9-year-old son, Dog Man “is hilarious, silly, and fun. Dav Pilkey is one of my favorite writers and Dog Man is my favorite of his characters because he’s just so funny and goofy. I can’t get enough!” And I agree with James wholeheartedly. The series is clever but not cloying, valuable without being overly didactic. We learn lessons about humanity, family, belonging, and love. “The mind is it’s own place,” says John Milton, “and can make a hell of heaven, a heaven of hell.” And, there are poop jokes. Everyone wins.
Dog Man art by James
Dav Pilkey will be launching his “Do Good” tour at the Mississippi Book Festival on Saturday, August 17. He will be speaking at 9:30 a.m. in the Galloway Sanctuary.
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