Created by New York Times bestselling author Dav Pilkey, the Dog Man graphic novels are some of the best children’s books out there.

Dog Man Books

Published through Scholastic, Dog Man books are a children’s graphic novel series by Dav Pilkey. The book series consists of ten bestseller titles, including a spin-off titled Cat Kid Comic Club. Dog Man comic books are considered to be some of the most successful in the medium, having sold more than 3.8 million copies, which is around 13% of all comic sales, according to BookScan.

Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey

The Dog Man series follows the titular character who is part dog, part man policeman. Alongside his friends, he protects the city they live in from bad guys and other various troubles. Obviously, Dog Man is a children’s book meant for the youngest reading level. Nevertheless, it’s fun for adults too, especially if they like to read to their kids.

As mentioned, Dog Man consists of ten titles to date. The first book was released in 2016, with the latest—Dog Man: Mothering Heights—coming out in 2021. In the following, we’ll go through a summary of all the titles so that you can understand why Dog Man is a perfect read for your kid.

So, let’s dive into the world of superpowers and animal antics.

Dog Man: From the Creator of Captain Underpants

The first book, Dog Man, sets the stage by introducing George and Harold, two fourth graders who come up with the comic. In the first chapter, the main antagonist, cat Petey, gravely injures policeman Knight and his K9 companion Greg. However, after a successful surgery, the doctors stitch the dog’s head onto Knight’s body, creating the ultimate crime fighter Dog Man.

Dog Man Unleashed

The second book in the series, Dog Man Unleashed, follows the titular character as he rises through the police ranks fighting crime. Yet, due to his dog nature, he’s constantly getting into trouble with the Police Chief—peeing in the office, chasing squirrels, etc. To make up for it, Dog Man makes his mission to apprehend the main criminal in town, Petey.

Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties

Despite his best intentions, Dog Man isn’t always the best cop on the force. Just like in the previous book, he keeps getting into trouble. To make matters even worse for him, the evil cat Petey has a new addition to his mischievous plans—a cute kitten. All this means that Dog Man is up against double trouble in the third book of the series.

Dog Man and Cat Kid

The criminal mastermind cat Petey is up to no good once again. After disguising himself as a babysitter of Li’l Petey, another cat, he tries to make him into one of his own. This sets the stage for the fourth Dog Man book, as our hero K9 crime fighter needs to protect Li’l Petey from going under the spell of the main antagonist of the series.

Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas

Unfortunately for Dog Man’s city, Petey isn’t the only criminal in town. After a group of new bad guys appears, Dog Man and his little sidekick kitten seek help from none other than Petey himself to protect the citizens and bring law and order back. All this while working with another ally—a super smart robot by their side.

Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild

After being framed, Dog Man is sent to the pound. His friends work hard to bring justice to his case as he’s trying to settle into his new life. Unfortunately for him, it appears that he can’t find his place in the world where he isn’t the force’s top police officer. The sixth book in the series—Brawl of the Wild—sets the stakes even higher, with doggy suspense on each page.

Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls

Dog Man’s negative behaviors are becoming a big problem for him. Luckily, his Supa Buddies are working hard to help him get back on the right track. Meanwhile, a new villain appears in town—Dr. Scum. All that is happening while Petey the Cat is released from prison, getting back to life with Li’l Petey by his side.

Dog Man: Fetch-22

It seems that Petey the evil cat has changed his ways after getting out of prison. Yet, his cute kitten buddy, Li'l Petey, questions the good in the world. Dog Man and Petey need to team up and stop fighting like cats and dogs to help the troubled little cat.

Dog Man: Grime and Punishment

In his unique style, the author of the Captain Underpants series, Dav Pilkey brings us another K9 crime-fighting tale in Dog Man: Grime and Punishment. This time, Dog Man is hanging on the ropes again as he’s fired from the force after ruining the Major’s rose garden, all while Petey’s dad, another evil cat named Grandpa, is coming up with a sinister plan to create chaos in the city.

Dog Man: Mothering Heights 

The tenth in the adventures of Dog Man series—Dav Pilkey shows us Dog Man down on his luck, Petey trying to confront his past behavior, and Grandpa cat up to no good once again. In the meantime, the city is under attack by new villains, each of which proves more dangerous than the last.

Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea

A new book in the Dog Man series is just around the corner. In March 2023, we’ll once again meet up with the K9 crime-fighter as he’s tasked to come up against Piggy, who’s looking to disrupt the peace in the city and sabotage the Supa Buddies.

Listen to children’s audiobooks with Speechify audiobooks

Although most popular for its text-to-speech services, Speechify is also in the audiobook business. With well over 60,000 titles available, you can find the best children’s books for your kids in just a matter of minutes and for the most affordable prices, starting with $1 for your first purchase.

Among the many great books and young adult novels on Speechify, your child can listen to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, who is famous for his on-stage collaborations with Dav Pilkey, the author of the talked-about Dog Man books.

FAQs

What grade level are Dog Man books?

Dog Man is appropriate for children in second through fifth grades. Dog Man books are classified as reading levels P or Q, depending on which book in the series you read.

How many pages are in Dog Man 10?

Dog Man: Mothering Heights is 224 pages long.