By Kathryn Peck
I have to admit—my first introduction to Dav Pilkey’s books wasn’t a good one.
When my oldest was in first grade, he came home from the school library proudly holding a copy of Captain Underpants. And almost overnight, it felt like everything out of his mouth revolved around… toilets. Endless potty humor. Nonstop giggles. You know the phase.
I did what many parents do in that moment—I blamed the book.
Captain Underpants was swiftly “retired” from our home library, and I was convinced that a red-caped superhero in underwear was responsible for all the chaos.
What I Didn’t Realize Yet
As my oldest grew older—and as I welcomed three more children into our family—I started to see things a little differently.
It turns out, potty humor doesn’t need a book to exist. It shows up anyway.
And somewhere along the way, Dog Man entered our house.
My boys began bringing these books home from the library, reading them constantly, and laughing out loud. I’ll be honest—I didn’t fully understand the appeal at first. The format felt chaotic, the illustrations seemed overly simple, and I wasn’t sure what they were really getting out of it.
But one thing was undeniable: they were excited about reading.
The Moment It Clicked
Curious (and trying to keep up), I took them to see the Dog Man movie.
And that’s when everything shifted.
What I expected to be silly and slapstick turned out to be… surprisingly heartfelt.
At its core, Dog Man tells the story of a police officer and his loyal dog who, after being injured in the line of duty, are fused together to become one. It sounds absurd—and it is—but underneath that premise are themes that are anything but.
Friendship. Kindness. Redemption. Loneliness.
There’s a moment in the story when Dog Man no longer has anyone to play fetch with—and I found myself sitting in a dark theater, tearing up… much to the embarrassment of my kids.
That was the first time I realized: there was more going on here than I had given it credit for.
A Full-Circle Surprise
Not long after that, my youngest started first grade and began reading independently.
As we sat together working through early reader books, I reached for one of my longtime favorite Early Reader series: Big Dog and Little Dog.
These are the kinds of stories I’ve always loved—simple, gentle, and thoughtfully written for new readers. Big Dog and Little Dog go for walks, try on sweaters, make small mistakes, and figure things out together. The language is approachable, the repetition builds confidence, and the stories feel calm and reassuring.
And then I noticed something I had somehow missed before:
They were written by Dav Pilkey.
Seeing It Through a Different Lens
Around the same time, we picked up A Friend for Dragon.
I read it with my youngest—and his older brother joined in, too. The three of us ended up laughing out loud together at Dragon’s innocent, earnest attempts to care for his “friend”… an apple.
When the apple is eaten by a hungry walrus in the doctor’s waiting room, Dragon is devastated. He buries what’s left of his friend, the core, in the backyard, only for it to grow into a tree—one that offers many new “friends” come spring.
It’s silly, yes—but also tender, thoughtful, and quietly introduces an emotional depth that’s age appropriate.
What I See Now
It took me a while to look past the comic-style illustrations and the surface-level humor in Dav Pilkey’s work.
But once I did, I saw something I hadn’t expected:
Stories that truly meet kids where they are.
His books engage reluctant readers. They make kids laugh. They give them something to talk about. And beneath the humor, they introduce themes that matter—friendship, empathy, resilience, and growth.
Most importantly, they help children fall in love with reading.
And honestly, that’s the whole point.
Final Thoughts
If you had asked me years ago, I would have told you that Captain Underpants had no place in our home.
Now, I see it differently. Now I welcome Dav Pilkey’s silly humor, outrageous plots, and upside-down storytelling with open arms, because sometimes the books that seem the silliest on the surface are the very ones that open the door to a lifelong love of reading.
And that’s a pretty powerful thing.
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About the author: Kathryn is the owner of Bicycle Pie and mom of 4 little ones. Also a writer, editor, and former owner of one of Boston's premiere baby boutiques, she continues to write about motherhood, children's products, family life, and all other things that test our skills and patience as parents.
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