Introduction to the Cat Kid Books
The Cat Kid Comic Club series is a children’s graphic novel series written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey, the author of the Captain Underpants and Dog Man series. The books center around a group of baby frogs who form a comic book club and tell stories together.
The series launched in December 2020 with the release of Cat Kid Comic Club, which introduces readers to the frogs Naomi, Melvin, Pedro, Thumpy, and more. The baby frogs have big imaginations and a passion for creating their own comics. Their stories blend humor, adventure, and heart.
The Cat Kid Comic Club series stands out for its focus on creativity, collaboration, and embracing individuality. The frogs all have unique personalities and interests that come through in the stories they create together. Their tales are filled with Pilkey’s signature vibrant, funny illustrations and appeal to younger readers transitioning to chapter books.
As of 2022, there are two books in the Cat Kid Comic Club series, with more installments planned. Fans eagerly anticipate each new volume to see what imaginative comics the frogs will cook up next.
The First Cat Kid Book
The first book in the Cat Kid Comic Club series is titled Cat Kid Comic Club and was published in 2021. It was written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey, best known as the creator of the Captain Underpants and Dog Man series. According to the book’s Amazon page, Cat Kid Comic Club introduces a group of friends who start their own comic club.
The main character is Li’l Petey, a creative second grader who decides to share his love of making comics. He recruits his friends to create their own comics and submit them to the club. The core group includes Flippy, a wisecracking fish; Molly, a shy duck; and twenty-one babies known as the Baby Nation. Together, they help and inspire each other while facing universal challenges like writer’s block, lack of confidence, and disagreements.
The book mixes together prose with the illustrated stories created by Li’l Petey and his friends. It explores themes about creativity, art, and friendship in an accessible way for young readers. As the first book in the new series, Cat Kid Comic Club establishes the world and lovable characters that will likely anchor future installments.
Second Cat Kid Book
The second book in the Cat Kid Comic Club series is Cat Kid Comic Club: On Purpose, published in April 2022 by Scholastic’s Graphix imprint. This 224-page graphic novel picks up where the first book left off, continuing the adventures of Li’l Petey, Flippy, Molly and their friends (Amazon).
In On Purpose, the Cat Kid Comic Club decides to create their own comic books with purpose, tackling real-life issues like bullying and litterbugs. They soon realize it’s not easy to make comics with a mission, but they learn important lessons about storytelling and teamwork along the way. The book delivers positive messages about friendship, creativity and believing in yourself (Lindentree Books).
Author/illustrator Dav Pilkey’s signature humor and heart are evident throughout this latest installment. Fans of the series will enjoy returning to the Clubhouse with Li’l Petey, Flippy and friends for another fun graphic novel adventure.
Third Cat Kid Book
The third installment in the Cat Kid Comic Club series is Cat Kid Comic Club: Perspectives, announced for release in 2023. This graphic novel continues the adventures of the Cat Kid Comic Club members Li’l Petey, Flippy, Molly, and Melvin as they create their own comics and deal with various creative challenges.
According to the Scholastic website, Perspectives will explore point of view, encouraging readers to see things from other perspectives. The Cat Kid Comic Club members will each take on creating comics from different perspectives as they develop their artistic styles.
As with previous books in the series, Perspectives will be written and illustrated by bestselling author Dav Pilkey. The Cat Kid Comic Club series has been praised for its humor, heart, and encouragement of creativity and imagination. Fans eagerly anticipate this third installment after the popularity of the first two books.
Main Characters
The core characters in the Cat Kid Comic Club books are a group of friends who come together to create their own comics. The main characters include:
Li’l Petey – The protagonist of the series, Li’l Petey is an imaginative young cat who loves to draw comics. He formed the Cat Kid Comic Club and serves as the club president. Li’l Petey is enthusiastic and encouraging to his friends.
Flippy – A blue bottlenose dolphin who is Li’l Petey’s best friend and the vice president of the Cat Kid Comic Club. Flippy is silly, energetic, and loves performing stunts.
Molly – A brilliant mouse who serves as the secretary of the Cat Kid Comic Club. Molly is adept at organization and planning. She helps keep the club on track.
Vivica – A chicken who serves as the club treasurer. Vivica loves math and uses her accounting skills to manage the club’s finances. She has a sarcastic sense of humor.
Melvin – A baby blue whale who is the club sergeant at arms. As the biggest kid, Melvin helps with carrying supplies and providing security. He has a big heart and loves snacking.
