When Dav Pilkey was a kid, he was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. Dav was so disruptive in class that his teachers made him sit out in the hallway every day. Luckily, Dav loved to draw and make up stories. He spent his time in the hallway creating his own original comic books -- the very first adventures of Dog Man and Captain Underpants.
In college, Dav met a teacher who encouraged him to write and illustrate for kids. He took her advice and created his first book, World War Won, which won a national competition in 1986. Dav made many other books before being awarded the California Young Reader Medal for Dog Breath (1994) and the Caldecott Honor for The Paperboy (1996).
In 2002, Dav published his first full-length graphic novel for kids, called The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby. It was both a USA Today and New York Times bestseller. Since then, he has published more than a dozen full-length graphic novels for kids, including the bestselling Dog Man and Cat Kid Comic Club series.
Dav's stories are semi-autobiographical and explore universal themes that celebrate friendship, empathy, and the triumph of the good-hearted.
When he is not making books for kids, Dav loves to kayak with his wife in the Pacific Northwest.
Review Quotes:
Praise for Cat Kid Comic Club:
★ "Irreverent, laugh-out-loud funny and... downright moving, it's a heartfelt celebration of coming into one's own as an artist, with all its frustrations and joys." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ "Colorful, compelling, and laugh-out-loud funny. Every elementary school library needs this graphic novel." -- School Library Journal, starred review
★ "Pilkey deftly applies his trademark sly mix of revelation and in-your-face zaniness in busy, froglet-filled panels that take advantage of the anthology format to showcase comics' versatility. Mind-bending, in the best possible way." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "Pilkey deftly balances quiet life lessons with sheer loopiness for a winning, kid-friendly romp... Wise, funny, and whiplash-inducing: Pilkey delivers again." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Publisher Marketing:
Cat Kid Comic Club is back in session in this groundbreaking graphic novel narrative by Dav Pilkey, the worldwide bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator of Dog Man.
Flippy, Molly, Li'l Petey, and twenty-one baby frogs each have something to say. Naomi and Melvin don't see eye to eye and Poppy perceives the world differently than her siblings. Will the baby frogs figure out how to work together and appreciate one another's point of view -- both inside and outside the classroom?
The shenanigans are nonstop and the baby frogs' minicomics are funny and full of heart. Creating stories within a story, author and illustrator Dav Pilkey uses a variety of techniques -- including acrylic paints, colored pencils, Japanese calligraphy, photography, collage, gouache, watercolors, and much more -- to portray each frog's perspective. The kaleidoscope of art styles, paired with Pilkey's trademark storytelling and humor, fosters creativity, collaboration, independence, and empathy. Readers of all ages will relish this joyful graphic novel adventure.