It’s A Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Captain Underpants!
By Dav Pilkey
Scholastic, 303 pages, $9.99
Young readers can enjoy more of the crazy adventures of Captain Underpants, George Beard and Harold Hutchins in Dav Pilkey’s book Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers. Tippy, mean Mr. Krupp and a group of bullies are the villains in this ninth installment of the series. Captain Underpants, dressed in a cape and briefs, returns as the hero. Harold and George are as funny as ever. Fans can look forward to reading more of their hilarious comic books. The hand-drawn stories are full of humor that kids will love.
Most of the story takes place in the past. Pilkey transports his audience back in time to the day Harold and George meet. Readers will get to see how their very first comic, The Adventures of Dog Man, is created. Although the kindergarteners are small, the boys must deal with bigger issues. Pilkey handles topics such as divorce and bullying with care and creativity. He encourages imagination and will have reluctant readers excited about this story. Everyone will like the “Flip-o-Rama” feature where, with a quick flip of the page, readers can create their own animation sequences. Parents are sure to enjoy parts of the book that kids will totally miss. Pilkey’s opinion of our school system is made clear when he rates prison as better than school because jails offer art, music and physical education. Nobody has the power of Captain Underpants, but kids can enjoy and benefit from the power of reading!
Reviewed by Elizabeth Franklin
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