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December 30, 2015

The Adventures of Captain Underpants

The Adventures of Captain UnderpantsThe Adventures of Captain Underpants

By: Dav Pilkey

Captain Underpants, the easy chapter book series by Dav Pilkey, has been popular for many years now with young readers. I am asked by patrons where to locate these books on a daily basis. As a librarian, I try to read popular titles, and yet this series somehow never made it onto my reading pile. Until, that is, my 6-year-old son developed a love of potty-humor and I knew he would love the Captain Underpants books.  This is a perfect series to start with young children ready to transition into longer bedtime stories because, while it is a longer book, it also has quite a few engaging illustrations and very short chapters.  The night I read the first few chapters from book 1, The Adventures of Captain Underpants to my children, I understood why this series remains so popular: they are hilarious! Only a few pages in, my son fell to the bed laughing and couldn’t stop for several minutes.

In the beginning of the series, we meet George and Harold, trouble-makers extraordinaire. They are continuously up to mischief, but they also write and illustrate comic books that they sell to their classmates. The latest creation is Captain Underpants, a superhero who battles evil in his underwear.

Unfortunately for George and Harold, one of their pranks doesn’t go according to plan and they end up in big trouble with their mean principal, Mr. Krupp. The nasty principal blackmails George and Harold to get them to behave in school and to do a laundry list of chores for him.  George decides to bring their punishment to an early end by hypnotizing the foul principal. Unfortunately, things don’t go exactly as they planned and the hypnotized Mr. Krupp believes that he is really Captain Underpants! Hilarity ensues as Captain Underpants sets out to fight crime and bring about justice, as George and Harold try to keep him safe.

You will fly through this book and laugh the entire time! In fact, you might want to check out books 2 and 3 when you get book 1. I guarantee you’ll want to continue on with the series!

Review By: Melissa Dragoo