Dog – Li’l Petey’s canine pal who makes cameos in the books. Dog from the Dog Man series offers encouragement to Li’l Petey and his friends.
Themes and Style
Some of the key themes and motifs in the Cat Kid Comic Club books revolve around imagination, creativity, inclusivity, and relatability.
The young frog characters use their imagination to come up with fun comic stories featuring characters like Squid Kid and Katydid. As Lil’ Petey says, “The only limit is your imagination!” (Source). This encourages readers to let their creativity run wild.
The themes of inclusivity and treating others with kindness are shown through the comic characters Squid Kid and Katydid. Though they are bullied for being different, the other characters show them friendship and support (Source).
Readers find the struggles of the characters relatable, as they deal with sibling relationships, school, bullies, and other familiar issues with humor and fun. The style of the Cat Kid Comic Club books is whimsical and amusing, making serious topics approachable for kids.
Writing and Illustration
The Cat Kid Comic Club books are written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey, the author and illustrator behind the wildly popular Dog Man and Captain Underpants series. Pilkey brings his signature humor, heart, and art style to the Cat Kid Comic Club books.
Pilkey’s art is full of energy and visual gags. The books are filled with colorful, engaging panels that use different styles to depict fantasies, memories, jokes, and more. The art has a kid-friendly look but cleverly appeals to all ages. As the book’s characters create their own comics, Pilkey showcases different approaches to illustration.
The Cat Kid Comic Club books encourage creativity, collaboration, and embracing one’s imagination. Pilkey celebrates the thrill of making up stories and characters. As an author who struggled with ADHD and dyslexia as a child, Pilkey aims to inspire reluctant readers and kids who feel different. The books have an uplifting spirit about finding one’s voice through art.
Overall, the combination of Pilkey’s humor and heartfelt themes with his dynamic art has made the Cat Kid Comic Club books a hit with young readers looking for fun, imaginative stories.
Reception and Popularity
Cat Kid Comic Club was met with positive reviews upon its release. On the review site Goodreads, it holds an average rating of 4.18 out of 5 from over 6,000 ratings (source).
Common Sense Media gave the book 4 out of 5 stars, calling it “a quick read with enough advanced vocabulary words sprinkled in to offer a challenge” (source).
The book was also a commercial success. Cat Kid Comic Club debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list dated November 1, 2020. It remained on the list for a total of 36 weeks (source).
As of January 2022, Cat Kid Comic Club had sold over 1 million copies worldwide across all formats (source). The book helped establish the new Cat Kid Comic Club graphic novel series, which has gone on to be hugely popular.
Other Books by Dav Pilkey
In addition to the Cat Kid books, Dav Pilkey is best known as the author and illustrator of the Captain Underpants and Dog Man series.
The Captain Underpants series includes over a dozen books that follow the adventures of two fourth grade pranksters, George Beard and Harold Hutchins, and their creation of a superhero named Captain Underpants. Some of the most popular titles in this series include The Adventures of Captain Underpants, Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants, and Captain Underpants and the Tyrannical Retaliation of the Turbo Toilet 2000. The Captain Underpants books combine humor, action, and engaging stories that appeal to children.
Pilkey’s other major series is Dog Man, starring part dog, part man, police officer. The Dog Man series includes titles like Dog Man: From the Creator of Captain Underpants, Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas, and Dog Man: Mothering Heights. As with the Captain Underpants books, the Dog Man series features Pilkey’s humorous writing and energetic illustrations that have made both series extremely popular with young readers.
Conclusion
The Cat Kid books are a beloved children’s book series written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey, featuring the characters George and Harold from the Captain Underpants series. The books center around Li’l Petey, a World’s Greatest Prankster, and his best friend Flippy the Fish.
The series order begins with Cat Kid Comic Club, which introduces Li’l Petey and the Comic Club he forms with his friends to create their own comics. This is followed by Cat Kid Comic Club: Perspectives, where Li’l Petey learns about point of view. The most recent installment is Cat Kid Comic Club: On Purpose, which focuses on Li’l Petey discovering his purpose.
These imaginative graphic novels teach important life lessons about friendship, creativity, and growing up. With their humorous stories and fun illustrations, the Cat Kid books have captured the hearts of many young readers. The series has emerged as a spin-off from Dav Pilkey’s acclaimed Captain Underpants books, further expanding the quirky and entertaining world he has created.
