The Adventures of Captain Underpants [Paperback]

Dav Pilkey (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

The first book in Dav Pilkey's mega-bestselling Captain Underpants series. Now with super-cool foil covers! Shiny! Fun!

George and Harold have created the greatest superhero in the history of their elementary school--and now they're going to bring him to life! Meet Captain Underpants! His true identity is so secret, even HE doesn't know who he is!
Acclaimed author and Caldecott Honor illustrator Dav Pilkey provides young readers with the adventure of a lifetime in this outrageously funny, action-packed, easy-to-read chapter book. With hilarious pictures on every page, THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS is great for both beginning and chapter-book readers. And like Dav's other best-selling books of humor, it is sure to provide even the most reluctant readers with hours of fun.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-Pilkey packs an amazing amount of humor into what could have been a one-gag novel. Besides turning their principal into a silly superhero, George and Harold play tricks on just about everyone. They pepper pom-poms, put bubble bath in tubas, and fill a football with helium. Pilkey's illustrations are half the fun, and that magical moment when the hypnotized Principal Krupp dons his Captain Underpants uniform and sings "Tra-La-Laaaaaaaa" is priceless. Krupp is a worthy successor to Lamar J. Spurgle, the nemesis of "the Cut-Ups" in James Marshall's great picture books. The "kneel here" sign in front of his desk says it all. Kid Appeal Award: Superheroes are always fascinating to kids. And children of a certain age will laugh at anything that has to do with underpants. Combining the two was a stroke of comic genius.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 2^-4. The title and the cover art, which depicts a toothy, egg-shaped fellow in a red cape and jockey shorts, are designed to keep this chapter book in constant circulation. The story is a superhero spoof: two misbehaving fourth-grade boys, Harold and George, hypnotize their school principal and turn him into their comic book creation, Captain Underpants. The boys have their hands full when the captain escapes and starts chasing bad guys in his underwear. The extra leading and slightly enlarged typeface make for easier reading, but the silliness goes overboard (picture villainous Dr. Diaper staring at a pile of rubber doggy doo), and the many action-packed illustrations rob the plot of some of its zip by commanding more than their share of attention. (The flip book pages seem clever, but they're really just a tease). Still, the humor is on target for some kids in this age group, who will undoubtedly look forward to a planned second adventure--Captain Underpants 2: Attack of the Talking Toilets. Stephanie Zvirin --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 121 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 043908282X
• ISBN-13: 978-0439082822
• ASIN: 0590846280
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (146 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"Considered one of the most popular contemporary authors for readers in elementary school, (Dav Pilkey) is also regarded as a talented artist and inventive humorist as well as a subtle moralist. ...He underscores his works--even at their most outrageous--with a philosophy that emphasizes friendship, tolerance, and generosity and celebrates the triumph of the good-hearted."

-The Educational Book & Media Association

Dav Pilkey is the Caldecott Honor Award-winning author and illustrator of more than 40 books for children. Check out his award-winning website at www.Pilkey.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is awesome and incredibly funny, January 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Adventures of Captain Underpants (Paperback)

I just finished reading this to my 3 sons, ages 4, 6, and 8 and the four of us couldn't stop laughing. It's a wonderfully silly story. Even the flip pages were really well done. (I expected them to be lame.) As soon as the boys heard that there was another adventure of Captain Underpants on the way, I was entreated to get it. Definitely. I bought this book because the title was different and because we've read all of the Dragon books and Hallo-weiner and loved them all. We were NOT disappointed.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We loved it!, November 19, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Adventures of Captain Underpants (Paperback)

My son has been running around in a cape since *before* he graduated from diapers to (superhero) underpants, so I picked this book based solely upon the title, and the fact that the hero wore a cape.

This book (I now see) is for 9-12 year-old readers. My son is 5. But we read it straight through (all 122 pages!), and we laughed and laughed! The silly antics of George and Harold, and especially the Amazing Captain Underpants (Tra La Laaaaaa!) made me feel like a fourth-grader again. What better comment on a book than it allowed me to hear my 5-year-old giggle?

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a negative comment, May 21, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Adventures Of Captain Underpants (Hardcover)

My son thought this book was hilarious, and I think most kids would....so I am hesitant to criticize something that encourages kids to read so much. But the fact is that I don't want my son growing up thinking it's "cool" and "fun" to pull pranks on other people like the main characters in this book do; I also want him to understand that people such as principals do need to be shown basic respect, even if one doesn't particularly like them. So because of that I'm not going to get other books in this series. There are tons of other chapter books that are funny and can encourage my son to love reading.

On the positive side, it's fabulous that the two main characters in this book are very creative, making their own comic books (which will encourage creativity in kids who read these books); and, one friend is black and one is white. Because this inter-racial friendship is presented without ever making an issue of it I think it is a positive friendship model for children.