Module 15--Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkney



Source: http://www.disneydreaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Captain-Underpants.jpg

Summary:
George and Harold are pranksters that irk their school principal, Mr. Krupp.  Mr. Krupp finally catches them in the act and blackmails the boys to do odd jobs to avoid further trouble.  If they don't comply, he will show the football who played mean tricks on them.  The boys hypnotize the principal to act as Captain Underpants, the comic book character they created.  As Captain Underpants, Mr. Krupp slows bank robbers then gets caught and dragged away by two robots driving a truck.  The boys follow the van and find Dr. Diaper, a bad guy.  The boys rescue their principal by tricking Dr. Diaper with plastic doo-doo and bashing the robots into pieces.  Captain Underpants knocks out Dr. Diaper for good by flinging two pairs of underwear at him.  Oblivious of the strange events, Mr. Krupp finds out the boys switched his evidence tape with a dancing dinosaur tape.  The football team loves it and Mr. Krupp continues his alter ego as Captain Underpants. 

APA Reference:
Pilkey, Dav.  (1997).  The adventures of Captain Underpants: The first epic adventure.  New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. 

My Impressions:
Am I surprised this book is frequently challenged?  No.  Do I think it is appropriate for children?  That is a simple question without a simple answer.  I need to take a step back to answer that one.  First, I am the slightly-overprotective type in many ways.  When my champion gymnast niece shows off her flips and spins, I fear broken bones.  I practically leap forward with her every move to stop falls and trips that never happen.  During fire drills, I insist the students line up facing away from the building so an explosion does not send bricks flying at their face (That could happen, right?).  Every time I take my dog for a walk, I double check that the leash is securely attached before I open the door to the big, scary world. 

One would expect, I would object to a book about a school principal that runs around in his underpants as a consequence of two mischievous boys.  In reality, I am not too concerned.  There is part of me that thinks these antics are not the best influence for children, but a larger part of me thinks blocking material like this from children--particularly boys--would have more consequences than intended.  

Silly, immature humor is exactly what will draw some children in, particularly boys.  If we don't approve of what many boys want to read, should it be a surprise that many boys lose interest in reading?  So, we can cringe at the thought of flip-pages showing two boys smashing two robots to pieces, but the tactile interaction of the flip pages and the humor of crushing and smashing is wildly popular.  What some may miss, in arguing against this and similar books is that a wildly popular book also makes reading a wildly popular activity.  We can't win all students over with a Newbery or a historical fiction masterpiece.  The real battle should not be a losing battle against a Constitutionally protected book; Rather, the battle should be getting children to love reading and we should be armed with books like Captain Underpants.  

Professional Reviews:

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.

Zvirin, S. (1997). [Review of the book The adventures of Captain Underpants: The first epic adventure., by D. Pilkey]. Booklist, 93(21), 1819. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/

Few things command disrespect like the sight of a man wearing whitie-tighties. However, the bald and barefoot Captain Underpants happens to be a superhero. As one character notes, "Most superheroes look like they're flying around in their underwear....Well, this guy actually is flying around in his underwear!" The Captain, defender of "Truth, Justice, and all that is Pre-Shrunk and Cottony," is the comic-book invention of two troublemaking fourth-graders, George and Harold. He comes to life after the boys use a mail-order device to hypnotize their diabolical school principal, who sheds his outergarments and battles crime in only a cape and Y-fronts. As his creators try to snap him out of the trance, Captain Underpants threatens bank robbers with "Wedgie Power" and foils the villainous Dr. Diaper (" `You know,' said George, `up until now this story was almost believable' "). Pilkey (Dog Breath) uses a sitcom-like formula to set up the rivalry between the boys and the principal, and to strip the authority figure of dignity. After a tepid exposition, he falls back on the notion that undies and mild bathroom humor are funny in themselves-- and, given his intended audience, he's probably right. Line drawings of the slapstick action appear on every page, and "Flip-O-Rama" climactic sequences create an agreeably corny "motion-picture" effect. But the lowbrow jokes (the Captain uses an elastic waistband to apprehend an evildoer) chiefly constitute this tale's harmless, non-gross appeal. Ages 8-12.

Devereaux, E., & Roback, D. (1997). [Review of the book The adventures of Captain Underpants: The first epic adventure, by D. Pilkey].  Publishers Weekly, 244(23), 46.  Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com

Library Uses:
Proofread the Comic: George and Harold published their own comic book, shown at the beginning of the book.  Display the pages with a document camera so students can fix the spelling, capitalization, and other grammar mistakes.  This would be a great way to collaborate with a writing teacher to introduce students to the writing and editing process.